Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat (Las Vegas)

Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat.

Who are Siegfried and Roy?
Siegfried and Roy met in 1957 whilst both working on board a cruise ship, whilst on the ship Siegfried got on stage and performed some tricks, Roy saw him doing this and the two of them became friends. It turned out that Roy had smuggled a Cheetah called Chico on board the ship, he came across this Cheetah whilst working at a circus and decided ...
...free from the circus. Together they worked magic with Chico and found an act that worked.
They then got their first gig at the Monte Carlo and have since been performing in Las Vegas for over 30 years and are known as The Masters of the Impossible.
As well as being famous for their magic they are also known for their conservation work, for over 20 years they have been looking after the preservation of Royal White Tigers and they have ... more

Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat.

Who are Siegfried and Roy?
Siegfried and Roy met in 1957 whilst both working on board a cruise ship, whilst on the ship Siegfried got on stage and performed some tricks, Roy saw him doing this and the two of them became friends. It turned out that Roy had smuggled a Cheetah called Chico on board the ship, he came across this Cheetah whilst working at a circus and decided to try and build the animals trust and set him free from the circus. Together they worked magic with Chico and found an act that worked.
They then got their first gig at the Monte Carlo and have since been performing in Las Vegas for over 30 years and are known as The Masters of the Impossible.
As well as being famous for their magic they are also known for their conservation work, for over 20 years they have been looking after the preservation of Royal White Tigers and they have 38 in Las Vegas.

Where is the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat?

You can visit the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage hotel situated on the Las Vegas, the Mirage is a beautiful hotel with a giant volcano waterfall in front and it is at the back of the hotel you will find the wonders of the garden.
Entrance costs $15 for adults and $10 for children aged 4-12, children under 3 go free, opening hours are 11am - 5pm. The Entrance fee includes both The Secret Garden and the Dolphin habitat.

Secret Garden

The Secret Garden is home to some incredible cats including; White Lions from Timbavati, these are beautiful creatures with the most amazing white fur beards and blue eyes; they currently have some White Lion cubs that are part of the offspring programme. You will also see Snow White Tigers from the foothills of the Himalayas they have pure white coats with faint or nonexistent stripes. The Striped White Tigers are impressive beyond belief, the size of these creatures is unbelievable they are as high as your chest and at least 5ft-6ft in length enormous creatures. These animals were thought to be extinct until a cub was found in 1951 but thanks to the 20-year programme there are now 40 of these creatures at The Secret Garden.
Unlike most zoos and parks I have been too I was surprised to find there was little distance between you and the animals. They had plenty of vegetation and space and are obviously looked after well and with breeding programmes the preservation of the unique and incredible creatures is being kept up which is wonderful to know.

Dolphin Habitat

I am a big dolphin lover so I was really looking forward to this trip and I was in now way disappointed. The Dolphin Habitat has 3 large Dolphin pools with under water viewing. The habitat is home to Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins, they are known for playful interaction and their jumping ability up to 20ft high, most of the Dolphins at The Mirage were born their making it one of the most successful breeding programmes in the world. The 2.5 million gallon dolphin habitat with artificial coral reef allows visitors to watch and enjoy the Dolphins playing naturally with each other. Unlike most Dolphin experiences I have had they do not make the Dolphins perform instead you able to walk around at you leisure and watch them as naturally as possible. You are able to watch them under the water through the observation tunnels that have been created; you can also sit at the edge of the pools and observe them from the top. These dolphins are part of conservation, breeding educational programme.
You also have the opportunity to be a trainer for the day but it comes at a price $500, your day begins at 9.45am and ends at 3.15pm. For your money you get to work side by side with the Dolphins, feeding them, training and playing with them, you also get breakfast and lunch provided an 8X10 photo a certificate, trainer fro the day t-shirt and baseball. As amazing as this sounds I do feel it is a bit pricey.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed my visit to The Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat and would recommend it to others; it was so nice to get up close and personal with some incredible creatures. It was also a good feeling to know that your money was going to a good cause the preservation of these animals is so important it is good to know that in a way we have played a parting this.

 

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