Frommer's Review
This 9-hour program (starting bright and early at 6:30am) allows guests to work side by side with a trainer, preparing meals and feeding the animals, and learning how to care for and interact with dolphins, beluga whales, sea lions, and walruses. The cost is $399 (with tax), which includes 7 days of consecutive park admission, lunch, a career book, and a T-shirt. Note: You must be at least 13 years old and able to climb, as well as able to lift and carry 15 pounds of critter cuisine. Call tel. 800/432-1178 (hit "5," when prompted) for reservations.
Swimming with the Sharks -- In addition to the all-day (9-hr.) Marine Mammal Keeper Experience, SeaWorld offers one other interactive program. Sharks Deep Dive gives guests a chance to have limited, hands-off contact with more than 50 sharks, including a nearly 9-foot sand tiger, in the Shark Encounter area. Two at a time, guests don wet suits and a special underwater helmet (it lets you breathe and communicate with others) for a 30-minute encounter inside a cage that rides a 125-foot track. Part of the cage is above water, but participants can dive up to 8 feet underwater for a close-up look at the denizens. The cost is $150 (minimum age 10). The price includes a souvenir booklet, T-shirt, and a souvenir photo, but does not include the required park admission fee.
The program is not open to expectant mothers or kids younger than the age of 10. Call tel. 800/432-1178, 800/406-2244, or 407/363-2380, or visit www.seaworldorlando.com to make mandatory reservations or for more information.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
