Don't miss the Sea Lion Encounter at the NY Aquarium! My daughter loves animals and as a birthday present I got us tickets . It was fantastic! To be so close to such an amazing animal was a real treat. We met "Bruiser" and were completely charmed by him! The staff took photos of each member of the group standing next to him (you cannot touch, of course) while he hammed it up for the camera. We learned a lot about sea lions and seals from the trainers. There were only 7 people in our group that morning. and while we spent the entire day there, the encounter with Bruiser was the absolute highlight. Overall the Aquarium is really interesting and well-laid out. It's neat to see the sea otters, penguins, seals, etc. on the surface and then walk underneath to observe them from below. The shark tunnel was cool, too. Afterwards we walked the Coney Island Boardwalk. It was super fun and we're adults, by the way. It was my daughter's 22nd birthday :) The Sea Lion Encounter was well worth the extra ticket. We felt it was money well spent and for a great cause.