Last night I had the opportunity to have dinner with the beluga whales at the Vancouver Aquarium. I have been fascinated with belugas ever since I grabbed my pillow, put on my pj's, and joined an aquarium sleepover a few years ago (yes, I brought my young son with me). Despite the late night, it was magical to follow the belugas around the tank and then into my dreams.
So dinner last night was followed by a nice slice of pool-side pie and a splash of "artic" sea water. Those blubbery beluga tails look small, but they can pack a punch! Fortunately I stood up fast enough to evade most of the over-the-fence wave.
And I didn't know this, but you can get into the pool with a trainer to feed, touch, and train one of the belugas. When you are that close to them, there is no way to move when they splash you - full soaking is included in the encounter. Fortunately, so is a wet suit.
Check out the live Beluga cam on the Aquarium website.