We've discovered a special perk to getting up before sunrise, and you're not the only one benefiting.
Discovery Cove is an all-inclusive day resort where you and your family will experience all kinds of animal encounters in a tropical atmosphere. Guests can swim with dolphins, snorkel among thousands of tropical fish and rays in The Grand Reef, hand-feed exotic birds, encounter otters and marmosets in a Freshwater Oasis, and much more.
A bunch of the interactions are included with admission. But there are special upgrades, too, including feeding the stingrays.
Mike Dech, Supervisor of Zoological Care, guided us through the encounter early Tuesday morning. We arrived at 7 a.m. “There's nothing in the world I'd rather do than this,” he said, referring to his role at Discovery Cove. “There's a reason I keep coming into work, waking up at 4:30 a.m. every day to see these delightful, mucus-covered faces.”
Those beloved faces are the stingrays. Inside The Grand Reef, you'll find six southern rays and 34 cownose rays. Sporting the resort's signature wet suits, our encounter began in the water with the larger southern rays, as aquarists fed them fish and educated us on the species' behaviors and habits. When we got to the playful cownose rays, we gloved up and got to hand-feed them an abundance of little fishies.
The Ray Feeding is an upgraded ticket, starting at $59 per person. Regular Discovery Cove admission is required, so you have a few more days left to save 20% and enjoy an open “premium” bar package. (This offer is for Florida residents only). Check out their official website to book your discounted visit through March 9, 2023.