So as I mentioned in my blog post last week, I’m going to be in Florida for two weeks! And as I write this, my first week in Florida is almost over. It has been an amazing first week so far and I can’t wait to see how the second week goes. But for my first Florida blog post, I want to share a bit about my trip to Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium.

The aquarium is set up a giant circle, which I loved because it made it easy to keep track of what exhibits we had already looked at. They had a variety of fish and three interactive exhibits where you could pet the animals. I got to pet a Horseshoe Crab and a Stingray! Sadly I didn’t get pictures of me petting them, but they were both very smooth and pleasant to pet. There was an area for sharks and I got to see a manatee eat lettuce! We watched an otter show, which was super cute. And they had an exhibit just for babies, so I got to see baby seahorses, baby jellyfish, and other aquatic babies.

What I liked most about this aquarium is that they rescue animals and then release them back out to the wild when they’re ready. If the animals can’t survive out in the wild anymore, that’s when they keep them. The turtle I have pictured is one of those animals.

If you’re ever in Florida, definitely check this place out! It took us about an hour- hour and a half to get through it, so it’s perfect for those who don’t want to spend all day at an aquarium. Below are some photos I took while at the aquarium. I hope everyone likes them! And I hope all of you have a great day!