Wild Encounters - Florida Attractions for Animal Lovers

By Fraser Hannah

Have you ever wanted to get face to face with a giraffe? Or observe a rhino in its natural setting? While Florida attractions like amusement parks with rollercoasters or water rides are fun, attractions that let you to get up close and personal with exotic animals from all over the world will provide a unique experience that you and your children will talk about for years to come. There are a number of Florida tours that will put you in the middle of all of the action!

Get Wild with these Florida Tours
One of the best Florida attractions for animal lovers to visit is Busch Gardens. Busch Gardens provides various adventure tours that remove the glass from between you and the animals and allow you to stare into the eyes of an antelope or touch the skin of a black rhino. Be sure your camera is loaded and ready because these Florida tours provide endless photo opportunities!

The Serengeti Safari is a 30-minute, open-truck tour that will transport you to another land! Get lost in the Serengeti experience as your Florida safari tour guide tells stories and shares captivating facts about the incredible wildlife. Observe the animals in a setting that mirrors the natural beauty of the Serengeti Plain, learn about the mysterious behavior of antelope and giraffes and experience the magic of feeding them with your own hands. Interested in Florida tours that teach about endangered species while helping to protect them? Busch Gardens and the World Wildlife Fund have combined conservation efforts to bring you one of the most unique Florida attractions, the Saving a Species Tour.

During a 45-minute tour, learn about the conservation projects that help protect rhinoceroses and the places they call home. Chat with the zookeepers who play a role every day in the effort to protect the future of these unique animals. Then, interact with the black rhinos and go on a Florida safari to observe the white rhinos in their natural setting. At the end of the tour, you'll feel great about the experience because you helped to protect these gentle giants--a portion of the proceeds from your ticket will benefit World Wildlife Fund's conservation work around the world.

More interested in aquatic Florida attractions? SeaWorld offers a variety of heart-pumping Florida tours for the marine animal lovers in your life. The Marine Mammal Keeper Experience gives those interested in a career with animals a behind-the-scenes look at what it is like to work at SeaWorld's famous Florida attractions. On this nine-hour adventure, you will set off in a wetsuit and boots to get a realistic look at what it takes to care for SeaWorld animals.
Work alongside marine mammal experts, and get up close and personal with marine life. Help care for endangered manatees by preparing special food for their dietary needs with the Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Team. During these Florida tours, you will care for and interact with dolphins, beluga whales, sea lions and walruses. Guests must be 13 years of age or older to participate.

Want to get wet and wild while encountering one of the ocean's most feared predators? The Sharks Deep Dive is the perfect choice of Florida tours for you! Most people fear seeing a shark fin in the water, but the shark cage will enable you to safely come face to face with over 30 predators of the deep from more than seven different species in the SeaWorld shark habitat. Located at Shark Encounter, one of the biggest and most popular SeaWorld Florida attractions, you will explore the 125-foot long underwater habitat with one other guest while wearing an underwater helmet that allows you to breathe and communicate without scuba equipment. You'll be one of few people who can brag they were brave enough to enter the underwater realm of sharks!

SeaWorld's newest venture is called Discovery Cove. For 35 years, SeaWorld has provided guests with unique Florida attractions to watch marine mammals perform and play from afar. Discovery Cove was created to take guests out of the audience and into the habitats where they can interact more closely with beloved marine mammals.

The beauty of Discovery Cove is that the park only allows a limited number of people in at one time.

Guests are split into small groups, and there is no need to stand in line for every attraction, creating a more relaxed environment. There are a variety of animals to interact with throughout the park, including bottlenose dolphins, stingrays, sharks, colorful fish and exotic birds. Your admission includes a 30 minute swim with the dolphins, snorkeling in a coral reef, and complimentary admission to two other Florida attractions, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, where you can participate in any of the other adventure-style Florida tours offered. Since you aren't inhibited by a rigid schedule take time to explore the lush greenery and relax on pristine beaches. Discovery Cove provides a unique playground with animal interaction that your family will not soon forget!

Conclusion
Interacting with animals is one of the few experiences that children and adults enjoy equally. There are a variety of Florida attractions that will appeal to the wild or tame at heart. Take advantage of Florida tours that get you up close and personal with the animals of your choice, and you will be sure to take home memories that will last a lifetime.

About the Author
Fraser Hannah spent eight years working as a freelance television production manager and researcher before leaving to join his family's business working with the elderly. He founded Traveling2Florida.com in 2003 after purchasing his own vacation home in Florida and being frustrated by the lack of vision shown by many of the existing vacation rental sites.
Traveling2Florida.com, an online Florida vacation guide, now connects thousands of travelers directly with the owners of high-quality vacation rentals in Florida, from Orlando to the Florida Keys.