SeaWorld is a theme park mostly focused on aquatic animals, located in the theme park epicenter of Orlando, Florida. There are two other SeaWorld parks, one in San Diego, California and one in San Antonio, Texas; a fourth was located in Aurora, Ohio but was sold and altered and eventually mostly demolished. The three remaining parks are not identical to each other, although they certainly have much in common. This park is located on typically low flat land of central Florida about 50 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by low-density sprawl development (most of which is not visible when inside the park). The layout of the park features one entrance which leads to the many attractions arranged around several looping walkways that branch from one another, the largest of which surrounds a lake. The park is not really subdivided into named themed areas; rather, each attraction (some of which are certainly themed) leads to the next with a common thread of beautifully landscaped subtropical passages. There are many features at this large park, and I will focus on those with live animals later, but I will summarize all the features first. Rides have become more important features over the years, and there are 12. This includes 3 rollercoasters; 2 are terrifying (Kraken, Manta) and one is a beginner’s track (Shamu Express). There are 5 children’s spinning rides grouped next to Shamu Express in a play area called Shamu’s Happy Harbor. Also very tame is a self-propelled paddle boat ride on the lake in small flamingo-shaped boats. Another shore of the lake features the Sky Tower, an enclosed circular vehicle that slowly ascends a 400-foot pole tower for an aerial view. Slightly more thrilling is an indoor motion simulator that is part of the Wild Arctic attraction. Finally, a thrilling waterflume/rollercoaster hybrid with heavily themed interior show scenes and outdoor splashdowns is called Journey to Atlantis. 6 live shows are the most famous features of the park, and each is housed in its own large arena, 2 of them indoor venues and the rest outdoor with covered seating areas. Two of the shows feature only human performers (Atlantis Bayside Stadium for waterski shows, Nautilus Theater for a colorful cirque-like performance called A’lure), one features domestic pets (Seaport Theater for Pets Ahoy!), and three feature marine mammals that I will detail below. Exhibits are the best features and there are 20 by my count; 19 are animal exhibits that I will detail later and 1 is a human exhibit (Oyster’s Secret that has a deep outdoor aquarium for human divers to retrieve live oysters for opening for pearls, for visitors who have purchased them). The animal exhibits include 5 for marine mammals (4 outdoor, 1 indoor), 1 for land mammals, 5 for fish and invertebrates (2 outdoor, 3 indoor), 6 for birds (5 outdoor, 1 indoor), and 2 for aquatic reptiles (both outdoor). Many shops and restaurants are also scattered around the park, especially concentrated around the entrance and a themed seaport called Waterfront. The three marine mammal shows are quite different from one another. The smallest arena is Sea Lion and Otter Stadium, currently housing ‘Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island’. It is pure entertainment, following a decades-old formula of two California sea lions with the stage names of Clyde and Seamore in a humorous themed stage environment, performing tricks that serve the story alongside a river otter and walrus and their costumed trainers. There is little educational value to this show. The arena itself has a curved narrow tank running the entire front length of the pirate ship stage set which the animal performers occasionally dive into for aquatic tricks. A larger separate arena called Whale and Dolphin Theater has a show called Blue Horizons, with dolphins and false killer whales in a deep tank with windows into the depths facing the audience. Several smaller holding tanks are visible behind each side of the open stage. This show also features an Andean condor and several species of parrots occasionally flying above the audience, as well as cirque-like aerialists suspended from the arena structures. Its bright blue water-like forms on the stage set and musical fantasy atmosphere creates a more serious tone than the sea lion show, interspersed with earnest trainer interactions with the marine mammals. Yet more serious is the largest and most famous arena show, Believe!, starring the killer whales, always including one with the stage name of Shamu. This immense stadium also has several visible holding tanks behind each side of the stage, one of which has a large series of underwater windows on its backside for between-show viewing of a whale in a deep rocky-walled environment that can be considered the killer whale exhibit. The show tank is even larger, and features windows into its depths along the entire length facing the audience. The show highlights the characteristics of the whales and their interactions with trainers exclusively, with generic new-agey music and touchy-feely messages rather than