Blog #5 Austin Justice

As the day drags on from dawn until dusk, I am drawn to, perhaps, one of the most stellar, stunning and surreal experiences in my lifetime. Discovery Cove, a theme park owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, is located in Orlando, Florida. At this particular park, my family planned to have a wonderful time. Discovery Cove boasted a multitude of attractions. It contained a coral reef where guests could use their snorkeling equipment to observe and interact with thousands of tropical fish, a free-flight aviary where guests could interact with over 250 tropical birds and the Grand Reef where guests could interact with various forms of sea life while wearing special underwater gear. Furthermore, my entire family reserved an allotment of time for all of us to interact with and swim with a bottlenose dolphin. Although I cannot bring myself to recall the exact period of time when I went for the ride of a lifetime, I firmly remember the visceral experience of learning about dolphin behavior and communication and holding tightly on to its dorsal fin for dear life as it brought me from the unforgiving ocean depths back to the safe shoreline. While Carlson is quick to argue against our immersion in nature, I would say that experiences in the natural world can be brought together with scientific knowledge and common sense to establish the appropriate aesthetic appreciation of nature. After all, life is worth living; we live life to the fullest through our own experiences. Sincerely, Austin Justice