Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is a hybrid marine park, zoo, and amusement park located in Vallejo, California, a suburb about 25 miles Northeast of San Francisco. Its marine park facilities are average, a step down from the quality of the 3 Sea World parks but still satisfactory; its zoo exhibits are mostly unattractive and do little to showcase its limited mammal-focused small collection; and its amusements are extensive and slightly above-average in quality, with nearly 40 rides composed mostly of thrill rides such as rollercoasters and small kids rides composed of gently spinning ones. The rides have increasingly become the focus of the park but have not obliterated the animal theme; however, in many cases the rides make very unfriendly neighbors to the exhibits. In addition, most of the rides have very little to do with the animal theme other than the name or animal-shaped ride vehicles. None of the rides are designed for viewing animal exhibits; there is no train or monorail with views of an African savanna, for instance. My review will focus on the live animal elements of the park. The park has a rather complex history. It is currently operated by Six Flags, a large amusement park chain mostly composed of U.S. parks, including 15 amusements parks, 5 water play parks, and 1 animal park. The animal park is Six Flags Wild Safari, a large drive-through park of 11 enclosures on 350 acres next to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey; I have not been there, but it sounds like a very different facility from this one in Vallejo. The Vallejo site was opened in 1986; it has had several different names and owners, including a non-profit foundation. Prior to its current name from 2007, it was Six Flags Marine World starting in 1999. In 1998, it was The New Marine World Theme Park. It was during that year that the park really started focusing on rides, and nearly all of them have been installed since then. Prior to that, the park was Marine World Africa USA, its name since it opened on the current site. This was also the name of the former site of the park, which was located in Redwood City, a suburb about 18 miles South of San Francisco; property values had escalated enough that the park decided to move, and the former site is now home to the headquarters of a giant computer corporation. That original site opened as Marine World in 1968, a marine park built by a major media corporation; the park went bankrupt 4 years later and was purchased by an animal trainer and former owner of a wildlife park near Los Angeles called Africa USA, who changed the name (and added land animal attractions) to Marine World Africa USA. The layout and organization of the park is poor. The site is slightly hilly, and bordered by a pleasant lake on one side but it takes little advantage of it. Paths diverge from a central plaza inside the entrance to wander through the site from one seemingly unplanned addition to the next; they are mostly paved with asphalt and clumsily widen to envelop the various facilities. The landscape is pleasant in parts, but the limited plant palette of various trees and plants is not impressive or especially theme-driven. The whole front section of the park is barren, with most of the rollercoasters occupying expansion areas that were formerly parking lots; parking was moved to a satellite site, but the landscape below these steel contraptions is still an unscenic sea of asphalt. Mismatched small shacks of the cheapest construction litter nearly every nook and cranny, housing services and food stands and shops. Every surface seems to be for sale to corporations, from dining table umbrellas to ads on step risers, and even some of the animal exhibit fact signs feature a corporate logo. Further visual annoyances come in the form of outdoor video monitors grouped around various plazas and walkways which show promotions and commercials and movie previews; even worse, these are accompanied by booming loudspeakers. When the park was renamed recently, it was reorganized into 3 themes: Land, Sea, and Sky. These themes are mostly in concept only, because the attractions of each theme are scattered across the park and mixed together rather than separated. It is a rather valiant effort to give further identity to the haphazard arrangement of facilities here, but it fails. Adding to the confusion, if indeed any visitors are paying attention, is the naming of attractions. Perhaps this element is still in transition, but it is not uncommon for facilities to have several conflicting names, depending on whether a visitor is reading a new sign, an old sign, the park map, the park entertainment schedule, or the website! This is especially true with the live animal facilities because the park is increasingly using the stage name of a particular animal in titles, such as Jockos Walrus Experience rather than the older Walrus Experience. The live animal elements of the park are generally arranged with the marine park facilities in the Sea theme (spread across the middle and South part of the park) and the zoo facilities in the