a concrete story. As such, it is the most educational of the shows, and the undeniable power of the whales is best highlighted by this approach. The relatively narrow stage backdrop is simply a giant whale tail shape surrounded by moving video screens. The marine mammal exhibits are mostly excellent. The weakest is Dolphin Nursery, a simple smaller open-air oblong tank with no underwater views, covered with a simple awning, for expecting and new moms and babies. In a separate area called Key West that is the closest this park comes to a named area, a great rocky outdoor habitat tank called Dolphin Cove features about 20 Atlantic bottlenose dolphins for occasional feeding and petting on one side; the far end of the habitat has a cave leading to a nice semicircular underwater viewing area. Pacific Point Preserve is another irregularly-shaped large rocky outdoor habitat for what seems like 30 or 40 California sea lions and harbor seals; this one does not have underwater viewing except for a small section of railing with windows into the shallower tank, but the habitat can be completely circled by visitors. The best is Manatee Rescue, with a large rocky tank and simulated swamp backdrop for four Florida manatees. Its outdoor section features a woodsy curving arbor above the walkway that lines one side of the serene open-air surface of the habitat, where viewing is close and clear. Then visitors descend a ramp into a contemporary woodsy building, where a dark circular standing theater has atmospheric projections of the Florida coast and a short educational film, before they reach the very long indoor underwater window into the depths of the habitat. Again, there are great views here, and the entire exhibit has clear informational graphics and a scientific tone. The final exhibit is actually an indoor set of three habitats in an impressively themed complex called Wild Arctic. The exterior is a simple series of modern white shed roofs; upon entering, visitors can choose to see an introductory film in a small theater or ride one of three motion simulators that show the same film. The film’s theme is a thrilling helicopter ride across Arctic landscapes with encounters with beluga whales, polar bears, and walrus before landing at a fictitious Arctic research base. After exiting, visitors are immersed in a three-dimensional representation of the base, with twilight-lit dark skies projected on the ceiling, simulated icy and snowy landscape features surrounding sheds and shacks filled with exploration equipment, and the decaying structures of several simulated old shipwrecks. All this is the stage for viewing the three habitats, and is incredibly immersive and detailed; in fact, the animals are nearly upstaged by the theming. The first habitat is an icy walled tank for two beluga whales, backed by icebergs; this is the surface view, open to the water, and it is a memorable scene. Next is the polar bear habitat, viewed from windows into its icy cave surface environment through the ribs of a shipwreck, with another massive snowbound ship forming part of the side wall. This habitat, though scenic, is too small for two bears above water. However, a large part of it facing the visitor is an impressive deep swimming pool. The other side of the shipwreck is the windowed surface view of the walrus exhibit, a similar size to the polar bear area, mostly composed of another deep rocky and icy pool. The single walrus was enjoying holding its breath for long periods and entering an underwater cave at the back of the exhibit. Then the visitor path descends to the lower level for more similarly themed viewing areas for the crystal clear dark underwater views of the three exhibits. Educational graphics and features abound, with video terminals, a bear den cave, a seal breathing hole cave, breath-holding contests that compare with the animals abilities, and others. It is a great complex, but the fact that habitats are not open to the elements for the benefit of the visitor means that it must be claustrophobic for the inhabitants. SeaWorld San Diego has a very similar attraction, but its Wild Arctic has habitats with open-air tops and it makes a huge difference for its perceived livability to me. The only land mammal exhibit is a rather extravagant formal barn and pastures for horses. This was built as Clydesdale Hamlet for the famous wagon-pulling horses of the former park owner, Anheuser-Busch. Now that they are gone, the park map states that visitors can visit a Percheron horse, but I did not bother to check it out. It is a waste of space and would be a great location for a future aquarium instead, perhaps a freshwater one which this park lacks. SeaWorld San Diego has a nice freshwater aquarium complex, although it is old enough that a new one would not be a twin of that one. The fish and invertebrate exhibits are also mostly excellent. The weakest is very minor: in a cave near the entrance to the Kraken rollercoaster, several small simple globe-shaped tanks with water flowing over the outside of them contain some sort of small eel, one per tank. They are