If you have never experienced SeaWorld, you might want to head to Orlando to take advantage of this spectacular theme park right in our state. You can choose from a variety of shows, see all kinds of animals, and enjoy some great places to eat.

Be sure to try Sharks Underwater Grill, where you dine "underwater" with the sharks and some fish. You can even go “underwater” in the Shark Encounter, where you’ll see a coral reef with lots of different fish, like puffer fish, leafy sea dragons, and lionfish. You may even see some barracuda! If you really like sharks, head to the Shark Encounter tunnel, where you go into a tunnel surrounded by water. A conveyor belt moves you through it as you watch the sharks swimming all around you, including sand tiger sharks, nurse sharks, and others. It is unforgettable!

Don’t miss seeing bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales in their show, Blue Horizons, at the Whale and Dolphin Theater. The people in this show are awesome acrobats, as well as the trainers for the pilot whales and dolphins. You can also see manatees, alligators (mostly just their eyes), stingrays and their babies, and even flamingos. There are also a few sea turtles, and the biggest one of all only has three flippers!

You will probably hear the very vocal California sea lions and their not-so-vocal companions, the harbor seals. During my visit there, I went to one of their shows. Clyde and Seamore, the sea lions, were supposed to be the stars of the show, Clyde and Seamore take Pirate Island, but the real star was the small sea otter who kept coming back out when he wasn't supposed to and holding up the whole show! The animals definitely ran that show! In Pets Ahoy! dogs, cats, birds, and other domesticated animals perform awesome tricks. There are also exhibits with beluga whales, walruses, and polar bears!

Of course, you will want to see famous Shamu and the other orcas at their newest show, Believe. This show starts with a video that tells the story of a young boy who loves orcas and is convinced his future lies with them. He carves a whale's tail out of wood and makes it into a necklace. When the video ends, the boy, now a SeaWorld orca trainer, comes out and performs with one of the whales. Next, all of the trainers come out with Shamu, who poses a few times, splashes everyone with his tail, then heads back to his enclosure. The entire show is set to beautiful music, with the message to believe and you will achieve your dreams.

The highlights of SeaWorld for me were definitely the sharks and of course, Believe! I can't wait to go back again!!