Fort Walton Beach, Florida!

We have made our way down to Florida. On our hunt for something between New Orleans we came across a pamphlet for Gulfarium Marine Adventures. At first I expected an aquarium with a few large animals and a quick couple hour trip but I was wrong! Upon arrival we found that they offer animal encounters-we chose two swimming with the stingrays and training the dolphin.

I was a little skeptical at first because the encounters seem so short on paper but we had plenty of time.  My daughter and I were each able to feed, do a few commands, and play catch while learning about the body of dolphin. It was interesting to learn more about certain features and how they use the training to prep the dolphins for vet care.

Our next stop was swimming with the stingrays and I would say this is a must do!

We given wet suites and flippers before meeting up with our guide. She showed us the baby stingray pool and taught us more about each of the species and sharks. Next it was time to feed the stingrays:

We were given a smiley face because the stingrays had learned to eat from their target. I was amazed at how the guide recognized each stingray and knew who should eat what. It was an incredible feeling as they swam over you to get the food.  This was an experience we will treasure forever.

After drying off we went on to explore the other exhibits and learn more about each animal. We even got to see the amazing touch pool! We ended our day with a snack  and a smile-so far this is has been the highlight of all our state travels.