We got wet at Sea World, I mean really, really wet! It was a fantastic day right up until it was time to go home, more on that later.
We started off the day by doing the first roller coaster we saw which was the Journey to Atlantis. This one has a really great downhill rush with a big splash at the bottom. Ryan was so excited. He kept saying it was "wicked, awesome and cool!" It also has the first roller coaster elevator I've ever seen. We got a bit wet on this one, but not too much. There was basically no line, so we did it twice and after the ride you get off and see these beautiful dolphins up close. The black and white dolphins are Commerson's dolphins, which are known for swimming and feeding upside down quite often. Next up was the Arctic Adventure with a simulated helicopter ride in the Arctic. That was really COOL! There we saw the polar bears and beluga whales.
Our next stop was the Pets Rule Show (don't ask me why this is at Sea World- there's not a sea creature in sight!). We've been really missing Scrabble, so it was fun to watch other cute pups, cats and even pigs performing. Here's a funny little side note: The emcee of this show was the very same woman who emceed the Big Test show at Legoland the day before!
At the Sea Lion exhibit it was feeding time, so Chloe joined in while the very vocal one on the rock kept making noise, but generally just posed for photos!
The dolphin show inluded Bottlenose dolphins and these gorgeous pilot whales.
The last show of our day was the Believe Show, featuring Shamu. Just before the show Ryan started complaining of a stomach ache. During the show it became progressively worse, and by the end we had to carry him out to the First Aid center. It turned out there was no temperature or danger of serious intestinal ailments. We left Sea World and went back to the hotel. A little bit of lying down and some apple juice made him feel much better and by dinner time he was ready to eat again. Mark had planned to head home last night, but with Ryan not feeling well, he stayed the night. It was nice to have him here for one more day.
Oh, and how did we get so wet, anyway? Well, we went on the Shipwreck Rapids which is a ride in which you are guarranteed to get soaked. It's a round raft-like ride that goes through the water with downhill splashes in which lots of water can get in. It depends on what seat you are in and how the raft hits the water, but I was the wettest! There are also lovely strangers putting money into water bomb machines and spraying water at you when you least expect it. It was a blast! Next up- Balboa Park and Old Town.