I called the Sea Life Park in Honolulu on Wednesday, just to see if they had any cancellations. They had nothing for swimming with the dolphins, but they did have a 'dolphin encounter' on Friday with room for all who wanted to do it. Sign us up!
Sea Life Park is like a mini Sea World, without the rides. Our encounter was at 1:45, but the park opened at 10 with plenty for us to do. We decided to check it out.
As you walk in the park, there is a huge aquarium
with sting rays and sharks and all sorts of fish. Then you enter into the inside of it
where you are under the water to see more.
****I have NO idea while all this space is here, and no matter what I do, it doesn't go away.****
After we had some lunch, one of the perks of the dolphin encounter,
we went to explore the park before our encounter. First we went to the dolphin show.
It was such a beautiful place for a dolphin show, with the ocean as its backdrop, and see my lighthouse?!
Then we fed the sea turtles,
visited the sea lions,
and checked out the penguins.
And then it was time for the feature presentation. The participants, Kylee and Blaine, Kyle, Michael, and McKenzie, and Andrea, Faith, and Gavin, (the five-year olds had to have a guardian with them) went to get their instructions
which I understand were very strict, and headed out to the water for their dolphin encounter.
You see where the dolphin rolls over on her back? The kids were so grossed out because she pooped. I'll spare you their descriptions of it, but it was really gross!
There was so much going on, I was trying to get videos and pictures and enjoy it, too, so I ended up with a modge podge of stuff. Some pictures of encounters, some videos of encounters. I think I may have thought I was videoing some when I was actually just taking succinct shots.
KYLEE Check out that smile!
BLAINE
KELLIE
MICHAEL
McKENZIE
KYLE
ANDREA
FAITH
GAVIN This is the only picture I have of Gavin, that I stole from Andrea's Facebook page. I'm pretty sure the boy was terrified of the dolphin, and his encounter was very short. This 'dancing with the dolphin' was the first of their encounter, and after it, he was done.
After seeing how much time the kids (and Kyle and Andrea) got to spend in the water with the dolphins, I'm glad we did the encounter instead of swimming with the dolphins. In one of the videos above, you hear me say, "That's the swimmers, not us." They were in the water the same time we were. They had no interaction with the dolphin. All they got to do was swim to the middle of the 'pool', wait for the dolphins to pick them up and take them for a three second ride on their fins for a picture. That was it. Ours was much more interactive, and $150 cheaper than theirs.
When it was over, and we were waiting for the pictures they took, the kids visited the touching pool.
There were starfish, sea urchins, and even a sea 'hot dog', which was disgusting. And then we picked up the pictures. Priceless!!!! Which is a really good thing because Joey may kill me if he knew what I paid for them.
We went to the sea lion/dolphin show on the way out of the park, just because we caught the time just right.
Sea Life Park was a really cool place. There were no lines, no heavy crowds, but it still had the sea life.
This day was also are second to last day on the island. Saturday, we had all day, as our plane didn't leave until 9 p.m., but we had to check out of the house at 11, which meant we would have no shower, which meant we were not taking kids to the beach to play on Saturday with nowhere to clean up. Because of that, we decided to hit the beach one more time before we went 'home'. Well, some of us did. Kyle and Myra decided they weren't up for it, but McKenzie was. So we traded. Kylee went to the house with them, and McKenzie stayed with us.
It was bitter sweet, but I didn't know yet just how bitter sweet. You see that picture of Mom Mom and McKenzie? That's the last picture I took...and would ever take...with my camera. When I went to get it back out of the back, it was soaking wet, with Coke. Somebody had put our Sea Life souvenir cup, full of Coke, in my towel bag. It leaked and killed my beloved.
Y'all, I think I handled it well. I really do. I was really, really, really sad, but I didn't cry. I tried to control my thought process. This is how it went:
Heart: I still have another day in Hawaii, with no camera! Brain: But it's okay. My iPhone takes good pictures, and most of the day will be spent last-minute shopping.
Heart: I just took all those camera classes and have really figured out how to use this thing. Brain: But it's okay. I also saw really cool features on other cameras during those classes that this one doesn't have.
Heart: I spent $500 on this camera!! Brain: But it's okay. I've gotten seven good years out of this camera, and that's less than $100 a year, less than $10 a month, probably less than a penny a picture.
Heart: I'm so sad my camera is dead! Female Brain: I'M GONNA GET A NEW CAMERA!!!!!!
And that, my friends, ended a very good day on a very, very good note. I'm getting a new camera!!! I've already narrowed it down to two. I've gone to the store and played with them. Now I'm going to get online and compare their instruction manuals. Anal much? Hey, this thing needs to last me at least another seven years, and at least another 15,000 pictures. Just saying. Would you read this blog without pictures?
Anyway, it was a great day, and even without a camera or a beach, there is still one left.
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