Swim with Dolphins at the Miami Seaquarium

He came out of nowhere and kissed me softly on the lips and although it was over in an instant he did linger long enough, his face in my hands, for me to savor this moment. I had just kissed a gorgeous .... dolphin! What a feeling to touch and hug a dolphin and no, they are not slimy at all!

We are at the Miami Seaquarium located off the I-95 (Exit 1A - follow the signs to Key Biskayne & Rickenbacker Causeway) and just about 45 minutes from Fort Lauderdale. Even though the big attraction is probably the dolphin encounter, there is so much more to discover in this beautiful 38 acres tropical park. Walking through the well-marked trails, you stroll from station to station, each of them containing different species of marine life along with important information about them. If you schedule your tour well, you can catch most of the 8 different marine animal shows happening throughout the day. You won't believe the size of the performing killer whale when it slides onto the stage for the big finish with a trainer riding on her back! On a hot day, take advantage of the free showers courtesy of the many performers if you're sitting in the front rows. The kids love the antics of the seals and the sea lion but if you're like me, middle aged but young at heart, you'll be laughing out loud too!

The crowning event though is definitely the chance to actually interact with trained dolphins. All participants are taken backstage of the big dolphin show pool where just an hour before the dolphins were performing flawlessly for a captive audience.