- Apr 22, 2014
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Ulysses Is one of the orcas at Sea World in San Diego. We went there around 11 years ago. There were many memorable moments there, but on our third day, I decided to sit down by the big glass viewing pane that looks into the Orca tank and take a break for a few minutes. We had been running around half the day and our next adventure wasn't for 45 minutes or so. There were other people there. Not lots, but I wasn't the only one there. I point this out because as soon as I sat down, Ulysses started swimming around the tank very fast doing barrel rolls on the far side of the tank. Every time around, when he passed me he would emit a high pitched call. Up to that time, I wasn't sure if he could see out but it sure seemed like it. I stood back up and moved closer to the middle of the pane. He stopped racing around and hovered there in front of me looking right at me. After a while in awe, I put my hand up to the glass and he put his nose right where my hand was. I moved my hand and he followed it with his nose. He was absolutely magnificent! I brought my hand down and he calmly swam back off in his tank. That was the end of my encounter but it was amazing. The other people who were there couldn't believe he had focused so intently on me. Neither could I. Must have looked like someone he knew.