Land theme (a little more concentrated than the marine park facilities and in the North part of the park). Since they are all arranged in haphazard fashion and interspersed with other attractions, I will describe each in no particular order other than starting with Sea and ending with Land. Explorers Outpost is beside the entry plaza and is not listed as part of either 3 themes, but it might as well be in Sea. It is a building with a large interior room, with several counters for selling annual passes and upcharge encounters and activities. Supposedly, it is an orientation center. On the edges of the room are 17 small-to-medium sized wall aquariums of various shapes, mostly filled with small tropical saltwater fish. Most of the tanks are unsigned and extremely average in detail. A few scattered props in front of them attempt to convey an explorer theme, but like much of the park, the theming is half-assed. The upside of the exhibits here is that they are uncrowded; most visitors do not seem to know that there is anything to see beyond the experience-peddlers that greet them. Shouka Stadium is the home of a killer whale show called Celebrate Shouka. It is a nice facility, with a very large outdoor amphitheater for visitors shaded by a high steel structure. The show pool is large, and although it does not have underwater viewing panels in front, it does have a central shallow shelf in front for nearly out-of-the-water display. The narrow stage backdrop is rather tall and flat, with a snowy mountainous mural scene fronted by Pacific Northwest native totems and a few simulated conifers. A native depiction of a whale and salmon frames a large video screen in the center of the backdrop. Chutes lead to 3 average round backstage pools, all about the same size; all 3 can be viewed through underwater windows at the back of the facility when the stadium is closed. The star of the show is a female killer whale named Shouka, who was born in captivity at Marineland Antibes in France in 1993 and also lived at the now-closed SeaWorld Ohio. She is the only one at the park, and one of 43 known captive killer whales worldwide. She does not live alone; I saw 2 bottlenose dolphins in her facility, and am not sure if there are more. The show is rather straightforward, and does not follow a convoluted Pacific Northwest-themed storyline as the stage might suggest. Shouka Stadium: Merlins Dolphin Harbor, or Dolphin Harbor, is another large amphitheater, this time shaded by an immense steel structure that covers the show pool and stage as well as the audience. The current show is Merlins Island Party, and the rather flat stage backdrop features a tropical blue sky and beach scene mural fronted by some simulated palms and a small shack and pier. The show pool is large and has underwater viewing panels along the entire curved perimeter that faces visitors. Despite the name and stage, this show is also rather straightforward, focusing on trained behaviors of the 4 bottlenose dolphins and sprinkled with facts about them. There are at least 2 large backstage pools for them as well, one of which has underwater windows for viewing on the other side of the stadium; the viewing area is in a sheltered porch within a nicely detailed nautical village façade that faces the park entry plaza. This viewing area is a prime location, and especially popular recently because there are 2 baby dolphins on display with their mothers in this tank! Merlins Dolphin Harbor: Odies Sea Lion Stadium, or Sea Lion Stadium, is another fine large amphitheater, this time shaded by steel poles with blue fabric awnings suspended between them. It is a steep theater, and unfortunately the awnings angle downward and limit the view of the full stage height from the top rows, but it is a minor flaw and probably rare that those seats are needed. The show pool is a long narrow one that curves around the entire front of the stage and has 6 underwater viewing windows in the center. The stage is flat, and backed by a tall flat backdrop with a storm and fire mural fronted by props of a pirate ship and flag and oversized compass and treasure chests. It is not an especially attractive stage set, but appropriate for the story-driven show called Pinnipeds of the Caribbean. It features both harbor seals and California sea lions in a mildly comic presentation that is inferior to SeaWorld Orlandos similarly-themed show and stageset. However, I do not recall ever seeing harbor seals performing extensive trained behaviors as they do here. Once a day, visitors can pose for pictures with a sea lion at the entrance to the stadium. Ocean Discovery is a cluster of 4 exhibits which seems to be a rebranding of a few older ones with a few newer ones, set in a mildly themed area punctuated by small Dutch Caribbean buildings for food and gifts and a backdrop. Seal Cove is clearly an older exhibit, and is an average habitat with rocky outcrops and a simulated beach for harbor seal and California sea lion. The back of the habitat features a flat wall of poorly-executed one-dimensional facades of Caribbean buildings. The viewing area is