Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach South Carolina

I opted to go on vacation for Thanksgiving this year, a first for me, but the decision was made and I intended to enjoy it, so off to Myrtle Beach I went. I wasn't sure how the weather would be in South Carolina (having only been there once in the summer) in late November, but it was actually very pleasant. Sweatshirt/light jacket weather, in fact. That meant I was free to get out and roam a bit. My hotel, The Caravelle, was right on the beach, so of course I spent some time walking the sand. I also ventured off to explore a few times, and one place I ended up was Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach.

I wasn't sure what to expect, since Ripley's is known for oddities and extremes (which the kids really enjoy seeing), but it was really just a traditional aquarium, jam-packed full of awesome things to see and do.

Because it was close to the holiday season, everything was decorated nice and festive. In fact, the Festival of Trees was up and running, where you could walk around and find trees from the various states. Each tree had items on it that represented the state. South Carolina, of course, was right at the front door. :) This is up and running through the end of December if you'd like to stroll through and see the trees and decorations. With the kids out of school, it's a great place to go and spend some quality time with the family.

An aquarium full of Red Piranha met all of us walking in,  as we walked up the ramp to look around. I suppose I've seen them in real life before, but I can't remember when, so it was cool to see a whole tank of them right in front of me. We all stood there for a bit and watched a little video on them, as well as observed how they swam around and interacted with one another.

One thing about the Festival of Trees is that you get excited when you see a tree that has meaning to you. The last degree I earned was from the University of Nebraska, so I had to snap a picture of this one as I passed it by.

I took pictures in front of and behind the Megaladon Jaw. These kinds of photo opportunities are always fun when you are out and about, and again, you see more of the trees. A little truth behind this photo...for the personal ones I took, I didn't realize you could go behind it at first to get the better and more fun shot, until I saw another family doing it. I saw the chain and my brain instantly thought off-limits. But, it was only off limits to touching the teeth. Duh. :)

This picture was taken just outside of the glass bottom boat ride we took. It wasn't a big ride, quite simple in fact, with an arm-powered motor (the girl rowed us around in it), but it was a neat perspective, to see the sharks and other aquatic animals from an on-top perpsective.

Those in my group speculated about what would be on the Florida tree and I was delighted to see that my guess of pink flamingos was spot on, LOL! Someone with me had guessed a Santa in a sunny situation, and was right about that one too.

If there is a shark tunnel in an aquarium, then that is always my favorite section. Ripley's had one, so off I went to see it and explore.

They had several types of sharks in the tank, so of course that was interesting to see. It's not often you get up close and personal with one of those predators (and thank goodness this is the only way I have in real life!).

I'd actually never even heard of a Sawfish Shark prior to visiting Ripley's. I saw the sign and was hoping to see one in swimming about. The sign noted that they are currently listed as an endangered species.

I didn't see one until I rounded the bend to exit, but just before I left, there he was, chilling on the bottom of the tank. He (she?) tolerated me taking pictures for a couple of minutes (no flash), then got up and swam away. The bottom of this shark has a smiley face that looks similar to a stingray.

It's hard to get a good picture in these tunnels, but they always look so spectacular in person, that you can't help but try. :) In this picture, towards the end, there is a couple looking in the tank and they have a little boy with them who is jumping up and down and screaming that he sees the big sea turtle. I'm not sure if he'd been looking for it, or was just excited to see it, but that was Christmas and New Year's all wrapped up in one for him when that turtle passed by. :)

Also on the way out I came across some Moray Eeels. They were pretty exquisite in their own right, and a little menacing too. I have photos of them printed in albums from dives years ago. They fascinated and scared me then, and I still feel the same way today. I'm not going to lie, I'd much rather see one in a tank than in the ocean.

There was a mom trying desperately to get her child to crawl under this tank and pop her head through the bubble so she could get a picture. The little girl was too scared to go under, and the mom wouldn't let up. It was a frustrating situation for both of them, lol, so a sweet, bigger boy took it upon himself to show the little girl that it was easy and fun to go inside. She laughed at him in there, and he made faces, which made it better (believe me, that child could make some faces). I am happy to report that the mom got her photo opp, and the little girl was super happy to do so; the funniest thing though, is that she was a wee bit short and you couldn't really see her whole head over the top yet, lolol. Oh well, all's well that ends well, or so they say, whoever 'they' are... :)

I took a break to head into the on-site gift shop because I like to get a Christmas ornament for the tree when we travel. They did have quite a few, and we brought home a puffer fish with the name of the aquarium on it that I really like.

When I was finished shopping, I went to the area where the jellyfish were swimming. I always like to spend time with the jellies, but this time they had the lights colored, and that made everything look extra amazing. I could have stayed here a lot longer watching than I did, but I stayed a sufficient amount of time. No apologies, that area was great.

I thought the colors really brought out the details in the jellyfish. They made great pictures too. I actually printed these for one of my travel albums. I know a lot of people don't print photos anymore, but they make me happy, so I do. 

Every bit as much as I enjoyed the jellyfish, I also enjoyed petting the sting rays. There were big and small ones, and the lighter-colored small ones would brush up against the rock I was near, coming part way out of the water and get everyone wet. I laughed every time and waited for it to come back around to do it again.

This light one on the far-right is the one that was so very playful. You can pay extra to swim with them. That would probably be really unique and memorable!

As I moved on, the Lion Fish caught my eye. We used to have one in a saltwater tank years ago. That was back in the day when it was an adventure to go snorkel diving for fish (not the Lion Fish, but many others). Seeing this guy took me waaaaay back to that time (I only had one child then!!). No way would I be ambitious enough to do that today. In fact, I'm not ambitious enough to own a tank (it was beautiful but it was a LOT of work). Seeing it here was cool though, until I looked around the backside of this white block...there were SO MANY of them behind there just sitting still (I guess sleeping?). It was mildly alarming and unsettling because they were so still you really only noticed them gradually, and then when you saw how many there really were, you were like, what the what??! Lion fish are amazing for sure, but that was still a little jeepers.

Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is a nice place to go and spend part of your day. I had a great time visiting, and if I lived in the area, I would go again. Mark it for future trips, or if you are in the neighborhood already, The Festival of Trees is on display the whole month of December.  I can highly recommend a visit for the fam., on your own, or even as a couple, and definitely in groups (in fact, I think I'll head on over to TripAdvisor now to do so). Learn more by visiting the website. You can also follow along on Instagram, Facebook and/or Twitter.