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“Really unsure about it!”

written by Angels Sin on 18/06/2013

So I hadn't been to Sea World since I was a kid and I was really looking forward to going back. Sadly I left with mixed feelings.

The park itself is very pretty and nicely put together. The toilets are very clean and there is plenty to do, thrill rides, smaller rides and shows to watch.

First on our list was to watch the dolphin show. Here I was really impressed. The stadium is pretty big so you weren't crammed in and everyone seemed to have a good view. The performance started and it really was impressive to watch. Half way through one of the dolphins stopped working and wouldn't perform. This was actually in a way the most interesting part of the show. The "host" explained that if the dolphins don't want to work, they don't make them. He explained that in this situation they would stop the show for a few minutes, let the dolphins do what they want, and then ask again. If they still didn't want to perform, they'd try asking for some other tricks to get them back in the mood, but if they really didn't want to, they'd simply cancel the show. I liked that a lot, it's good that they put the animals first and they aren't forced to do the tricks.

Lucky for us, on the second ask, the dolphin joined in again and the show continued.

After the show we went on a couple of the bigger rides which were brilliant fun and run very smooth. We also went on a simulation ride where you are taken to the artic. It was ok, sort of interesting but a bit bumpy! We then walked around the artic section of the park and took a look at some Beluga Whales.

We planned to have lunch at the Sharks Underwater Grill and I'm so pleased we did. The restaurant is fairly dark inside but one whole wall is made from glass with a view into the shark tank on the other side. It's fascinating to watch them whilst you eat. It is a little more expensive here as it's a proper restaurant, but the food was good so I think it's worth the money, even if the waitress was a little grumpy! I must say though that she was the only member of staff we came across who wasn't happy, friendly and helpful in the whole park.

Next we went to watch Clyde & Seamore's show which was good fun and very funny in places - much better than I thought and the sea lions seemed so at home on the stage, they really seem to enjoy it. After the show we went off to feed some of the sea lions which again is good fun, just be careful of the seagulls who snatch up the fish out of the air as you throw it to the sea lions!

Thinking back the whole day was really very good, it was only two experiences which left me uneasy. The first was at Dolphin Cove, a pool where you can feed and interact with the dolphins. The animals had enough space that they could get away from the people there if they wanted which was a plus in my book. However, although there were signs asking people not to splash the water, some people were to try and get the dolphin's attention. No one was around to step in and put a stop to the bad behaviour and so one dolphin swam over and went to bite one particularly obnoxious boy's hand! Would have served him right frankly!

The second experience was of course the Killer Whale show. I went shortly after a keeper had been killed by one of the killer whales at SeaWorld, so they were no longer getting in the water to swim with them and instead gave instructions from a platform or side of the pool. It was amazing to watch, don't get me wrong, but I'm just not sure how comfortable I am seeing these animals in captivity. I was hoping that watching the show might reassure me but sadly it didn't. It's not the trainer's fault at all, it's purely about the size of the pool they're kept in and whether they do well in captivity for me.

Anyway, those issues aside I really enjoyed my day here, it was fun, educational and fascinating and despite my reservations, I would recommend this park as a place to visit.