Sea Life Park today!

Today has been the rainiest day so far, but it's more a misty sprinkle and so we haven't been inconvenienced by it especially since weather reports from home are more Christmas-like. We went to the Sea Life Park not far from Hanauma Bay. It wasn't on any of our Top Ten Lists in Oahu book, and having been to Sea World myself a few times could see it was nowhere near as nice. It always disturbs me to see small enclosures and when I get home and have a day I have a whole rant on aquariums with aiptasia, but that is a real vent. The Sea Life Park has recently changed ownership and maybe that will explain some of the weirdness, but overall I have cool stuff to say. We were put in this room and separated off in different groups according to which package we paid for. We originally chose the most expensive package, but the dolphin swim involved us floating and the dolphin pushing us by the feet into the air and we would dive back into the water. It sounded a bit too complicated for my kids and maybe even us. I decided the one step lower in price sounded better because the dolphin swim was a belly swim where the dolphin laid on it's back and we laid on it's tummy and it would pull us as we held it's fins. We (especially me) was SHOCKED that it wasn't a dolphin that we would be playing with, it was the only wholphin in the world (at least in captivity). Her name is Kekaimalu and I have to say it made up HUGELY for the no whales on the whale watching tour. She proved to be fun, friendly, and gentle. Apparently she's given birth three times and only the 3rd baby lived (2nd died after 9 years. Sadly.) Kekaimalu's mother an Atlantic bottle nose dolphin had a tryst with a false killer whale and we had the good fortune to play with her. We weren't allowed to take pictures, but they took pictures of each of us getting and giving her a kiss and dancing with her. Because we bought all of the pictures (not cheap) we got a free dvd of the experience. Somewhere along the line the ride was dropped altogether. I'm not sure if it was because of the size of our group, the fact we were running late, or that I'm pretty sure that there was a child born to a hyena in our group (I swear I saw 666 on that kids head). I was really disappointed and we messed up on my youngest child's t-shirt and can't do anything about it now. Hopefully I can resolve it online, even though there's no online store. It was a really great day. We got to handle a lot of little critters in a little stream, and no one told me before I tried to pull a shark back out from under a rock that you weren't supposed to touch them, but I saw it as it came out the other side and decided it was much larger than I guessed and I could have lost fingers. The aquarium was cool and I recognized many of the fish from local fish stores, snorkling, and online. (I even saw a school of Moorish Idols, Chris. I TOLD you they schooled :P). We got to play with a small sea turtle (within reason, as they are protected.) We saw a bunch of rays, I LOVE them. Some freaking huge cowries (which I am certain I couldn't have smuggled home in my bra (another long story). Penguins, seals, sea lions... It was all very cool. Over all a great day and I am loving the fact I saw a Wholphin.
Also my daughter surprised me twice with a coconut bra. She underestimated what size coconut would fit me the first time and no Arch. No pictures of that either.
I did find pictures of the Wholphin family online.

Kawili'Kai. Kekaimalu's daughter.

Kekaimalu and parents. Dad at top, mom in the middle and Kekaimalu on the bottom. The birth of a wholphin from a dolphin was a shock. But the color of her skin and the shape of her rostrum was very telling. Also a false killer whale has 44 teeth, a bottle nose dolphin has 88 and Kekaimalu has 66.