Our family adventure to the Florida Aquarium was on our must see list while visiting my sister in Florida Gulf Coast over Christmas because the Florida Aquarium is one of the top aquariums in the country. Our family had to experience and immerse ourselves in all that makes the Florida Aquarium the ultimate fun family destination.

The Florida Aquarium extensive list of interactive programs like Dive with the Sharks, Shark Swim and Swim with the Fishes or take a Wild Dolphin Tour on board the Bay Spirit II, a 72-foot powered catamaran, is just scratching the surface of this family fun place. You can even experience special Behind the Scenes experiences like Penguins Backstage Pass that are unique and exciting as you come face to beak with our adorable penguins.

The Florida Aquarium, accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and 19 other aquariums were nominated by a panel of experts to represent the best aquariums in North America recognized for their fun and educational setting, high quality exhibits and visitor interactions, and the vital role they play in animal conservation by taking part in rescue efforts and advocating for the health of our oceans.

Our family adventure to the Florida Aquarium started at the Wetlands Trail to see alligators, otters and free-flying birds along with pythons. Wetlands are places where the land is saturated with water, seasonally or all year. Swamps, marshes, springs, ponds, river floodplains and coastal mangroves are all examples of these rich fascinating places. Florida has lost almost half of its original wetlands. As we walked the trail, we discovered wildlife that depends on these habitats and why it is so important to preserve and protect Florida Wetlands.

Next for our family adventure to the Florida Aquarium was our own journey to Madagascar. In this unique and beautiful place, we saw lemurs, chameleons, geckos and a colorful Indian Ocean reef. For those of you brave souls, you can even crawl inside a tree full of hissing cockroaches!

We then had up-close encounters with a 300-pound goliath grouper, spiny lobsters and a touching experience at Stingray Beach. We touched and learned about unusual creatures that have no backbone: anemones, sea cucumbers, sea stars and more. We also went deeper into the sea, through coral tunnels and caves, to a vast window into the world of sharks, reef fishes and moray eels.

Our family adventure to the Florida Aquarium continued with sights of real seadragons of Australia and their seahorse cousins. We proceeded to enjoy the amazing colors and adaptations of the ocean, with amazing jellies, an octopus, and featuring the Heart of the Sea exhibit, which showcases the Aquarium’s amazing conservation work with sharks, sea turtles and coral.

It was then time on our family adventure to the Florida Aquarium to explore the famous rainforest-themed playland with larger-than-life cool creatures Splash Pad to Babygirl’s delight. She had a blast in the kids’ outdoor water play zone with both wet and dry play elements, sandboxes, lush landscaping and most importantly making new friends. The zero-depth water area features water dump buckets, spray zones and a designated water play area that were her favorites.

While Babygirl with dump buckets and waterworks and burnt some energy on net clims and slides, the big girls went to enjoy the Aquarium’s 4-D experience that combines the visual drama of a 3-D film with a variety of sensory effects built into the seats and theater environment. They opted for Shark: A 4-D Experience and explored the complex nature of these magnificent creatures’ survival instincts. Stunning 3-D and special effects place you right in the middle of the action as sharks reveal their hidden traits while roaming an eerily beautiful underwater landscape.

Our family adventure to the Florida Aquarium was one for the memory book. We are one family that lives to accumulate a net worth of WELLthy MOMents and the pure excitement on our way back from the Florida Aquarium is the reason why we highly recommend the aquarium as one of Florida’s ultimate fun family destination.

WELLthy Life NODte:”Fill your children’s lives with more adventures and less things because nothing beats experiencing for themselves the world around them.” -LadyNOD