Scott Fais, Florida On A Tankful
Normally, when you visit the zoo, you expect to see a gorilla, maybe some big cats and the giraffes.
But what's hiding under a white, canvas party tent may surprise you.
"I am afraid they are going to sting me,” said visitor Tiani Spence. “I am afraid they are going to splash me."
"Whatever you do, don't jerk it away,” said Monica Spence, Tiani’s mother.
The newest arrival at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is looking to a few brave souls for a handout.
"It might sting me,” said Annie Feeley, a visitor.
Stingray Bay encourages visitors to take the plunge.
The new exhibit showcases a 17,000 gallon touch tank where visitors get up close and personal with 31 of the often misunderstood ocean creatures.
"One of the first questions they ask is ‘am I going to get stung?’ And 'no' you're not going to get stung,” said Kelliann Whitney, the Director of Education at the zoo.
Whitney showed me the proper way to feed the Cownose and Southern species of stingray.
Slipping your hand into the water can prove intimidating.
"When I got down there and felt their lips, and then that was the scary part," said Monica.
Visitors like the Spence’s purchased fish food and got down to hand feed these little suckers. And that's exactly what they are.
"They way they feed is like your Hoover vacuum at home," said Whitney. “You feel that suction as they full the food right out of your finger tips and right up into their mouths."
Most of the folks here all draw the same conclusion following their encounter.
"It's slimly and kinda gritty," said Monica.
"It feels really slimly," said Mary Guilbert.
"It feels slimly, but it was fun," said Feeley.
Stingray will cost visitors an extra $3 per person to visit.
For more travel adventures with Scott Fais, go to Central Florida On Demand, Digital Cable Channel 300. Select Entertainment/Travel and then scroll over to Florida on a Tankful.
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Stingray Bay at The Jacksonville Zoo and Aquarium
What:
Reach into a 17,000-gallon pool and snuggle up more than 31 Cownose and Southern stingray species!
Where:
Jacksonville
Duval County
Hours:
Through Labor Day
Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Closed September through Easter
Daily Admission:
Adults: $12
Seniors 65 and older: $10
Children ages 3 - 12: $7.50
Children under 3: Free
Stingray Bay costs an extra $3 per person.
Info Line:
(904) 757-4463
Address:
370 Zoo Parkway
Jacksonville, FL 32218
(904) 757-4463
Longitude & Latitude:
(30.268556249047727, -81.771240234375)
Parking:
Free
Web site:
http://www.jaxzoo.org/
Central Florida Directions:
Expect about a 2 hour, 30 minute drive when using downtown Orlando as a reference point.
From your part of Central Florida, jump onto Interstate 4 East. Follow the signs to Daytona Beach.
You’ll travel 49.0 miles from Orlando.
Take the exit on the left onto I-95 North. Follow the signs that read towards “Jacksonville.”
Once on I-95, travel 97.8 miles north.
Take exit 358A to merge onto Heckscher Drive, also known as S.R. 105 East and “Zoo Pkwy.”
The entrance is on the right.