Forget ocean world, forget paying $300 to swim with dolphins or pet the sting rays. Our girls did/do it all for free, and a very regular basis. (Arias actually came to call the stingrays her pets since she would go feed them daily and explain to other tourists how to handle the animals!) Tonight I found myself going through our old pictures and came across so many fun ones of this aquatic friendship. Here are a bunch of them, and a couple of videos, of the ocean creatures that our girls have had the privilege of playing with.
Arias has come to prove herself much braver than her Mama in many situations. And Ellia, well she seems to take a little more after me in this regard!
Starfish bigger than your head, Bahamas
Fishing in Miami
Swimming pigs, Staniel Key Bahamas
more starfish, the smaller kind
Giant turtles, Hawaii
Ellia’s first sea creature friend, Hawaii
Molting sea lion, Hawaii
Swimming with dolphins, Georgetown Bahamas
Feeding the stingrays, Georgetown Bahamas
More huge starfish, Bahamas
Helping pufferfish puff, Puerto Rico
Flying fish, flew right into our boat, Dominican Republic
And then sometimes we make our own little sea creature friends!
"civilization" yes I am sure, we visit our family and friends in Canada every couple of years and love it but I don't think we would move there. We are thinking of buying property somewhere a little warmer! Like the DR or somewhere in central america, so it will be civilized but maybe not to everyone's standards!
I am so jealous. I would love waking up to the ocean on a daily basis. I love starfishes, I think they are magical. I also love the flying fish. I'm going to have to do this one day.
She used to call them her pets and teach all the tourists how to touch and feed them, it was pretty impressive watching our 2 year old (at the time) do that.
My daughter is obsessed with turtles, so she would have wanted to take it home. Lol! I grew up at South Padre Island, so my love for the sea is intense. Sadly we live inland now so we don't get to vivist much. :/ Great post, and amazing pictures! Now I miss the beach.
When we got pregnant the first time we decided that we would take the girls where ever we went, and that we would not stop traveling merely because we were going to have kids, and it has given us some amazing opportunities to see the world through their eyes.
It is funny, now that we are visiting Canada, how much they know about the tropical life, but how little they know about things like hockey rinks and snow storms!
You are giving your children such wonderful experiences! I would love to be able to do these kind of things with my kids but I just remind myself that I am giving them experiences too. They're just a different kind!
That is totally right, our girls are living this life, but they are not getting other experiences like learning to ice skate, or ride a bike, or get to see the leaves on the trees changing colors (which they got to see this week for the first time while we are back in Canada visiting family!) Do not underestimate all the beautiful experiences your kids are getting too
Those are really amazing experiences! I'm so glad that my son has the chance to grow up here in the Amazon basin. The experiences are something that will be with him the whole life.
And the fun part is that every island is so close to the other that it is totally possible to see all of this (minus the huge sea turtles and sea lions, those were in Hawaii!)
Wow! Beautiful life experiences you guys are giving to these two amazing chicas <3 It is so inspiring! I cant even believe it! Never stop~ XO
don't worry we'll keep going until the bank account runs dry!
Bahamas have an abundant sea animals! 🙂 Would love to go there someday!
What a huge starfish you got there! 🙂
Adorable kiddos too! 🙂
I love those starfish, they are everywhere in the Bahamas
Holy cow. I have never seen a starfish that big!! WOW.
They are super heavy too!
What a lovely and awesome experience! Swimming along with the dolphins! 🙂 Bahamas is really abundant with wonderful things! 🙂
That was one of our favourite things about the Bahamas, all the wildlife that was so close to us
Wow, there Giant Turtles, Sting Rays, Sea Lions and Star Fish. That looks really fun for the kids.
The girls love it. Arias actually used to tell everyone that those stingrays were her pets!
Your life reminds me of that book Swiss Family Robinson. Totally awesome. Do you think you'll ever go back to civilization?
"civilization" yes I am sure, we visit our family and friends in Canada every couple of years and love it but I don't think we would move there. We are thinking of buying property somewhere a little warmer! Like the DR or somewhere in central america, so it will be civilized but maybe not to everyone's standards!
