Virginia Beach For Marine Animal Lovers
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Marine animal lovers can make a perfect family trip to Virginia Beach pretty much all-year round: whether you want to see the whales in winter or the dolphins in summer, there’s always something to do, and the Virginia Aquarium is open all year round.
In winter, you can head to Virginia Beach to see the humpback and fin whales. From just before Christmas until the end of March, whale watching boat tours make a great half-day adventure excursion from Virginia Beach. Most whale watching cruises go for between two and three hours and prices can be around $20-$25. If luck’s with you, you’ll be able to see both the enormous fin whales (they’re the second largest kind after blue whales, and can be up to 80 feet long) and slightly smaller humpback whales (their length could be up to 50 feet).
Summer holidays in Virginia Beach might bring dolphins in near the coast, but if you’re not lucky enough to spot one you can meet some seals instead at the Virginia Aquarium. At $125 per person, it’s not cheap, but the Harbor Seal Splash experience is one of a kind. You get a behind the scenes tour of all the seal facilities at the aquarium, including the “kitchen” where the prepare food for the seals, and then you can walk into the indoor pool with the seals and touch them while assisting with one of their training sessions. Meeting the seals is a summer activity, running from April until October.
And whether it’s summer or winter or somewhere in between, you can visit the regular exhibits of the Virginia Aquarium all year round (they just close for Christmas and Thanksgiving). Displays show animal life from freshwater rivers, the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, and include sea life such as sharks, turtles, stingrays and fish; there are also other animals like otters and birds.
There are often package deals to be had for holidays at Virginia Beach, including accommodation, entrance to the Aquarium and other activities depending on the season, such as whale watching boat tours. You can also combine a stay in Virginia Beach with sightseeing at Williamsburg, and a free shuttle bus called the Boomerang operates between the two places during the summer. If you’re looking for a cheaper family getaway, then try to book an off-season package, for example, just after the official end of summer, when you can often find some very reasonable deals.