Day Two

Baby stingray- less than 2 weeks old

Baby penguin with mama or daddy

We headed out to Kelly Tarltons' Antarctic Encounter in the morning. In order to get there we took a shuttle bus they run from downtown Auckland that has a shark on the top. It was pretty cool looking. It was a pretty cool place. It has a lot of interactive exhibits for Kids. The first section had an intro to Antartica with penguin viewing and some snow machines you could play on. Then there was a section where they had a replica of the base camps you could see how people live. Then there was a hallway with chalkboards on the wall with instructions for how to draw penguins. Lillianna made quick work of earsaing other people's masterpieces. Then there a larger area with some interactive exhibits and a huge tank for viewing giant stingrays and a tank for viewing some baby sharks and baby stingrays. We got to go on a ride where you get in this little cart that is like the snow mobiles they have in antactica that takes you through the penguin exhibit. It was pretty cool. Then there is a section where you go through an aquiram that surrounds you on all side and has a convery belt that you ride on around to see the fish. We went on it several times because it was so cool.

While we were there they were feeding the babies which was cool. The staff didn't know the mom was pregnant, but one of other sharks bit her in the side and when her guts were hanging out they figured out she had a bunch of babies in there. So, they gave her an emergency c-section and out came 8 baby sharks. They are now about 2 weeks old.