supposed to be the Kraken’s eggs, so they are really in the service of the theming rather than education. Stingray Lagoon is a single open-top tank sheltered by a modern shed roof that has many rays for touching, mostly cownose, not an especially notable habitat. The other three exhibits are indoor aquarium complexes and are all nice. Shark Encounter is a large complex, with one formal shallow outdoor pool beneath a shelter at its entrance. This habitat is for multiple species of small sharks and rays and fish, including pacific blacktip shark, white-spotted bamboo shark, zebra shark, white-tipped reef shark, bonnethead shark, leopard shark, cownose ray, and Southern ray. Once inside the modern building, the exhibit path first goes through a large angled tunnel in a large tropical reef tank. Then a mid-sized curved wall tank features lionfish and others on another reef. Next is a small curved habitat for leafy sea dragons, then a nice mid-sized flat wall tank for barracuda and moray eels. Next are several small habitats for frogs, before entering a 60-foot long clear tunnel in the large shark tank. This habitat is no longer as impressive as it once was, with many better versions built since its opening. A major problem with this tank is that the tunnel floor is a narrow moving walkway with no option to stay and linger. For that, visitors must snoop or dine in Sharks Underwater Grill, an adjoining full service restaurant with many large windows into the main habitat! Jewels of the Sea Aquarium is an excellent collection of small aquariums in a rotunda at the exit of Journey To Atlantis and is themed with the same Minoan-like columns and frescoes as the ride. The floor is actually glass with a sandblasted pattern, hovering over a shallow fish habitat, while the rotunda ceiling is also covered with a clear ceiling into a small bonnethead shark tank! Along the walls are five or six small wall tanks with themed interiors for spiny lobsters, moon jellies, golden trevally, and others. The newest fish aquarium complex is the medium sized of the three, Manta Aquarium, and is in a rock masonry walled building that also serves as the queue for the Manta rollercoaster. It has really elevated the number and variety of the park’s tanks. The aquarium section of the building (for those not waiting for the rollercoaster) begins with a mid-sized coral reef wall tank with a nice selection of bright small tropicals. Then the first view of the main 120,000 gallon ray tank, in this case a semicircular cave whose ceiling is a shallow shelf of the tank for seeing the underside of the rays. Next is an exhibit for giant Pacific octopus in two small tanks, connected by a narrow tube several feet long for fascinating views of the creature when it displays its ability to fit through tight spaces! Also sharing this exhibit are large anemones. Two more small wall tanks are side by side but not connected; they are for lined seahorses and pipefish, each with seagrasses and backed by a window with more views into the large ray tank. Then a tall round column tank can be walked around about ¾ of its circumference; it is divided in two, with masonry backwalls and kelp-like vegetation into which the resident weedy and leafy sea dragons can blend. A small shelf tank is next, with shrimp and a few other tiny bottom dwellers, before the main large arched window of the ray tank is seen. This tank has 300 rays including cownose and spotted eagle rays, Southern stingrays, guitarfish, and a large school of small fish. It also has some smaller windows viewed from the other side for those waiting to ride the rollercoaster. It is scattered with rocky outcrops from its sandy bottom, and backwalls of simulated ruin-like masonry. Finally, a small columnar tank for clownfish features a pop-up dome in its center for taking pictures of people ‘underwater’. Bird exhibits are mostly unremarkable here, with a few waterfowl lagoons, a standard flamingo yard, some brown pelicans perched on the rocky walls of Turtle Point, and a few small wood-and-wire aviaries for scarlet ibis and others, all outdoor. However, one of the star exhibits of the park is an indoor complex for birds – Penguin Encounter. Housed in a modern building, it features a 30-degree habitat with 6,000 pounds of snow daily for hundreds of Antarctic penguins from about 5 species. Visitors view the long rocky shelf habitat through windows that are floor-to-ceiling, separating them from the cold, with both above and underwater views into the 45 degree pool that forms the front of the exhibit. A moving walkway slowly takes visitors past the front of the window, while those who want to linger can view it from a few feet higher in a roomy dark viewing area directly behind the walkway. It is a delight and one can spend an hour lost in watching all the activity! There is also an adjoining room with large educational graphics about the birds before entering another nice though smaller similar exhibit for their Arctic counterparts, puffins and murres, again a delight to watch. Reptile exhibits are few: a decent swampy outdoor habitat for