Education, Rehabilitation, Inspiration…
This past May, I visited SeaWorld and Busch Gardens during the Manta Media Day trip sponsored by SeaWorld and IZEA. In February, I had reviewed Discovery Cove at SeaWorld with my family, (passes provided by Discovery Cove for review purposes,) but this was my first visit to SeaWorld and Busch Gardens.
For a dolphin-loving, photo-taking girl like me, SeaWorld is bliss! I just wish I lived in Orlando so I could take my kids regularly to experience all it has to offer. (Florida residents can enjoy the park year round for the price of one single day admission!)
To me, the magic of SeaWorld, Discovery Cove and Busch Gardens comes from the combination of education, rehabilitation and inspiration.
I love that the parks are educating the public about wildlife and the importance of protecting wildlife and preserving their natural habitats, as well as doing critical rehabilitation work with rescued animals.
And inspiration? Well, it is life changing for a child – even an adult! – to interact with wild animals. SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Discovery Cove allow us to see wildlife we would never otherwise have the chance to see. It is simply inspiring to observe and experience these incredible animals with whom we share our world.
Through all of the work I saw at the parks and the interaction of the staff with the animals, I saw respect and concern for wildlife. The animals are treasured and treated with care and consideration. (In this shot, Gwen Bell interacts with a penguin at SeaWorld.)
Although some may argue that parks are taking animals out of their natural habitats for the mere purpose of entertaining people, I believe that the opportunities these parks are creating for educating, rehabilitation and inspiration are helping make the world a better place for all wildlife — and for our planet!
When I was at the parks, I heard about SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Adventure Camps, where campers get to care for, study and interact with animals.
I was so impressed to hear that more than 150 former Adventure Campers are now employed in the zoological departments at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens. Yes, the education and inspiration these camps offer are definitely life changing!
If your child would love to have a career with animals, check out this video about how Adventure Camp was the beginning of these animal trainer’s careers:
In addition to Adventure Camps, there are lots of programs set up for the public to interact with the animals, such as the “Trainer for a Day” experiences.
SeaWorld Orlando’s Marine Mammal Keeper Experience
Work side-by-side with marine mammal experts and understand what it’s like to care for these amazing animals during a day. Get an intimate look at feeding and behavior patterns and work with the animals just like the pros do. (Must be 13 years of age or older to participate. Can be substituted for Beluga Interaction which is 10 and older.)
Keeper for a Day at Busch GardensSpend a day assisting in the care and feeding of some of the world’s most exotic animals. Discover the satisfying sense of purpose that comes from knowing you’ve contributed to their care and learned a little bit of the language that connects all species.
No matter what kind of work you return to when you leave, you’ll take away a special connection to these animals and their cousins in the wild after getting to be a keeper for a day – one we hope will inspire you from that day forward. (Must be five years of age or older to participate.)
Thanks to SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, one of our readers can win the opportunity to be a “Trainer for a Day” OR “Zoo Keeper for a day” at EITHER SeaWorld Orlando, SeaWorld San Antonio, SeaWorld San Diego, OR Busch Gardens Tampa.
(All travel to the city will be the winner’s responsibility. SeaWorld will honor the prize within 1 calendar year of winning.)
If you want to win, just leave a comment below.
Don’t forget you can earn additional entries: subscribe to our Feed, sign up for our 5M4M Newsletter, add our 5 Minutes for Mom button in your sidebar, write a post and link back to this contest on your blog, and spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, or email! (Just make sure you leave extra comments letting us know. Your comments are your entries.)
Please see our site’s Terms and Conditions of Use for a complete list of our contest and giveaway rules.
This giveaway is open to US and Canadian shipping addresses and will end on Friday, July 17rd. We will announce our winners on Saturday, July 18th.
Busch Entertainment Corporation (BEC) operates 10 Worlds of Discovery, including five in Florida — SeaWorld, Aquatica and Discovery Cove in Orlando, and Busch Gardens and Adventure Island in Tampa. Other Worlds of Discovery include the SeaWorld parks in San Diego and San Antonio, Busch Gardens Europe and Water Country USA in Williamsburg, Va. And Sesame Place near Philadelphia.
Additionally, BEC created the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, a non-profit, private charitable foundation committed to supporting wildlife and habitat conservation, research, education and animal rescue programs worldwide. Learn more at SWBG-ConservationFund.org.
P.S. My Busch Gardens photos and my SeaWorld shots from the Manta Media Day, are at our Flickr account.
Written by 5 Minutes for Mom co-Founder, Janice Croze.
Thanks to IZEA and SeaWorld for sponsoring this media trip.
