We had such a great time whale watching this year with Harbor Breeze Cruises and Aquarium of the Americas! It was an amazing day, weather-wise, and the Critter and I enjoyed the company of some of our favorite blogger pals and their kiddos as we cut across the ocean in the gorgeous new addition to their fleet –M/V Triumphant. You may remember last year we were able to see a mama whale and a calf, and this year we saw a blue whale, the largest animal on the planet in history. You can also see from the videos that we were escorted by some very friendly dolphins for much of our trip – I was blown away with how many circled the boat – it was like a fantasy – I half expected Ariel to pop up and say hi!

We finished the tour early enough so that we could visit the Aquarium and check on our penguin friends. We both get such a kick from them! I was really hoping that we could see the new penguin chicks while we were there that day, but they were still not ready for their public debut, which happens TOMORROW! You can see the chicks at opening of the Aquarium, AND if you really love them, you can name them! The public can help name one of the penguin chicks during a live auction at the Aquarium of the Pacific’s tenth annual Sea Fare fundraiser on Saturday, October 19, 2013, which benefits the Aquarium’s education, conservation, and animal care programs.