Last year I had the opportunity to visit Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.  I’m a big aquarium fan, and I enjoyed the chance to check out this wonderful predator exhibit.
I recently heard about a new experience the aquarium will be offering – a Dive with the Sharks program.  Offered to hotel guests of Mandalay Bay and THEhotel, this program will give certified divers the chance to accompany dive guides to hang out with over 30 sharks in the 1.2 million gallon exhibit.  Divers must be 18 years of age and older.
Dives are offered once per …read more

One of the things that I did while visiting Miami was to spend some time swimming with the dolphins at Miami’s Seaquarium.

Well, it wasn’t really swimming, it was more of a shallow wading experience.  But it was great fun, and one of those experiences that I heartily recommend.
I’ll have more of the details of the whole experience, but for now you can take a look at “Doe” and I.
Photo credit:  Miami Seaquarium

For the price of a hand of blackjack or a roll of the dice, you can spend time predators of a different kind — at Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef Aquarium.  Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino (3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas) is home to this predator-based aquarium, the only one in the United States.
Recently moving into the aquarium are two female Tigers Sharks, second deadliest specie behind the Great White.  These two are quickly becoming the prima donnas of the aquarium, and it’s the only place tiger sharks are available for viewing in the US.  How will you spot …read more

The Miami Seaquarium offers ghoulish fun in a kid-friendly environment with its Monster Splash Nighttime Halloween Bash, a four night Halloween adventure.  You can feel scared, while still doing good, and hang out with some of the best creatures around!
This Halloween event features age appropriate activities for the entire family, including:

Trick-or-treating with costumes and candy
Field of Screams featuring rides, slides and a skeleton walk
The Frightening Manor – a kid-friendly haunted house
Trail of Terror Haunted House
Fall Harvest Festival with pumpkin carving contest, games, and activities
Grand finale fireworks

The Bash is open October 24-26th, 31st, from 5 – 10 pm.  Daytime guest …read more

You’ll find a kid-sized Halloween celebration at the New York Aquarium’s Ascarium.  The annual festivities include sea monsters, carnival activities, a pumpkin patch, arts and crafts stations, a haunted house, and the Haunted Mine 3-D ride.
Halloween activities are scheduled October 25-26th, and are free with general admission to the aquarium.  (An additional charge applies for the Deep Sea 3D Movie.)
And of course, there’s lot of feeding going on.  Enjoy watching walrus, penguin, or sea otter feeding.  It’s high on the “aaaaaaahhhhh” factor!
The Octopus has to eat, too.  How do you like this Halloween dinner??

Admission is $13 for adults; $10 for …read more

Another day, another wonder, and this one will also stir the debate about whether wonders should be man made or natural.  Regardless of your position on that issue, there is no doubt as to the beauty of the underwater world of the Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument.
The national monument encompasses nearly 140,000 square miles of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and provides for protection and preservation of the marine area.  It is the largest single area dedicated to conservation, and the largest protected marine area in the world.  To get a sense of just how big we are talking about, it …read more

If you want to splurge for Halloween, you could try Orlando’s SeaWorld Spooktacular, where kids get to combine artificial trick-or-treating events with artificial sea life.  It may seem plastic and artificial, but kids love it, and there’s no disputing it’s safe.
Included with the price of park admission, Spooktacular includes trick-or-treating at 15 different stations throughout the park.  Kids will get to see friendly sea witches, octopuses, and mermaids, as they collect their Halloween treats.  Other options, for an additional charge,  include a Spooky Sleepover and character breakfasts.
Taking a family to SeaWorld is an expensive proposition.  If you’ve promised the kids, …read more

The idea of vacationing at home seemed to resonate with readers, both as a money saving idea, and as a practical solution with time remaing before school starts.  Here are some ideas for those of you in the greater Seattle/Tacoma area.  For those of you who don’t live in this area, use the ideas to think about what’s available in your hometown.
What are you waiting for?  Pick one.  Pick another.  Send the kids back to school with lots of fond memories about the best summer vacation ever.

Pacific Science Center:  Dinosaurs, butterflies, and insects co-mingle with technology and astronomy in creating exhibits that …read more

Sharks are the predators of the sea, and there were lots of predators last weekend, in one of my favorite exhibits at the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
Sharks are large, and lumbering, yet somehow able to move with speed and grace.  The Aquarium’s swim tank allows visitors to view sharks from both above and below the water.  From below, you can view them close enough to look into their eyes and get a long, hard look at the sharp, jagged teeth.  I wouldn’t want to mess with any of these guys!  (Nurse shark in photo above.)
Another favorite exhibit was the stingray pool.  …read more