The following is Scott Fais' weekly blog detailing discoveries made while traveling through Florida and along the road of life.
We've enjoyed almost 70 adventures together across the Sunshine State all "On A Tankful." Never before have I been this impressed with one of our travel destinations.
The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is one of Florida's greatest gems.
From the moment we arrived until the time we left, everything about this zoological park astounded me. I have to admit, I have high expectations for zoos. Growing up with the famed Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in my backyard and now living in Orlando with Disney's Animal Kingdom (Yes. I understand it’s "Natazu"), I have high expectations. Jacksonville surpassed them all.
The first thing visitors encounter here is the parking lot. It's unlike anyplace I've ever been. Green, lush, peaceful. You'll leave behind the cares and worries of the outside world before you even step foot outside your car. Look close. Those are real lily pads skimming the top of the pond surface, and we haven't even walked through the gate.
The reason we ventured north was to checkout the new Stingray Bay exhibit. In the middle of this African oasis, home to giraffes, gorillas, elephants and of course Jacksonville Jaguars (not the linebacker kind, rather the spotted kind), you'll find a manmade watering hole fit for a pharaoh or in our case 31 stingrays.
To me, stingrays are like other animals that start with the letter S -- sharks and snakes. I don't care for all three of the animals starting with “S”, as we've explored here before (I faced that fear at St. Cloud’s Reptile World Serpentarium, a Tankful for reptile lovers and boys. Plus, we learned how to surf at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, where sharks were not an issue. This week, I brave the waters and feed Cownose and Southern Stingrays. One breed likes to eat out of your hand, while the other is content to feast off of the bottom.
Kelliann Whitney, the zoo’s director of education, helped me become acclimated to the waters and removed any myths about these gentle creatures.
First, they will not sting you. Although their tails look intimidating, that is not their stinger. The stinger is a little "barb" under their tail. Kelliann explained to me the barb is like a long hangnail. Cut it off. Problem solved. These guys will not sting you.
Second, they will not bite. Why? There are no teeth. Rather, they eat by suction. Just like us, stingrays open wide and then inhale, literally sucking the food out of your hand. However, it is VERY intimidating. The Cownose stingray likes to "puff-out" their cheeks when sucking food in. Be ready for it. Many fellow visitors weren't and dropped their food, dropped their jaw and then dropped a verbal expression of how scared they felt.
Tiani Spence from Peoria, Ill. turned 18 on the day we visited. She was terrified by the expanding cheeks, but overcame her fear with the help of her mother, Monica. Photographer Jose’ Roque who joined me on this excursion captured the whole thing on cardstock (we no longer record on tape in this digital age) as I found myself playing the role of Dr. Phil and host of Fear Factor at the same time. The birthday girl did it. And Tiani felt good about herself after she fed a Cownose lunch.
The little devils do produce a good amount of suction. They also produce babies. Two of them to be exact. Take a look at the slideshow above to see ingenious nursery zoo keepers created for baby's born right on site. Mother stingrays are like other fish in the fact that they do not care for their young. Therefore, staffers took your average laundry basket and took my father's favorite pool toy, the floating noodle and crafted a floating tank. Once the babies are big enough to rejoin their extended family, they'll be set free from their baskets.
I found not only Stingray Bay to be spotless, but the entire zoo environment to be pristine and odor free (and we visied on a very hot day). The enclosure where the stingray pool is located has several hand washing stations where guests must first wash their hands before taking the dip. When you're done, be sure to use the anti-bacterial hand gel provided. Sanitation stations are also found at other animal exhibits.
After your adventure, continue to explore the rest of the zoo. We saw jaguars (sorry, no hand feeding here), leopards, elephants and giraffes. Save time and save money for an incredible experience: hand feeding a giraffe. It never stops to amaze me how gentle these tall giants are around food. You'll feel the power of their tongues when giraffes pull and tug the willow branches right out of your hand.
Children will pull on their parent's hand to visit Play Park. An enchanting hedge maze leads to a splash park, where little ones can run around in the fanciest sprinkler system I've ever seen. Sculptures of whales, dolphins and stingrays form a geyser park where little tikes are encouraged to splash and play in several waterfalls.
There is also a nice petting farm next door, home to female goats with beards. Grab a brush. These girls go wild when you stroke their beard!
Here is the best kept secret: Beat the heat and get off your feet by visiting the Palm Plaza Café restaurant for lunch. The fast food location is air conditioned and features floor to ceiling windows overlooking the jaguar exhibit. You can literally pull your chair to the window and come face to face with the big cats over a meal or ice cream.
The grounds at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens are stunning. Clean pathways, brick pavers, creative hand rails, shade structures, flowering bushes and large trees and foliage are the norm here. The place feels and looks new, although the zoo dates back to 1925. With the dedication of supporters and staffers, the wildlife here will be around for another 83 years.
Stingray Bay will cost visitors an additional $3 entry fee. A cup of sushi (fish food) sells for $1. Trust me, it's worth it.
What is no day in the park: the traffic home. Photographer Jose' Roque is at the helm of the Tankful trooper, with both hands on the wheel at 2 and 10. Jacksonville traffic is like Orlando rush-hour and Tampa Bay's ride home, slow and packed. The zoo is open until 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Plan ahead or be stuck on Interstate 95 headed back south.
Until next week, safe travels!
-SCOTT
Scott Fais' favorite zoo animal is anything he can touch or feed by hand. Do you know of a hands on place to visit? Feed Scott's appetite for travel and drop him a line at:sfais@cfnews13.com. And send photos! He enjoys seeing the places you visited.