some American alligators next to Manatee Rescue, and Turtle Point, two small rocky pools and beaches for hawksbill, loggerhead, and green turtles with some brown pelicans as well. The beautiful grounds and plethora of excellent aquatic animal exhibits makes this a full-day park worth visiting. At general adult admission of 79 dollars however, it is a ripoff, overpiced by at least 30 dollars. This is difficult to compare to traditional zoos or aquariums because it also offers a wide selection of flashy shows and rides that add value to its admission for those interested in those features. Online discounts and various combination tickets and even annual passes make it cheaper and thus a more reasonable value. In my list of the 36 aquariums I have visited, I rank it at a fantastic number 4 (aquatic exhibits ranked only). In my list of top 15 aquatic mammal individual exhibits, Manatee Rescue is number 3, Dolphin Cove is number 6, Pacific Point Preserve is number 8, and the beluga whale exhibit in Wild Arctic is number 14. For my list of top 25 individual fish exhibits, the Shark Encounter Main Tank is number 20 and the Ray Exhibit in Manta Aquarium is number 22. My birds top 15 list includes the Penguin Exhibit in Penguin Encounter at number 3 and the Arctic Birds Exhibit in Penguin Encounter at number 9. I have posted pictures in the gallery.
GREAT review. i love seaworld and u and i seem tobe 2 of the few zoochatters to acctually ride the coasters when we go! lol .
That is indeed a very thorough review. Thank you for putting it out. Having spent many years as a 'regular' at the San Diego park, and having visited the others (including Ohio, when it was still in existence), I do find myself seeing a very different perspective where education is concerned. Specifically: I believe SeaWorld's so-called "educational" messages to be more self-promoting propaganda than actual useful information. For example -- Why is there little or no information delivered on the kinds of threats still facing marine mammals in the wild? I doubt you'd hear anything about the horrendous Japanese 'drive fisheries,' around Iki Island and other locations, which still go on to this day and kill Essence only knows how many dolphins and whales. Put more simply: Why do their shows look so much like glorified circus acts? Does the material in such shows truly represent what we want to be passing on to our kids about how humans should be treating some of the most intelligent and least-understood animals on the planet? SeaWorld has, for many years if not decades, been in an excellent position to call global attention to these tragedies, and others (such as the annual harp seal hunt in Newfoundland, and the fact that the Japanese continue to do commercial whaling in blatant disregard of the moratorium on such). But do they? No. That might actually (gasp!) make at least a few visitors angry enough to want to try and do something about it, or (worse) might actually OFFEND one or two people from the country in question! And that wouldn't be in keeping with the "rose-colored glasses" the park seems to want everyone to look through the minute they pass through the gates. Worse still, it might actually make some visitors ask what, if anything, SeaWorld themselves are doing to try and stop such nastiness. I wonder what their answer would be? No park is perfect, but many others I've been to at least try to pass on useful information. I question whether SeaWorld has passed on anything more than hot air and cosmetic fluff for the last 20 or so years. Highly recommended reading for anyone who wants to know what SeaWorld is truly about. "Spectacular Nature: Corporate Culture and the Sea World Experience" by Susan Davis, University of California Press. It should be available from most larger libraries, and certainly from the vendors on abebooks.com. Happy travels.
kc7gr, I agree that the park would benefit from expanding its conservation messages for some of its inhabitants and their related wild counterparts! I suppose they feel that by emphasizing the inherent wonders of the animals that some visitors will become more interested in the bigger picture and discover the problems themselves, but why not spread that knowledge directly? On the other hand, I must defend the educational message of some of the exhibits such as Manatee Rescue and Penguin Encounter and Wild Arctic that feature graphics and staff that do elucidate some deeper issues.
Thank you. I was unaware the park had updated its graphics in the manner you describe. Granted, I never had any real problems with their fixed graphics or placards. What I do have problems with is the park's overall attitudes, which usually comes across as "No one is greater than SeaWorld," and their too-circus-like shows. Another question your news would lead me to ask is: Why is such higher-quality display material limited to penguin, arctic, and manatee exhibits? Would it be so difficult to put up some illustrations of what happens with the drive fisheries, and commercial whaling? Or is the park too afraid of "upsetting" people? Happy travels.