5 Minutes for YOU to read, relax, & connect with other moms. We're here to inspire, encourage & empower you.
{ 150 comments… read them below or add one }
I finally went to Sea World this year for the first time in my life & now I understand what all the fuss is about. First comment rarely wins…win or lose, thanks for the neat opportunity!
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What a chance of a lifetime. Count me in!
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I would love to win – what an awesome adventure!
I have your button on my sidebar.
My son just went to Sea World in San Antonio with his grandparents and we are going when we get to San Diego in a few weeks! This would be SO FUN!!
I will be there over Christmas and I can’t even imagine what a present that would be for my hubby. He hasn’t been since he was a kid, but it is one of his fondest memories. PRAYING I WIN!!
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Here is my tweet http://twitter.com/DiaperDiaries/status/2454905378
Here is my Facebook page where I promoted you (can you tell i really, really, really want to win
I used to want to be a marine biologist when I was a little girl, but I’ve never even been to seaworld. This would be amazing, a dream come true.
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While personally I’d be a little scared to do this, my husband would be in heaven!!
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I tweeted. http://twitter.com/dezroute/status/2455467340
What a wonderful opportunity!
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We have always wanted to go to sea world and this would be a great chance to finally do so, both my older boys would love to do something like this.
Would love to win!
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I’m subscribed on Google Reader.
signed up for the 5M4M newsletter!
added your button to the right hand side of my blog under followers! http://justanotherhofeling.blogspot.com/
Oh my word. My daughter has said she’s going to be a vet or animal trainer since she was 3 yo (she’s 9 now). This would be such an amazing opportunity for her! She currently volunteers on Saturdays at a local vet’s office just so she can start learning the ropes.
I just twittered: http://twitter.com/chilihead/status/2456010418
Used hashtags #5Minutes4Mom and #SeaWorld
I also signed up for your newsletter today. I’m determined to win this for Emily!
And I’ve promoted it on my Facebook page (facebook.com/MelanieMNelson).
Then I promoted this giveaway at the TravelingMom.com Group page at http://groups.to/travelingmom
And, lastly, I tweeted from @travelingmoms (http://twitter.com/travelingmoms/status/2456132288)
Ooops. Wait. I also subscribed to your feed b/c I was subscribed to 5 Min 4 Giveaways, but not the main one. How on earth does that even happen? I’ve been following y’all forever and the feed must have gotten dropped when I changed readers.
what fun
Ummm can we say dream come true???? I cried seeing the killer whale show @ the Cleveland Sea World 9 years ago (so sad they closed that park).. I cry every time I see the Dolphin show at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago… I LOVE the zoo & would love to work with animals, but right now I’m doing the job that I am needed at the most and that is being a mom… I would love to be a trainer for a day, it would be a life long dream come true for me
!
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Sea World is so much fun!!
I went to SeaWorld about 2 years ago I believe. i had fun, but I was really shocked at how everything was centered around the animals. I thought that that was really neat. I would love to win this prize!!
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I spread the word via email!
I spread the word via facebook!!
I twittered!!
This has been a dream of mine forever!
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I also get your newsletter.
I love Sea World! Awesome giveaway! fingers crossed!
Val
I already subscribe to your feed!
I have your button on my blog!
This is something I have wanted to do FOREVER, like since I could talk forever!
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I would be like the coolest mom on the planet if I should win something like this.
Your button is on my sidebar.
And I subscribe.
I’d love to win!
We would love to win. We have vacationed at Sea World San Antonio the last two years and love it.
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I tweeted
What an incredible experience for someone. I would love to experience this. I used to live in California and go all the time but haven’t been in 5 years. Thanks for the opportunity! Crossing my fingers!~
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Tweeted http://twitter.com/annedoggett/statuses/2462195218
Wonderful prize! I’d love to pop over to California Sea World for this!!
I would LOVE,LOVE,LOVE to win this. My 13 year old daughter wants to be a vet and is just an absolute animal lover. I cant tell you how much I would love to surprise her with this.
Great giveaway whomever the lucky winner may be.
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going to blog about this
going to post about this on my blog
We actually live near Sea World in Orlando and this would be an awesome win for us. Sea World happens to be our favorite park to visit. No matter how often you go it’s always different due to the interaction with the animals.
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Tweeted: http://twitter.com/April1p/statuses/2466138204
we live a few hours away from Sea World San Diego, and my almost 7 year old would love this opportunity!
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We live in Orlando! Pick me! (well, my daughter wants to be a trainer, so she’ll be the winner!)
