Sharks Without The 'Nado

Yes, we finally went to SeaWorld.  But Zane came home from school one day and told us that he wanted to see Shamu, and guilted us about it.  All his friends had been there already!  We had avoided it for as long as we could.  It's clear on the other side of San Antonio, for one.  We also weren't sure how Zane would do in what is essentially a very large amusement park.   We were concerned about the price tag--two adults and a child is a big chunk of cash, not including parking and food and other amenities.  Then I found out that those of us who live in Texas and have teaching certificates are eligible for free season passes.  It was hard to argue with that, and we thereupon cheerfully made our way to the gates of SeaWorld. 

We waited to pet a dolphin...and waited...and waited...

The dolphins were having none of that.  Dolphins can be quite persnickety. Hanging out and waiting for them to favor us with some attention reminded me of high school.  They are rather cliquish, apparently.  Zane just wasn't cool enough for the dolphins.  Getting snubbed by a dolphin is hardcore; it almost derailed the entire visit for Zane. So we hightailed it to the nearest building, which happened to house some fake coral reefs...

And some sharks.  No Great Whites, Bulls or Tiger sharks, thankfully,  The Black Tip Sharks were plenty scary. 

A sign had been posted regarding a feeding, and we decided to stay to see what would happen.  I admit that I was wondering how they planned to feed the sharks, but it was easy to see that diving was the easiest way to feed the fish in an adjoining tank.  One lady did the diving, while the other marine biologist spoke about what kind of fish were in the tank, how much water was in the tank, and what sort of diet kept the fish in good working order. 

After the feeding, the marine biologist remained to answer any questions, which was right up Zane's alley. He immediately ran right up and asked about the fish that looked like unicorns(named...Unicorn fish. Der.)  Then he asked about the sharks, specifically the shark with the spots, known as the fearsome Zebra shark. Because of the spots.  Zane just kept chatting, and finally, Destinee invited him to help her feed the sharks. 

Larry and I both felt our hearts stop as we contemplated our rambunctiously cheerful child running amok behind the scenes, the movie Sharknado still fresh in our psyches.  Then Destinee said the magic words; she told us that we could come along.  Whew!  Zane got to touch some shark skin, and look at some bones.  Destinee explained everything to him as if Larry and I weren't there, and my son loved it.  Zane then put on a glove and grabbed some fish heads and threw them right into the water like a pro.  And since hanging around with sharks is not like high school, the sharks were more than happy to come and see what was going on at the surface.

Hi there!  Let's hang out!

A fun time was had by all, sharks included.  The dolphin snubbing was forgotten.  Thank you, SeaWorld!

Confessions of the Shark That Bit Me

I confess

Great delight I take

in a fine prime rib

with a side of langosteens

savored with a sturdy cabernet.

I do not care for seal

Their flesh sticks in my teeth.




On now to our weekend challenge.  This weekend we are asking for a thirty-three word confession.  You're free to write non-fiction or fiction or to blur the lines in between.  No, I haven't been bitten by a shark.  Unless you count the land loving kind.

Shark Week Random

We were watching a Shark Week episode on Discovery.  Sharks Jumping Clean Out of the Water to Eat Things, I think it was called.  We try to watch at least a couple of shark-related shows during Shark Week, since it's more educational than housewives fighting over poodles or people from New Jersey trying to fix their hair.  

"That's David Wenham," My husband suddenly said.

"What?"  

I had been looking down at what my son was doing.  I thought that a shark was eating David Wenham, and that would be a terrible thing.  However, no actual people were being eaten, my husband was referring to the narrator of the show. 

"Uh...who?"  Because while I never forget a face, names are an iffy proposition.  The narrator's voice was vaguely familiar, but no name came to mind to go with the voice. 

"You know...Faramir." 

Ah.  Faramir, Boromir's unappreciated brother from the Lord of the Rings movies. The guy who didn't get to talk about how "one does not just walk into Mordor".   David Wenham does have a lovely voice, very soothing.  Perhaps he was chosen to calm people who might be losing their mind over the sight of a shark leaping straight out of the water. 

There's something downright interesting about watching a shark who is not trying to eat you.  They never seem to stop moving!   We probably taste terrible to sharks, even if a lot of us are as blubbery as seals.  Reports from Florida to the contrary, most sharks tend to spit people back out after a bite.

Sharks seem to collect hitchhikers.  They show those fish with the suckers attached to the sharks, but they've also pointed out some form of lice that hitches rids, also.  Those critters like to hang out at the eyelids--ick. But it seems like sharks have their own traveling ecosystem, which is pretty cool.

I was happy to hear that the force exerted by the shark when he exits the water to hit a seal is such that the seal is probably dead before it hits the water.  I know that seals are food for the sharks, but I don't like for animals to suffer.  It even bothers me when my cat Zena smacks critters around. 

Sharks are only successful at hunting 50% of the time.  Occasionally, the prey wins.  This encourages me on days when I feel more like the bug than the windshield. 

Source: google.com via Tina on Pinterest

The movie Jaws comes out today in remastered, technicolor, blu-ray, high definition, three-dimensional, THX.  I just made most of that up.  I think it's just the blu-ray.  My husband claims that Jaws is his all time favorite movie.  He is very excited about the blu-ray release.  He even asked me if it was okay for Zane to watch it!  My answer was not really printable.  I saw Jaws when I was 9.  I think that my parents took us to see it.  Guess who had nightmares that her bed was floating in the middle of the ocean?  *raises hand*   Those were lovely nightmares, playing upon my fear of the unknown and my fears about water.  Zane would never get into a pool again, and baths would become a chancy thing.  I need to have a clean child, so no movies about evil sharks that hold grudges and decide to kill people in completely illogical ways.

I am hooking up with Stacy at Stacy's Uncorked.  Go check her out.  She's a party girl who probably has watched Shark Week at least once.

I've mentioned that Zane started school this week, but I'll save that for a blog post all its own. There won't be any sharks involved in that one.