I didn't get to mention this in my last post in detail, but I also adventured out to Sea World and the Brevard Zoo when I was out in Florida.My visit to Sea World started off helping Jeremy and Laurel feed some stingrays, which was really cool. They would hold fish in their hands and the rays would come to gobble it up. I was scared the rays would eat their fingers, but all fingers survived unscathed. After watching dolphins do tricks and helping my escorts feed bottle-nosed dolphins (I was coaching), I decided that it was time to kick things up a notch and sneak behind the scenes. Before the Shamu show (Shamu the Killer Whale), I was found wandering the staff locker room and they were kind enough to include me in the show. So the picture here is of my incredible experience surfing a killer whale. I may have gotten salt in my mouth, nose, and eyes but it was well worth it. After the shows, I rode the amazing roller coaster Manta where I thought Laurel was going to let me go. All throughout the day I saw amazing fish and creatures I never imagined could exist. Where I come from, lion fish, sea dragons, sharks, dolphins, and sea creatures in general was something I only heard my mom talk about in fairy tales. The day ended anti-climatically with rain, rain, and more rain. At least I surfed a whale.
Towards the end of my visit to Florida, Jeremy and Laurel took me to the little county zoo (Brevard Zoo). I was immediately impressed with how the enclosures were spacious and utilized the natural terrain and plants of Florida. There were even local wild animals to be seen such as a little agile river otter munching a fish he had just caught in a stream running through the zoo. While the zoo itself wasn't big, it did have a decent collection of animals and it offered on-site kayaking through their Africa exhibit to see Giraffes, Lemurs, and Rhinos. They offered two other kayaking options but it was too hot to be paddling in the sun, so we passed on that and fed some lorikeets instead. I got a good laugh seeing Laurel covered in bright red and blue birds as they fought for the nectar she offered them in a little cup. Meanwhile, Jeremy was being chased by a parot for what seemed like five minutes as it tried to bite his sandal until a zookeeper came in to reprimand it. Apparently, it goes crazy over wheelchairs too. Finally, I was getting mighty adventurous (or perhaps mischievous) again so I did something crazy...
I talked with this friendly monkey dude (I can't remember his species...but I'm not one for prejudice) and he was kind enough to smuggle me into his cage and carry me on his back through the trees. It was fun, but I think it was getting a little attached because it tried to prevent me from getting back out. After a brief tug-a-war between the monkey and Jeremy with me as the rope, the monkey let go in search for better prospect children. Other highlights at the zoo included teasing alligators, watching a kid freak out when a lorikeet landed on him, watching another kid feed a giraffe, seeing some cool hawks and eagles, and seeing the largest rodent in the world (capybara). It was resting in the shade, but it looked like a guinea pig the size of small pony. Oh, and there were also red wolves (which are nearly extinct) and a bobcat.All in all, it was a fun trip...I wonder what kind of adventures France will bring.
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