On Saturday, March 30, 2013, members, alumni, and friends of the members of the Florida Chapter arrived at SeaWorld in Orlando bright and early for a behind-the-scenes tour. We got to see quarantined manatees and turtles, many of which were being treated for cold stress, and a pilot whale named 300 that is being rehabbed after developing scoliosis. We also got to see some of the transport vehicles used in rescuing animals throughout Florida and the labs where SeaWorld monitors water quality and processes animal blood samples.

After the tour, everyone was allowed to spend the rest of the day in the park. Members split up and visited the Wild Artic, Turtle Trek, Dolphin Cove, SeaWorld's Dolphin Nursery, and other animal areas. They also rode the Journey to Atlantis water ride and the Kraken and Manta roller coasters. Several groups saw the Shamu show and Sea Lion and Otter show throughout the day.

It was tons of fun on a beautiful Saturday to spend at SeaWorld with Alpha Zeta. Additionally, several international students attended with the club through the UF Navigators program. Courtney, one of the UF AZ members, is a member of the UF Navigators program, which pairs international students with UF student mentors to ease their transition to UF. Several members had also never been to SeaWorld before, so it was a fun first for several people.

The Florida Chapter would like to thank SeaWorld's Educational Team for the tour and the opportunity to visit, and Jennifer, our Relay for Life Chair, for putting together the event!