mostly on one side, a curved raised concrete wall and platform with a small kiosk for selling fish to throw in the pool. A staffmember uses a microphone to announce facts about the pinnipeds, but mostly uses it to hawk fish. Penguin Passage is a new but rather weak outdoor habitat for African penguin. It is a narrow long exhibit, backed by a detailed simulated rockwork wall with some small caves and ledges. A shallow pool runs most of the length, with an underwater viewing window in the deepest end. The other views are through glass railings along the front next to the pool and its land area that runs along the backwall. The land area looks completely unnatural, composed of round cobbles set in concrete; the addition of a few fake palms rising out of this paving is ridiculous. A staffmember uses a microphone to announce facts about the penguins, but is primarily there to keep visitors from reaching over the railings to pet them. Stingray Bay is an average touchpool sheltered by an awning, filled with about 10 rays. The pool varies in depth and its walls are a combination of simple curving forms interrupted by rocky outcrops, giving the inhabitants places to avoid contact. A staffmember uses a microphone to announce facts about the rays, and a short feeding presentation once a day as well, but I am not sure whether staff or visitors do the feeding. Dolphin Encounter is a large long irregularly-shaped pool for bottlenose dolphin which visitors can nearly encircle. It has low concrete walls interrupted by rocky outcrops, and one small lowered section with an underwater viewing window. It seems too shallow. I saw 3 dolphins inside, so they are not crowded. A staffmember uses a microphone to announce facts about the dolphins, and prohibits visitors from reaching over and touching them, an easy temptation due to the low walls and shallow shelf area where one was resting inches away. However, there are 3 short feeding sessions each day where purchasers are allowed to touch. In addition, the park has an expensive extra-fee program called Dolphin Discovery, for in-water contact. I am not sure where it is held, but the map shows a nearby backstage area with 4 round pools, so it is probably out-of-view for regular visitors. Jockos Walrus Experience, or Walrus Experience, is a nice 160,000 gallon pool and habitat for 3 Pacific Walrus. The pool itself is surrounded on 3 sides by modern concrete walls and viewing areas, while the back wall and land area are detailed simulated rockwork. One side features a lower viewing area of a long underwater window, while the other 2 sides are raised above the water level; one of these is another long viewing window sheltered by awnings, while the other is composed of 4 bubble windows set in the concrete wall. In the middle of the pool is a floating simulated iceberg that sways in the water. Once a day, a training session is presented with keepers inside the exhibit land area, while visitors remain outside it. The entire habitat is covered by a high mesh canopy, a common feature of many walrus exhibits to deter gulls. Jockos Walrus Experience: Shark Experience, or Sharks, is housed within an attractive modern building with angled walls and rooflines. The entry hall is a twisting dark one with blacklights that illuminate life-size silhouettes of various shark species as visitor eyes get accustomed to the dark. A clear tunnel with a moving walkway is entered for an introduction to the 300,000 gallon main tank. The habitat has fairly detailed reef walls close to one side of the tunnel, while the other side looks past simulated reef and corals to a dimly lit large expanse that nearly disappears. After the tunnel, several floor-to-ceiling windows in a roomier viewing area provide time to enjoy the considerable activity in the habitat, which is signed with these species: blacktip reef shark, nurse shark, sandbar shark, zebra shark, smalltooth sawfish, spotted wobbegong, and Southern stingray. In addition, there are 23 other species of smaller fish signed, but the backlit graphics are old enough to make me believe they are outdated. This viewing area also has life-sized silhouettes of various shark species on its modern back wall, and this hall leads to a tall room with several displays about sharks and a single round column tank with some small unidentified tropical fish. Hanging from the ceiling are several life-sized models of sharks as well. Although the facility is showing its age, it is still a nice one with a clean educational presentation. Back outside, a courtyard has two more exhibits. Blue Hole is simply a nook with a view into a concave floor-to-ceiling window; it views a small habitat for small fish that has a few windows set in its rocky back wall that separate it from the main shark habitat seen inside. An occasional shark suddenly swimming past the small far window can be rather startling! Shark Shallows is a medium open-top habitat shaded by a steel structure, viewed from the front through several underwater windows or over the chest-high concrete and rockwork walls around its perimeter. It is unsigned, and sparsely