[WaitPatientlyOnTheLord]

Thanks ladies. Historically, I have felt like zoos and aquariums were great because of how they encourage passion for animals. Not to mention the conservation thing. But two years ago, we decided to go to mystic aquarium. I'd be been to the Boston aquarium a few times and stupidly assumed all aquariums were like that. At the Boston aquarium, at least when I was there, they only had mammals who were being actively rehabbed. But when we went to the mystic aquarium I was really bothered to see they had several marine mammals. The mammals were trained and put on shows just like at sea world. Some of the mammals- like their baluga whales were captured from the wild to study the feeling I got at Mystic was definitely a gimmicky, entertainment money maker rather than care for animals. I'm just not ok with supporting places like that.

But, because I do feel like seeing wild animals is super important in developing a love and respect for them, I want to be sure to seek out ways for my kids to have exposure to them, preferably in their natural habitats, but also at carefully chosen rescues and sanctuaries.

So, in this case, I wasn't worried about the dolphin tour itself, but the funds supporting the museum. HOWEVER, after posting this same question on Facebook, a vegan lady pointed out that patronizing the dolphin watch through the museum is actually showing them that some people prefer seeing the animals in their natural environment. So, in that way, it's not much different than buying a vegan meal at a place that also sells non vegan foods. It shows the company that more compassionate options are wanted!

Anyways, DH and I are leaning towards ocean collections sea adventure. Since our daughter is 2.5 we think it might be better to do the hands on one. I'm going to call tomorrow to ask some questions about it, to make sure that is a good fit for us. And I'm really hoping we'll see some dolphins while we do it, but it's not for sure. Here's the description of the ocean collections tour "

Ocean Collections Sea Adventures Boat Trips---Curious about what lives in our coastal ocean waters? Take a 75-minute cruise with Aquarium educators to collect a variety of local fish and invertebrates and observe them up close aboard the boat. The catch varies seasonally, and some of the exciting discoveries may include seahorses, stingrays, blue crabs, keyhole urchins, and jellies. During this hands-on trip, you’ll have the opportunity to help work the trawl net, collect plankton, examine animals the temporary touch pool, and release fish back into the ocean."