Sea World does a lot more than what is on the surface. I was lucky enough to get some behind the scenes access to some parts, and learned a great deal about SeaWorld. First off, its conservation. Part of the behind the scenes tour was a look at the rescue facility. It is near dolphin cove and is composed of about 10 pools for dolphins, manatees, and sea turtles that were rescued from the wild. The animals in this facility would be released when they were better. While at this rescue facility, a knowledgeable guide explained the dangers that marine animals face due to human activity such as fishing line, plastic bags and garbage. He also explained that SeaWorld has set up a fishing line recycling program to prevent animals from being entangled. When continuing the tour, we passed the bird rescue and rehabilitation center, but did not get to find out more about it. I think that SeaWorld does a great deal for conservation, but does it behind the scenes because SeaWorld is a very family friendly place with a great deal of emphasis on children and I do not think that they want to scare children, so they use light-hearted ways to explain problems while doing a lot behind the scenes. Also, I wanted to let you know that in Arctic Wild, there are areas off-exhibit where the belugas have an outdoor pool and there were other outdoor areas, but I am not sure what species they were for. Great Review!
I never claimed they didn't do much valuable work behind the scenes. I recognize and respect that. I also believe there's such a thing as being too politically correct, too "family friendly." Hiding the truth behind circus-style fluff is not going to change it, and I think it may actually damage the possibility of some people becoming concerned enough to try and do something about it. I suspect, as often happens, we're going to agree to disagree. For my part, I will say, as of this moment, you could not pay me enough to visit any SeaWorld park. Happy travels.
barisax235, it is good to know there are outdoor off-exhibit areas for Wild Arctic, that fact improves it in my mind for husbandry!
Update from Recent Visit I visited the park again during the first week of November, here are some updates to my review: Shamu Stadium’s new show, ‘One Ocean’, is very similar to the previous show. The stage set still features a giant whale’s tail surrounded by 4 moving video screens, but new fountains have been added in the first row of the audience seating area, just in front of the pool’s glass wall. At times during the show, the fountains either shoot straight up, or arc in smooth streams into the show pool. Trainers interact with the whales from in front of the glass as well as on the stage and in the shelf pool that extends from the show pool in front of the center audience. Despite the trainers not entering the show pool anymore due to safety concerns, they still enter the shelf pool and make contact with the whales when they ‘beach’ themselves up on it. I was surprised to see a trainer hugging one of the whales near its dorsal fin, especially since I think it was Tillikum, the whale involved with the drowning of a trainer last year! The side pool that has an underwater viewing window for non-show times is closed, I understand they are installing a rising floor system that will ‘beach’ the inhabitants and anyone inside in the case of an accident; I think this was the pool where the drowning occurred. If successful, they may install the same system in the other pools of this stadium complex. 'One Ocean' show: Manatee Rescue is currently closed, it is being renovated and folded in to a new attraction that will feature a 3-D film about sea turtles, possibly with some more Florida-area wildlife habitats. I certainly hope this new attraction does not relegate the nice manatee habitat to an afterthought, or create a nightmarish noise level for the inhabitants! The American alligator habitat at its entrance is also closed. The former Clydesdale Hamlet, which on my last visit was a pasture that I did not bother to see, has been transformed into Animal Connections at SEAGarden, the only significant addition to the park since then. It features two small open-air shed pavilions with a table for intimate animal encounters with a keeper, and three bird exhibits. On my visit, one pavilion had a young porcupine and the other pavilion had a wallaby. The pavilions are located a short distance from one another in a fantastic botanical display that is a vast improvement over the former plain green pasture! The paths meander through an open landscape of a great variety of succulents and grasses; part of it interprets coral reefs, with the plants clustered around rock formations to emulate live corals growing on the reefs. There are tropical fish statues scattered amongst the plants, and white gravel interludes between the outcrops to emulate the sea floor. Another part of the landscape interprets beach