Mermaids at the Aquarium!

When we went to the Family Expo, a month or so ago, we WON a Family Plus membership to the South Carolina Aquarium!
Since it was a rainy day and spring break and the Weekie Watchie Mermaids were there, we had to go.
We skipped pancakes so we could get an earlier start, this was a very good thing.  The three reasons we went, were also the three reasons that the place was packed.
We got our membership information squared away and we were ready to explore!

Ready to see what there is to see!

The first thing we saw was an owl, they were talking about the owls of the low country!

There parrots made very loud noises. They were so cool. They are at the entrance to the Madagascar exhibit

And what is Madagascar exhibit without lemurs!

Lon got a little bit of playtime in the truck, just enough for a photo. There were so many people waiting to get a photo of their child in the car, we did not linger.

cool map

This was the crowd in the Big Tank room at 10:15, for the 11am show. Can you spot Lon on the floor? I sent him over there and told him not to move from his spot. I stayed over to the side, so the kids could see.  They made an announcement that the grown ups should move to the side area so all the little ones could see. Not one adult moved.   (obviously, not grown ups)
The area got much more crowded. I was back up against a wall, on the side. with little ones in front of me.

Making some announcements, and the very large sea turtle.

Do you see her?

Can't miss her now!

Posing after the show. There were two mermaids, but I could only seem to get pictures of the one!
Their show lasted three songs, Mermaids by Train, Fins by Jimmy Buffet, and Kokomo, by the Beach Boys.
It as fun to see them playing underwater. Lon now wants to go to Florida to see the big show.

Bald Eagle! Just one

From the bald eagle we moved into the South Carolina swamp exhibit
Tiny gator like things in there. The boys were counting them.

We saw a sign that said, feed the rays! It was a dollar fifty for members, we got a stick and a small container of cut up shrimp.
Lon really thought this was cool, even if mommy had to put the shrimp on the stick.
We got there just in time, we got the next to last little cup of shrimps
The Ray tank is out side, so we got a little wet.

The little ray letting you know he was HUNGRY !

Not sure if you can make it out, but this is a ray eating the shrimp on a stick.  Lon was giggling the whole time.

The pelicans were watching everything that happened.

A pretty bird
After we fed the rays, we got a hot dog downstairs. We got in line just in time, once we got out food, the line was very very long!
It was time to brave the rain and go back to the parking garage!
The line to get into the Aquarium was almost to the parking garage. I did not know where they were going to put all the people in line! The building was packed!

Before we left, we stopped by the gift shop and got Lon a shark cookie.
We had a good time!  We will go back! We can even take friends!