SeaWorld San Antonio ~ The Animals

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SeaWorld San Antonio unveils an new and spectacular water park this weekend, Aquatica!! Inspired by the islands of the South Seas, Aquatica offers animal encounters combined with water-rides - the kind of water park only SeaWorld could make - We can't wait to go!

In honor of the grand opening on Friday, May 19, our posts this week will be all about the fun that you & your family can have at SeaWorld San Antonio!

 What's the first thing you think of when I say "SeaWorld San Antonio"?

The rides? Shamu? The shows? The heat? The crowds?

When I polled a few of my friends and family, what I noticed to be missing from their list the most were the animals!  SeaWorld San Antonio has tons of amazing animals to see both performing and in their native habitats...not what you expect from a typical theme park.

 First off, the shows are fantastic!  We enjoyed all three that we saw that day - and there are more than that!  Shamu and his friends delighted us with their graceful leaps out of the water in the One Ocean show.  We laughed out loud at the sea lions' antics in the Cannery Row Caper.  And were mystified (yes, I used that word) at the beluga whales, dolphins, and human performers in Azul.  I honestly could watch these shows again and again and see something new each time.

But that's not the only way to see the animals at SeaWorld San Antonio.

 The Dolphin Cove allows visitors to get up close and personal feeding the dolphins. At certain times during the day, you may purchase a cup of fish and feed them!!  If you didn't want stinky hands, you can always watch the fun on the other side of the pool.  We had a few dolphins swim right by us that day.  If you want to participate, make sure you arrive early enough to get in line, as they only feed a certain amount of fish to them each feeding and the line can get long.

 The Penguin Encounter is an enclosed arctic habitat with over 100 different species of penguins for you to watch dive into the water or waddle around.

 One of our favorite places in the park, happens to be the Sharks & Coral Reef...and not just because my son loves the sharks. The 450,000 gallon shark habitat allows you to see these amazing creature up close and personal.  My son sat down up front and was mesmerized by their grace for over 20 minutes. We took this opportunity to sit on the benches in the back of the room, enjoying the cool, quiet.  The Coral Reef is in the room next door, where again my kids spent a great deal of time finding their favorite fish, a lobster, and more.

There are several more opportunities to encounter animals at SeaWorld San Antonio, including gazing at these lazy guys......

As if a day at the park isn't enough time with all the amazing animals, SeaWorld San Antonio also offers some "behind the scenes" experiences for you to enjoy from stingray encounters, to personal feedings with the penguins, to donning a wetsuit and swimming with belugas. You can learn more about all these exclusive park experiences here.

My family really enjoyed all the time we spent with the animals.  It was awesome to see my toddler gasp in delight over Shamu and my older two actually learn something from our day spent at a theme park. I can definitely see the allure of a season pass to get more opportunities to see the animals.

Join us all this week as I breakdown all the other entertainment SeaWorld provides, give you a good idea of all the fun SeaWorld offers for small kiddos, and a breakdown of some cool things to know before you head to the park this summer.

Save money on SeaWorld San Antonio tickets by purchasing online!

Texas Travel Facts for SeaWorld San Antonio:

Location: 10500 SeaWorld Drive

Hours: Vary based on month - click here

Admission: Varies - search for deals or buy your tickets online to save money and time waiting at the park

Recommended Time: All Day

Good to know: Check the website for park hours & show times the day you want to go; can bring your own strollers with few drinks & individually wrapped snacks for little ones; can rent strollers; buy parking pass online to save a few dollars

Website: http://seaworldparks.com/seaworld-sanantonio/

My family and I were invited to visit the park and were provided admission. I was not financially compensated for this post.  All opinions of SeaWorld San Antonio are strictly my own based on my experience.