Face to face. Nose to nose.
Close enough to reach out and touch the slippery smoothness of her skin, I found myself looking into the eyes of a bottlenose dolphin. Her majestic beauty and intelligence were apparent as she glided through the water, obeying the commands of her trainer. My anticipation climbed as I thought about how it would feel to climb in the water and swim with her around me, interacting in her environment and home.
As Oklahomans, we often think we have to hop on a plane or drive an entire day to share a memorable experience. Yet we are fortunately living a few hours away from San Antonio, Texas, where a world-class park filled with rides for the entire family and interactions featuring animals of the sea, resides.
SeaWorld® San Antonio recently opened Discovery Point, the only interactive dolphin experience in Texas, allowing visitors to come face to face with bottlenose dolphins.
“Our guests will see the wonder and majesty of dolphins and other marine animals, connecting with them in new ways to create a deeper understanding of the importance of protecting these amazing animals and their ocean habitat,” said Chris Bellows, SeaWorld® San Antonio Vice President of Zoological Operations.
“We’ve learned over the years, that our dolphins enjoy these interactions as much as our guests – these nose to bottlenose interactions create even more opportunities for these curious animals to connect, exercise and play with novel new situations,” added Bellows.
Swimming with the dolphins does require a reservation and costs an additional fee. However, guests who simply want to view these animals can enjoy the park’s underwater viewing area. My kids and I laughed at the antics of the dolphins as we watched them swim and play in a floor to ceiling, panoramic underwater viewing area.
Of course, Discovery Point is only one feature in a long list of activities. These activities vary—each of my three children had his or her own favorite. My oldest, Morgan, and I rode the Steel Eel over and over all throughout the day. She was thrilled with the initial long climb of this roller coaster and 15 story drop.
As even more of an adrenaline junkie, I preferred the 360-degree loops of The Great White. It has so many twists and turns that I didn’t know when I was upside down or right-side up.
My 12-year-old daughter, Lauren, said, “My favorite thing was Azul because it was a combination of a circus and sea creatures, and it was very well put together.”
She was fascinated by the bright colorful birds and performers. Watching the acrobatic style show with the interaction of the majestic beluga whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins was truly breathtaking.
Of course my son, Tristan, said he would never forget feeding the sea lions after watching the comedic show, “Clyde & Seamore’s Sea Lion High.”
It had been a few years since we visited SeaWorld® San Antonio, so it was wistful to look back on the rides like the Shamu Express or remember how different the trip was with toddlers. It’s spending time with those you love that matters the most.
For more information on SeaWorld® Parks, visit their website at www.seaworldparks.com and be sure to follow SeaWorld on Facebook or @SeaWorld on Twitter and Instagram @SeaWorldTexas, using #MoreToSea for exciting updates.