Manatees at Sea World, Orlando

Despite multiple trips to Orlando, Sea World had not been one of our stops. I came up here yesterday to join my sister and her husband who had flown in from Houston. Since they happened to be staying only a couple of exits down from Sea World, that was our destination today. We arrived early with overcast clouds, although as the morning progressed, the sky cleared more than had been initially forecast. We had no intention of taking the rollercoaster rides and that did cut out a fair amount of what was offered, but there were plenty of attractions and exhibits to enjoy. The 300-foot Sea Tower gave a lovely panoramic view and the dolphins are always fun whether they are in a show or not. There was a beautiful aviary with roseate spoonbills and other water fowl and the tunnel with reef all around you moved from Caribbean to South Pacific with plenty of sharks. The Turtle Trek, a 3-D presentation of life from the perspective of a green sea turtle, was especially enjoyable. Prior to entering the theater, you went through the part of the building with an underwater view of 14 rescued sea turtles, several species of fish and manatees. After exiting the presentation, you had the top-down view of the manatees and the turtles when they would come up for air. There were actually three manatees, peacefully hanging about munching on heads of lettuce.

It was a pleasant day with the great landscaping throughout the park providing an extra touch for those of us who love tropical plants.