TERRORS OF THE DEEP

"Hey, so what if it’s poisonous? It’s still your friend!"

This seems to be the message behind Seaworld’s "Terrors of the Deep" exhibit. The whole nerve-rattling experience takes place within a white building that houses about four large Plexiglas tubes. Within the tubes (behind the glass, of course) lurks the world’s largest collection of venomous, carnivorous, and otherwise life-threatening sea creatures. Believe me, it’s even cooler than it sounds.

Go inside the building to see video screens and posters that provide information on all of the tank’s inhabitants. You’ll soon be convinced that every single living thing behind the glass tank does not, in fact, want to eat you. The interesting little factoids that are posted on each animal really enhances the experience, not that it needs much help. The unique viewing experience is a huge hit with kids.

At one point you will stumble upon a sort of pavilion containing benches, where you can sit and look around, and even taunt the creatures. (we’re kidding, of course). The exhibit is very skillfully crafted, and there is really no obstruction of view, meaning that although every hungry eye in the place is trained on you, you can also stare right back and safely appreciate the creatures behind the glass. Although they want to kill and eat you, they are extremely fascinating and make for excellent viewing.

Another thing that is great about the exhibit is that even though it’s one of the most popular in the park, there is little crowding or waiting. The whole experience took me about a half-hour to complete, but you should adjust that timetable according to your tastes. Try to sneak in when there’s something else big going on at the same time, i.e. the Shaumu show, because Terrors of the Deep is always open and large crowds in other areas of the park will distract would-be jostlers. All in all, we thought that this is one of the best attractions in all of Seaworld.