Oh my goodness. What a wonderful giveaway. My oldest son, Bobby, dreams of this. What an experience this would be for him – and my family. Blessings
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tweeted id keepsakebaby
http://twitter.com/keepsakebaby/status/2469079722
My kids would love this!
Kathy
kathybillstevenson@yahoo.com
I’d love to do this! My kids would be so impressed!
I’ve never been to any of the Sea Worlds, but I’ve always wanted to see a dolphin up close.
roseinthemorning [at] gmail [dot] com
I’m signed up for your 5M4M Newsletter.
roseinthemorning [at] gmail [dot] com
I’m subscribed to your feed.
roseinthemorning [at] gmail [dot] com
I added your button to my sidebar.
roseinthemorning [at] gmail [dot] com
I tweeted about the giveaway:
http://twitter.com/HSBSuzanne/status/2471019924
roseinthemorning [at] gmail [dot] com
I blogged about this giveaway:
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Suzanne/705018/
roseinthemorning [at] gmail [dot] com
What an incredible oppurtunity! I would love to win this- I love dolphins!!!
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My cousin in getting married in teh fall and actually lives in San Diego…how cool would that be?!?!
I follow in reader….
This was the job I had dreamed of in high school. Then life got in the way and too many years passed for me to get that education and training. It would be a dream to win this.
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My heart went thump when I saw this chance. My son for the last year started playing WII Endless Ocean,& now is in love with anything that swims. He goes to the library every week and checks out mounds of books, on Dolphins, sharks, anything in salt water. He is now saving his money for a salt water tank. His favorite is Dolphins, he draws thems, and tell people all about them, he is an Ambassador to the Dolphin.
What an amazing opportunity! I would love to win.
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My son is hoping to become a veterinarian or a Zoo Keeper some day. He would LOVE the opportunity to be an animal trainer for the day at Sea World! We have never had the chance to go to Sea World, so it would give us an excuse to finally go!
donnyandshelly (at) (yahoo) (dot) (com)
I have your button on my blog.
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I tweeted about this:
http://twitter.com/atticgirl76/statuses/2501467027
I shared this on Facebook (Shelly Dixon)
Please pick me. I have never ever been to Seaworld. I already am a member of five minutes for Moms and just subsribed to your feed.
Paula
thriftymommastips
I just tweeted this contest..two minutes ago.
Paula
thriftymommastips
This would be so neat. Thanks for the chance!
I’m a subscriber!
I LOVED Sea World and Busch Gardens as a kid! I mean loved! I got to go on a behind the scenes tour, and it inspired me to become a Vet. Tech. and do my internship at a zoo. Unfortunately my kids have never had the opportunity to visit, but we are hoping to plan a trip next spring, and I would love for my son to get this opportunity!
Thank you!
amazing!!!! that would be tons of fun
Oh my heck my little guy woud be in heaven being a trainer for a day! His first trip to the ocean a few years ago is ALL he talks about…2 years later! The boy LOVES him some sea life! This would be an amazing opportunity for my family!
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Please count me in. Thanks!
I subscribed to your feed.
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I hope I am not too late! I would LOVE to be a trainer for a day. We are actually planning a trip currently.
I am a follower!
What a fun contest! I’m in!
I’m already a follower and have your button. Does it still count?
pick me
I subscribe
We went to Sea World San Diego a few years ago and were completely blown away! It is an awesome place! We went with our extended family and are all wanting to go back so badly! Wow, thanks for the chance to be a trainer for the day!
mainlandmama at gmail dot com
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tweet
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Oh.. I would love to win this experience. HOW COOL!
I would love to win this! When I was a child, I always wanted to work with the animals at Sea World. It’s such a magical place for a child, and I am so lucky that my parents took us there when we were little. It really gave me an appreciation and love for animals.
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I’d love to win!
Sent a tweet: http://twitter.com/laurie_pooh/statuses/2691949807
I have always dreamed of being a marine animal trainer. I can’t think of anything I would rather do for a day.
This would be so fun!
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tweeted! http://twitter.com/sendtocindy/status/2694537226
I like your contests… and I love Sea World!
i like to win ples all we ever whant is a cruse and my dad just lost his job so it be a really good gift for my parents
Wow, what an awesome opportunity. We went to Sea World San Antonio last year and my kids loved it. It was a lot better then when I was a kid.
I subscribe!
Awesome opportunity – we are on our way to FLA in August!
Hubby and I were just talking about taking the kids to Sea World San Diego…more for us then for them
We’ve always wanted to go. What a great opportunity!
Oh wow! I would love to win this! What an awesome opportunity!
I subscribed!
The sea world in San Antonio is very nice . San Antonio is a fun place . Lots of history and fun places for families.
I subscribe! What a terrific prize!