It was an overcast afternoon at Discovery Cove’s new SeaVenture attraction as I shimmied my way down a ladder into 70-degree water. As I did so, a 70-pound helmet, which was connected to the air supply, was lowered onto my shoulders. Picture what a snork looks like — you know, those cartoon characters with snorkels attached to their heads — and you’re not far off.
Soon enough I was 15 feet underwater trotting along the sea floor with ease. I came eye to eye first with my sister, who was doing what looked like an Irish jig, and next with a swarm of sharks. There were nurse sharks, zebra sharks, Australian leopard sharks, blacktip and whitetip reef sharks. Wow, all in one place. Not scary at all, however; I was staring them down through an 8-foot-tall, 21-foot-long panoramic window.
It was serene to the nth degree. The only noise I could hear, in fact, was the steady stream of bubbles coming out of my helmet as I lumbered along; it’s kind of like walking on the moon, I suppose, but surrounded by fish.
Our group of six followed along a rope while our instructors pointed out the marine life. I turned to my left to spot a Magna Doodle (another flash from the past) with the word sardines scribbled on it, as in: Look! there are thousands of those shiny suckers gliding right past your wetsuit.
Next up: Another panoramic window housing venomous lionfish, exotic eels and the occasional grouper. And then some interaction: We each held a pokey, little sea urchin and posed for photos.
Not long after that, I began spotting eagles rays, some with a wing span of 5 feet. Their smile-shaped mouths and utterly graceful movements had me enamored. (Later in the day I learned that Discovery Cove has one of the few – and most successful – eagle ray breeding programs in the world. Pretty impressive, indeed.)
At the end of our walk, the woman in front of us was handed a capsule (think palm-sized, tylenol-shaped container) that, once opened, flooded the water with fish food. My sister, anxiously grabbed the Magna Doodle, and questioned: “Can we feed the eagle rays?”
“No, they are not used to being fed yet,” the instructor replied.
Not surprising, since this underwater walking tour just debuted in mid June. No bother, though, we were content just being near the massive rays; now, if I could just get The Snorks theme song out of my head, I’d be ecstatic.
Discovery Cove
6000 Discovery Cove Way, Orlando
877-434-7268
www.discoverycove.com
Scuba certification is not required. The program is about an hour long for groups of up to six people per excursion. The cost is $59 per participant. Seasonal rates for Discovery Cove’s Dolphin Swim Day Resort Package start at $199 (rates for Day Resort Package without dolphin swim experience and guests ages 3-5 start at $129). Prices vary seasonally. For reservations or more information, visit DiscoveryCove.com or call 1-877-434-7268.
Thanks to Discovery Cove for hosting me.
This story was first published in i.seekissimmee.com