It is the visit of a lifetime. At first Theo is not convinced. He loves birds and squirrels. He tolerates whales. But fish? Oh sure, he'll eat fish--tuna and salmon are his favorites--but watching them swim around in a tank?
But, wait, we're getting ahead of ourselves. Alaska's SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska, comes highly recommended, and unless you want to spend days and weeks snorkeling in Alaska's vast bodies of water--you'll never get a chance to see--and I mean really see--some mind-blowing specimens of fish. All kind of fish. (www.alaskasealife.org)
The SeaLife Center is located square in the middle of some beautiful, breathtaking scenery that is so Alaska--the mist, clouds and sheer expansiveness of the place sets the stage for what is inside.
We pass an amazing monument that provides just a glimpse of what is in store when you visit the ocean:
Once inside, we don't know where to go first. You can watch the seals swim in their super gigantic tank--from above and from below.
You can visit smaller tanks that house all kinds of fish--leaning toward the exotic--fish you have never seen before or even heard of.
These tanks represent just a small area of what lives underneath the ocean. The colors. The variety of fish.
And where is Theo during all of this time as we wander from tank to tank? I can feel him stalking beside me, but he's not satisfied to watch the fish from his lowly spot. I lift him up to give him what I would call a Birds Eye view.
I'm not sure what he actually sees. But his gaze doesn't falter. He's truly mesmerized--watching the fish swim back and forth.
I point to one tank in particular. "Do you see what looks like a rock with those pink spots?"
I think he nods or maybe he's stretching.
"Well, that's not a rock, Theo. That's a fish. Believe it or not."
He's a little impressed. At first I think he's spending the most time staring at the starfish. But they barely move. They float through the water. But then I realize he's not particular.
Can it be true that Theo likes all fish? To eat???
