A lazy day but a whale of a time.

Yes today had a lazy feel to it probably because by the time everyone was out of bed it was past 10am which has been unheard of for us on this holiday.  We had decided that we would get up whenever, have a swim, perhaps a bite for breakfast and then make a move towards Seaworld.  So that is just what we did.

The view from our pool

Just relaxing

We must have just swum and chatted for about an hour before deciding perhaps we should make a move.  Slowly we showered, dressed and assembled what we needed and by about midday were on our way to Seaworld. 

Now we knew that arriving at a park later in the day the car park would be busy and we would have a longer walk to the entrance.  No Disney transportation here!  The car park was busy and it seemed very hot indeed.

We had decided that we would do the Shamu show with the killer whales as this is the one Daniel wanted to see and Sarah wanted to see the show with the sea lion and the otter.  The killer whale show was at 2 so we stocked up on some drinks and headed over to Shamu stadium and settled in our seats, far enough away from the "soak zone", I know they call it the "splash zone" but I knew better!

Daniel helping by taking someone's photograph

The show was great to see with five of the killer whales performing.  They were waiting at the entrance to the pool well before the show started showing their eagerness - for the fish they were rewarded with!!!

  They are graceful creatures despite their huge size and splendid to watch.  

 

We all enjoyed the show and loved seeing how well they all worked with their trainers.

Lunch was next on the cards and we found an air conditioned restaurant to sit in, simple burgers and fries today followed by pieces of watermelon as it all looked so appetising.  I do sometimes notice some rudeness in queues here and towards those serving. Sorry but a simple please and thank you is not hard and sometimes if you try and lift each corner of your lips a smile will emerge, it makes you look friendlier.  However the lady who was poised to take our table, they were fairly scarce, was very polite and friendly, a pleasure to have a chat with.

Off we went to see the next show today with the Sealion, the Otter and the Walrus.  The mime artist at the beginning of the show was great entertainment.  He interacted so well with the people coming into the stadium, making fun of some, rating others, such a laugh to watch, thank goodness we got in early.

  All in all a great show and very entertaining.  However as we had sat through this we had noticed that the sky overhead was darkening somewhat, the humidity levels were rising as well.  Just as the show came to an end, we felt the first drops of the rain and the ponchoes had to come out of the bags..... I had learned the hard way to cover my camera first and then worry about me.  It wasn't a gentle shower to cool the day, it was a full on thunderstorm, with very very loud thunder, flashes of lightning and rain coming down in sheets.  We were walking back towards some of the rides when evasive action needed to be taken and we scuttled into a shop doorway and then were moved into the main shop................we resisted the temptation though to shop.

After about 20 mins it cleared enough for us to take a walk.  The ride that Sarah desperately wants to ride was closed for the foreseeable future due to the "inclement weather".  I am sure I have heard that term a few times during the past few days!  We looked at riding Anarctica but that a 50 minute queue at the time, Daniel told Sarah she could look at the penguins if she googled them.  We decided that perhaps we should make a move, plan to come back another day as we have unlimited tickets and have yet another swim when we get back.

One thing I noticed in all of these parks, Aquatica, Seaworld, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove is the emphasis on spectacular planting around the area and I loved to stop and take photos of some of the plants.

   

We managed to venture in to see the sharks in the under tank walkway and took some photos of some of the fish in there but it was very dark and not the best quality of photographs.

On our way out I noticed the flamingos were still a bit ruffled from all that rain and were having a good clean up.  In fact all of them were preening themselves, fluffing up the feathers and patting them down dry.  Quite entertaining to watch.

  

An excellent afternoon out.  We came home, did a little foodie shop on the way home and straight into the pool again.  What a lovely day.