Situated on Watson Island in Miami, right between Miami Beach and Downtown Miami, is a wonderful interactive theme park that teaches about and features an amazing array of animals. Jungle Island is home to a variety of birds, mammals, primates, reptiles and fish and features some very unique animals like Ligers. Originally founded in 1936 and named Parrot Island, the park was located in southwest Miami and was one of the first tourist attractions established in the area. In the early 2000s it was decided that the park would move to its new Watson Island location and the previous park’s land was rededicated and developed into Pinecrest Gardens, a public park that features a Botanical garden, butterfly exhibit, petting zoo and more.
Jungle Theater is home to wonderful shows and is the most noticeable attraction from outside the park with its huge sails that cover the show ground. The “Tale of the Tiger” show at the Jungle Theater is a definite must see during your visit; it features many unique and rare varieties of big cats including four different colors of tigers as well as Black Panthers, Lynx and many more rotating cast members throughout the year. Another magnificent show at Jungle Island is the “Winged Wonders” show at the Parrot Bowl which highlights some of the wildest birds from around the world. Make sure to pay a visit to Pinky before the show, the cockatoo has been entertaining audiences for years with his high-wire bicycle riding act. Jungle Island is also full of animals and exhibits to entertain and educate all who visit. The Liger Habitat is home to Jungle Islands resident Liger, a lion-tiger mix, who weighs 900 pounds and is almost 12 feet tall, he is most definitely the king of this jungle. Another cool thing about the park is that many of the incredible birds enjoy being fed by visitors, you will find them nearby the food dispensers along the jungle path. The Manu Encounter is a unique exhibit designed to replicate the clay cliffs of Manu, Peru. Here you will enjoy an interactive ten minute presentations and experience free-flying macaws, parrots, Squirrel Monkeys and many other exotic animals. The “Serpentarium” is home to all kinds of interesting animals including Alligator Snapping Turtles, Boa Constrictors, African Penguins and even lemurs.
Jungle Island even has its own private beach, “La Playa”, so you can relax and unwind under an umbrella while the kids enjoy the inflatable water slides and bounce house. A visit to Jungle Island will run you around $24-$30 depending on age, children 2 and under as well as military personnel with ID receive free entrance to the park. The park is open 365 days a year, Monday-Friday from 10 am through 5pm and on weekends it remains open for an additional hour. Public transportation is available via Miami Dade transit and parking at the park is available for $7 per car. So bring the family and enjoy the fun, Jungle Island is definitely a must-see on everyone’s Florida vacation.
No comments:
Post a Comment