Sharks Without The 'Nado

Yes, we finally went to SeaWorld.  But Zane came home from school one day and told us that he wanted to see Shamu, and guilted us about it.  All his friends had been there already!  We had avoided it for as long as we could.  It's clear on the other side of San Antonio, for one.  We also weren't sure how Zane would do in what is essentially a very large amusement park.   We were concerned about the price tag--two adults and a child is a big chunk of cash, not including parking and food and other amenities.  Then I found out that those of us who live in Texas and have teaching certificates are eligible for free season passes.  It was hard to argue with that, and we thereupon cheerfully made our way to the gates of SeaWorld. 

We waited to pet a dolphin...and waited...and waited...

The dolphins were having none of that.  Dolphins can be quite persnickety. Hanging out and waiting for them to favor us with some attention reminded me of high school.  They are rather cliquish, apparently.  Zane just wasn't cool enough for the dolphins.  Getting snubbed by a dolphin is hardcore; it almost derailed the entire visit for Zane. So we hightailed it to the nearest building, which happened to house some fake coral reefs...

And some sharks.  No Great Whites, Bulls or Tiger sharks, thankfully,  The Black Tip Sharks were plenty scary. 

A sign had been posted regarding a feeding, and we decided to stay to see what would happen.  I admit that I was wondering how they planned to feed the sharks, but it was easy to see that diving was the easiest way to feed the fish in an adjoining tank.  One lady did the diving, while the other marine biologist spoke about what kind of fish were in the tank, how much water was in the tank, and what sort of diet kept the fish in good working order. 

After the feeding, the marine biologist remained to answer any questions, which was right up Zane's alley. He immediately ran right up and asked about the fish that looked like unicorns(named...Unicorn fish. Der.)  Then he asked about the sharks, specifically the shark with the spots, known as the fearsome Zebra shark. Because of the spots.  Zane just kept chatting, and finally, Destinee invited him to help her feed the sharks. 

Larry and I both felt our hearts stop as we contemplated our rambunctiously cheerful child running amok behind the scenes, the movie Sharknado still fresh in our psyches.  Then Destinee said the magic words; she told us that we could come along.  Whew!  Zane got to touch some shark skin, and look at some bones.  Destinee explained everything to him as if Larry and I weren't there, and my son loved it.  Zane then put on a glove and grabbed some fish heads and threw them right into the water like a pro.  And since hanging around with sharks is not like high school, the sharks were more than happy to come and see what was going on at the surface.

Hi there!  Let's hang out!

A fun time was had by all, sharks included.  The dolphin snubbing was forgotten.  Thank you, SeaWorld!