You read that right! I tossed all three of my kids to the sharks! They’re fine, none of them got bitten, or eaten, or chased around by Jaws. Charlotte did get a scrape from a small shark’s fin, but it wasn’t bad enough to put blood in the water and start a feeding frenzy. I took a ton of pictures, but not many turned out okay, let alone well.
After they got used to standing in the water, and receiving the instructions for what NOT TO DO, they tentatively started to swim around. Some of the things not to do were walk on the gravel bottom, step on any of the fishes, splash excessively, and no biting the Stingrays!
There were more than just sharks in the water, there were Stingrays, colorful fish, and other kinds of stingrays (probably named, but I dunno). When the kids got about 10 minutes from being done, they were given some food, and taught how to feed the sea life. If you’ve ever had a cat, or had something the cat wanted to eat, then you’ve basically sat around trying to feed Stingrays and Sharks. They go between your legs, hang out in your lap, push your hands, and wiggle between you and the other animals.
Finally, after they got out of their really comfortable wet suits, and dried off, we took our really seaty selfs off to see the rest of the “Aquarium”. One thing I didn’t get a picture of was a PIG! He/She was one of my favorites. I pet, mauled, and talked to the pig while the kids were in the cat room (Yes, we really were at an Aquarium). There were two really friendly Iguanas (one only had three legs, I named it Sparrow; I got your back Johnny Depp). The Iguana closest to the people was basicly giving everyone the slant eye (half asleep, but watching your every move). I spent a lot of time playing with them while the kids were being shark chum.
Right before you escape the humidity and heat of the Aquarium, there’s a pair of “ducks” that really enjoyed human company (ish). One of them ate the duck food very gently from my hand, and the other tried to take my palm with every excited peck. Either way, I really enjoyed all the animals, spending some unique time with my kids, and hanging out with Raili while she struggled to balance being cool with being exited.
I miss my kids every day they’re not with me, but times like these give me buckets of good memories. It is a hard balance between giving them the freedom to decompress, be themselves, relax, and being an involved parent.
Love my little shits to no end: ~me