Sea World...

On our 3rd day in San Diego, we went to Sea World. It was, thankfully, a much warmer day than the previous 2 days at LEGOLAND had been. We hadn't been to Sea World in 8 years and the park has really expanded. Claire's favorite was the Seals and Sea Lions show, where we had a front row seat. My favorite animals in the park are the Beluga whales. I just love their quirky "smiling" faces and their white color against the dark water. There was a new baby beluga named "Pearl" that is, surprisingly, gray! Babies don't turn white until they are 6-7 years old. 

We rode all the rides except the Skyride and saw all the shows except the dolphin show, so I felt like we really made good time. Corey loved the Shamu show, but I noticed that the trainers no longer get in the water with the killer whales since a trainer was killed by a whale in Orlando in 2010. They are huge and amazing creatures...

The biggest change to Sea World since we were last there were all the new rides. We got completely soaked on Shipwreck Rapids (like showering with my clothes on!) My little thrill-seekers' favorite event of the day was riding the Journey to Atlantis ride. It was a roller coaster that splashed down into water, then went into a dark elevator and went up and when the doors opened, there was another big drop into the final pool. Corey and Claire weren't so sure they liked it immediately after, then asked to go on it again all day. We rode it again just before we left. I hope it's not another 8 years until we find ourselves back at Sea World again...