Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach

One of the days that we were in Myrtle Beach Lucas and I decided to take the kids, primarily Ayla to Ripley's Aquarium. It was a really cool aquarium! Probably the best I've ever been to but I haven't been to that many. Ayla had a really good time. She still talks about it.

 Ayla was petrified of this statue of a Great White Shark. It was only the head but it moved and came up out of the floor and scared her. She wouldn't go into the room after that.

 

 

This is the other side of the white shark statue. It shows how the inside of a shark head looks. I thought it was pretty cool.

Lucas stuck his head inside the shark tank! Just kidding, there was a little bubble that you could put your heads in to make you feel like you were in the tank.

Lobsters without claws.

 There was a touch tank and we were able to pet the stingrays. They were actually pretty cute, if there is such a thing as a cute stingray. They would wave their little sides and come right up out of the water to touch your hand. They liked being petted!

Ayla thought the lady in the tank feeding the fish was really cool!

There was a HUGE tank that held numerous fish including several large sharks, a huge turtle, moray eels and many other kinds of fish. Around the tank is a moving sidewalk, you just stand on the sidewalk and watch as the fish swim literally all around you. 

The tank is on both sides and above your head so it's really cool to watch. This shark is a sand tiger shark. It was probably 7 feet or so. Big enough!

Nurse shark

Saw-toothed shark

Moray Eel

There were a few Eels in the tank and one was right at the beginning of the moving walk. Behind us on the walkway was a family with two little girls probably about 2 and 4 years old. They were standing with their little faces pressed right up against the glass when a huge Moray Eel jumped right out at them. It looked just like this one but was larger and right in their face. They lost it and started screaming. The screaming continued the entire time they were on the moving sidewalk, literally about 10 minutes. Every time a shark would swim overhead they would scream louder. I was feeling sorry for the parents, but at the same time it was funny because the Dad had a shirt on that said WHINING with a big line through it. I was going to tell him "Guess you wore the wrong shirt today" but I didn't think that he would see the humor at the time.

There is a mermaid show at the aquarium so of course we had to see that. The girls who play the mermaids really are talented. They hold their breath for long periods of time and they have to swim like a mermaid because their feet and legs are inside the fin. It really must take a lot of effort. They must be strong swimmers. After the show they come up out of the tank to get pictures with audience members. Here's Ayla with one of the mermaids.

The aquarium is right along a little boardwalk where they have a few kids rides and some food and stuff like that. We told Ayla she could ride two rides. She chose the teacups.....

...and the cars. I was proud of my little punkin. So little but she did it all herself and was able to spin the teacup by herself and everything.