Swimming with sharks? Oh yeah, been there, done that. Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon in Lake Buena Vista, Florida made this possible in a friendly and safe environment. Disney wouldn’t offer this experience if it wasn’t safe. I wasn’t tossed off the side of a boat in a steel cage of death in the middle of the ocean; rather I was swimming in a saltwater tank amongst stingrays, bonnethead sharks, leopard sharks and an array of tropical fish. The water park offered everything required for this mini-adventure: snorkel gear, life jackets and even lifeguards were at our disposal.
Before submerging ourselves in the water with the fascinating creatures, we were given a spiel by an employee warning us that these were wild animals and while they have a vegetarian diet, it was pertinent that we not use our arms to swim about the tank as it would attract the sharks.
The guy swimming next to me apparently was deaf or the lifeguard’s words were lost in translation because midway through the tank he began utilizing his arms to help him move about. As we were warned, the sharks immediately swam towards us. I shot the careless swimmer a dirty look and used my flippers to splash in the opposite direction secretly hoping one of the sharks took a tiny chunk out of his leg. Sadly, it didn’t happen.
Swimming with sharks, even in a mostly controlled environment such as this, was a thrilling experience. My heart raced and my muscles tensed. It was such an amazing opportunity! I would recommend it to anyone.
This sounds so amazing that I’m adding it to my list! I can’t wait to see what you complete next!
I don’t know if you saw one of the shows on Shark Week where a guy dived down and went to a ship wreck and fed sharks from there. That actually looked really cool, I wouldn’t mind doing that in a steel cage wearing 5 layers of armor.
Haha the armor would weigh you down though! I’ve watched a few hours of Shark Week (which is a huge deal since I don’t watch TV). This weekend I went to the beach and the lifeguards were flying purple flags (which means dangerous wildlife in the area). So I asked if there were any shark sightings and he responded, “Yes but they are a bit of a way out.” You better believe my butt went right into the water.
Who would have thought you could have combined one of the most dangerous activities in the world, such as swimming with sharks and then combine it with the family fun that is Disney?
A freaking genius, that’s who! It was one of the greatest ideas over!
That is so awesome! I don’t think I’d ever have the guts to do this, but maybe one day, who knows…
LOVE IT – wish I’d have done this! x
You really should have girl! What stopped you?
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