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Amazing Sea Life: Meet Them at Coral World Ocean Park

By Carol M. Bareuther, RD

Swim with sea lions. Hand-feed a lorikeet. Pet a shark. You'll not only "sea" another world at the Coral World Ocean Park, but touch it too via over a dozen marine-related interactive exhibits that put you right in the middle of the action.

South American sea lions are best known for their human-like personalities by those who dive into the Sea Lion Splash. This 15-minute swim offers a chance for up to four people at a time to get up close and personal with these gentle 350-plus-pound mammals. Give them kisses and cuddles. Watch them playing ball, sticking out their tongues and walking up on the pool's deck. Bring or wear a swimsuit, cover-up and towel. Coral World provides life jackets and aqua shoes. The cost is $81 per person, plus park admission.

Lorikeets (small, rainbow-colored parrots) fly right down to your hands in the park's walk-through aviary. Purchase a cup of fruit nectar and you'll instantly become the center of attention as several birds land on your hand, shoulder and even head. You can see their "bottle-brush" tongues as these hand-raised, people-friendly lorikeets lap nectar from the cup right before your eyes.

Sharks will circle you, eye you and let you learn they aren't the monsters they're made out to be, during a Shark Encounter. Don a mask, snorkel and weight belt for stability, then climb into the 4-foot-deep demonstration pool where a guide identifies the juvenile — not Jaws-sized — nurse, lemon and blacktip sharks. Fed twice daily by park staff, these ferocious fish are perfectly safe.

Beyond these interactive adventures, the park offers a flood of other activities. There's the Sea Trek Helmet Dive that lets you walk along an underwater trail, an offshore Undersea Observatory, an 80,000 gallon living coral reef exhibit, 21 jewel aquariums, a Semi-Submarine ride, parasailing, snuba and a nature trail full of lush tropical flora, ducks and tortoises.

Located next to Coki Beach on Coki Point. Turn north off Route 38 at sign. Estate Frydendal. Admission $18/adult, $9/children (ages 3-12).

CORAL WORLD OCEAN PARK
Adjacent to Coki Beach
(340) 775-1555 / www.coralworldvi.com
Voted top attraction in the VI. Get up close and personal with the beauty and magic of Caribbean marine life in a stunning setting. View life on a coral reef from the unique Undersea Observatory. Pet a shark, hand-feed a stingray or a rainbow lorikeet! Add-ons include brand-new Sea Lion Splash, Sea Trek Helmet Dive, Shark and Turtle Encounters, Snuba, Nautilus Semi-Sub and Parasailing. Open daily 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., November-May. Summer schedule may vary.