I am so jealous. I would love waking up to the ocean on a daily basis. I love starfishes, I think they are magical. I also love the flying fish. I'm going to have to do this one day.
Those flying fish were literally just jumping right into the cockpit of our sailboat, it was crazy!
I love the video of Arias feeding the stingray. That is so big Starfish you got there
She used to call them her pets and teach all the tourists how to touch and feed them, it was pretty impressive watching our 2 year old (at the time) do that.
What a delightful beach trip! I love that the kids were able to touch the sea animals!
Arias, our older one, has no fear whatsoever, if we tell her its "friendly" she will try to hold it and have it as her pet.
My daughter is obsessed with turtles, so she would have wanted to take it home. Lol! I grew up at South Padre Island, so my love for the sea is intense. Sadly we live inland now so we don't get to vivist much. :/ Great post, and amazing pictures! Now I miss the beach.
Well maybe this will be a motivation for you to go for a visit, and get your daughter a giant sea turtle! lol
That is a HUGE starfish–very cool
and it was heavy too. It's top side was hard like a turtle shell, and they are all over there
That starfish is huge! I love all your pictures. I've been to the Bahamas and it's so tropical there. I enjoyed it!
We really enjoy it too and are strongly considering returning there in a month, by sailboat
Absolutely adorable! Who needs a zoo or water park – there is one right outside your window!
And the best part is that it's free!
These are very wonderful pictures. Your family is so cool. Wished our could live like that. =)
Thank you, it is a pretty cool life to offer our daughters and we are extremely thankful that we have the opportunity to do it right now
Living life! I love this. What an amazing way to truly LIVE with your beautiful family!
Thank you we are enjoying it while we can live this way. It may not last forever, as our bank account is draining, but while it does we are loving it
Gorgeous photos and family memories. I love how much you have traveled with the kids and I also love the star fish. Gorgeous colour.
When we got pregnant the first time we decided that we would take the girls where ever we went, and that we would not stop traveling merely because we were going to have kids, and it has given us some amazing opportunities to see the world through their eyes.
Wow what lovely pictures! Your kids are going to love having such wonderful experiences!
It is funny, now that we are visiting Canada, how much they know about the tropical life, but how little they know about things like hockey rinks and snow storms!
You are giving your children such wonderful experiences! I would love to be able to do these kind of things with my kids but I just remind myself that I am giving them experiences too. They're just a different kind!
That is totally right, our girls are living this life, but they are not getting other experiences like learning to ice skate, or ride a bike, or get to see the leaves on the trees changing colors (which they got to see this week for the first time while we are back in Canada visiting family!) Do not underestimate all the beautiful experiences your kids are getting too
How amazing is all of this?! I don't think I've ever seem swimming pigs or such a huge starfish before!
The swimming pigs were slightly scary, for me anyways, I did not want them coming too close to our dinghy!
Those are really amazing experiences! I'm so glad that my son has the chance to grow up here in the Amazon basin. The experiences are something that will be with him the whole life.
That would be a pretty amazing place to grow up in too.
Oh wow, these photos are amazing! I love sea life and the bahamas. This is going on my bucket list now!
And the fun part is that every island is so close to the other that it is totally possible to see all of this (minus the huge sea turtles and sea lions, those were in Hawaii!)
Love pictures are amazing! what a wonderful time for your kids to learn and explore
We spend a lot of time playing explorers and walking through the bush seeing what we can discover.
Wow, what a huge starfish! it's bigger than your daughter was! You definitely lead a different, more fulfilling lifestyle!
It is definitely different that is for sure. 🙂
So many great adventures, and pictures too. I love all of the ones in or by the water, but the last one made me laugh. 🙂
That last one is from some of the projects I do with the girls to keep them busy while we can't be by the ocean!
How cool is that? I love dolphins and turtles.
Dolphins are such amazing creatures, it was so much fun seeing them play around our boat. I felt like a kid again!
Wow! Those pictures are awesome! How cool to see all of these animals up close?
extremely cool, and sometimes slightly scary, because some of them are bigger than our daughters!
What a beautiful life you have there! So inspiring! Its a dream life to me 🙂
Thank you, we like it too!