floral communities, with coastal plants set in sandy soils. Bright interpretive graphics provide basic explanation of the theme. The three bird exhibits are a short distance from each other and the pavilions: one is a basic macaw perch composed of a single small tree skeleton placed in a low-walled timber circle just off the path; another is for sandhill crane and is a nice roomy open habitat contained with a low fence of rope netting and surrounded by swaths of sansaveria and asparagus fern that extend into the habitat; and the last is a roomy habitat for Chilean flamingo. Similar to the Caribbean flamingo exhibit near the front of the park, this one is contained with an informal wood picket-and wire ‘beach fence’, but the shallow pool for wading in this one is much smaller. This habitat is adjacent to the large horse barn that formerly held the clydesdales, it was not open so I am not sure if there are any exhibits inside; I suspect it may be the holding are for all the encounters animals. Although it is not a major attraction, this renovation is a step in the right direction, and is a stand-out in the park’s pleasant floral features. An animal encounter pavilion at Animal Connections at SEAGarden: Coral Reef interpretive landscape at Animal Connections at SEAGarden: Chilean Flamingo Exhibit at Animal Connections at SEAGarden: The small globe-like tanks for eels that are in the entry/exit to the Kraken rollercoaster appeared to be empty, although still filled with water. Penguin Encounter was open during my visit and just as captivating as ever; however, it is closing (in a few days?) to be demolished to make way for a new attraction. The new attraction will be Antarctica themed; details are sketchy currently but it is supposed to have a ride and a new penguin exhibit. I certainly hope the new exhibit tops the old one! If not, at least the nearly-identical Penguin Encounters in San Diego and San Antonio are still open. I wonder what will become of the inhabitants of the alcids exhibit in Penguin Encounter? They could move them to the other two parks’ exhibits, or make a new exhibit for them near Wild Arctic, or ignore geographic consistency and make a new exhibit for them in the new penguin area… I have added more pictures in the gallery of Animal Connections as well as some various ones that I did not cover from my postings two years ago.
Thanks for the update Geomorph! As I believe you have been to all three US SeaWorld parks, I have a question. Does it seem to you that SeaWorld San Diego is constantly given a scaled back or inferior version of attractions installed in Orlando? It seems based on photos that nearly every attraction is better in Orlando, with the exceptions of perhaps the Penguin Encounter (soon to be a moot point) and Wild Arctic. Would you agree with this?
It's true that many of the San Diego versions of the attractions and exhibits are a bit inferior to the Orlando counterparts, but then thinking back on it I think many of the Orlando versions are newer than San Diego's?
Well specifically I was thinking this in reference to their respective "Journey to Atlantis" attractions, where San Diego got the extreme "short end of the stick". In this case, Orlando's came first.
During the 'splash' segment of the show when Tilikum is in the show pool the trainers leave the main stage and slide-out areas; instead interacting through the glass sides of the pool. Tilikum is the whale in the last photo you posted of the show. It was probably one of two adult females (Katina or Kayla) you saw the trainer hugging during the preceding portion of the show. At other times during the show the trainers interact with the whales from the stage and slide-out, although temporary metal barriers can be inserted into the stage to form a low barrier. There are a couple of videos of them being used when Katina was nursing her newborn calf, Makaio, last year. Thanks for uploading the pics of SeaWorld and Aquatica, it all looks so bright and colourful compared to here in the UK...
@Ituri: Although you asked Geomorph, I allow myself to answer to your question too (I've been also to all three US SeaWorld Parks). My Opinion is, that SW San Diego is still No 1. Journey to Atlantis and Shamu Stadion are (looking) much bigger, just the Pacific Point Preserve (Seals) is smaller (but has an adjected exhibit for sea otter). Also, SW San Diego is more based on Animals as Orlando (more different kind of fishes). SW San Antonio is the weakest in this point, but is the biggest in size (or was it after Aquatica San Antonio will be open, which is - partialy? - built on the ground of SW San Antonio). As far as I know, at least for a couple of years SW Orlando is showing new exhibits first. (e.g. Bermuda Triangle/Wild Arctic, Manatee Rescue, Journey to Atlantis and now Manta).
King, Gentoo, Adélie, Chinstrap and Rockhopper in Antarctica plus Magellanic in the Avian Research Center.