filled with leopard and bamboo sharks and sturgeon and a few other fish. I overheard a visitor saying that it used to be a tidepool exhibit. My descriptions of the animal attractions in the Land category begin with one that the website says is in the Sky category, but the park map contradicts it. It is Butterfly, an extensive habitat within a modern glazed greenhouse that is lushly planted and experienced along a narrow winding trail. Believe it or not, it is one of the most active and populated walk-through butterfly flight enclosures I have seen and is a comparative highlight of the animal exhibits at the park. It is augmented by a rocky waterfall and koi pond at one end, and another smaller pond that was empty when I visited; whatever was in there had signs warning visitors that they bite! Outside, the trail continues through a small garden landscaped to attract local butterflies and interpreted with plenty of signs. Alligator Isle is an average open habitat surrounded on 3 sides by railing viewing areas that look down at the pond and grassy sloped areas, lined with flax. I spotted 3 American alligators inside. It would be a pleasant habitat if it were not crowded by thrill rides. The far side has a swing ride that partially rises above the habitat, while another side is towered over by the loops of a rollercoaster whose steel supports meet concrete foundations within the enclosure. All the screaming does not help either. The flamingo exhibit (unidentified species) is a large scenic pond with two small islands from which large palms rise. It is viewed from one side, while the backdrop is a slope planted with a detailed palette of bunchgrasses. It would be a pleasant habitat if it were not crowded by thrill rides. One side of it has a platform ride that partially rises over the habitat, while the back side has a towering extreme swing ride that launches riders in a trajectory over the enclosure. Like the alligators, these inhabitants are made to suffer the assults of excited voices and rumbling machines. Birds in Flight Theater, or Bird Theater, is a medium-sized open-air amphitheater with a simple stage and backdrop for a show called Birds of the World. It focuses on parrots and raptors, and is a straightforward presentation. Odins Temple of the Tiger is the newest animal facility at the park. A wide set of rustic stone stairs ascends a slope up to a small temple-themed archway that leads to a large semi-circular amphitheater whose seating areas are shaded by fabric awnings. (If there is one thing this park does not skimp on, it is the permanent and well-organized theaters for its many shows.) The slope around the amphitheater is planted with stately Italian cypresses, a prime example of the landscape not matching the theme. However, the stage inside has a scenic temple-themed backdrop. About half of the stage floor is paved, and it slopes down toward the audience into a large pool that becomes about 5 feet deep on its outer edge. The outer edge features tall clear panels that provide underwater views as well as abovewater views and contain the tigers. The show presented here features several of the 12 Siberian and Bengal and white Bengal tigers that the park is known for, 5 of whom are trained to dive for meatballs thrown into the water! The show also highlights running, jumping, and partial climbing behaviors, and the trainers are inside the enclosed stage area with the cats. It is a straightforward presentation and a rather unique show. Some of the tigers do not participate, and there are 2 adjoining exhibits for them just outside of the theater. These habitats are grassy slopes with a few rocky outcrops, one with a stepping water cascade. Both are contained within tall chainlink and are small and basic. A long visible fenced chute connects them to the backstage cages behind the theater stage. Both are viewed from a small temple-themed shelter through very cloudy windows considering their age. Had the park spent more lavishly, these exhibits could have been a showpiece rather than the clumsy assemblage seen here. The show amphitheater in Odins Temple of the Tiger: Tiger Island is the former home of the tiger show, and is separate from the newer facility. Used as a tiger exhibit now, it is a better habitat than the two newer ones. The viewing area is not an amphitheater, but rather a large long sloped standing area that faces the front of the enclosure. While it is shaded by an awning, the grassy flat habitat behind mesh is not, and it is lined with trees. There is a large shallow pool in front, with underwater windows as well, although the inhabitants probably do not use it. Lions Lair is a simple and average-sized chainlink-enclosed habitat for African lion, dominated by a wide rockpile mound that is good for sleeping but constricts much of the space for running. It is partially shaded by surrounding trees, mostly eucalyptus. Wood railings set back from the perimeter on 2 sides constitute the viewing area of this uninspiring enclosure. The cheetah exhibit next to Lions Lair is even worse, an average flat yard with a big branch in the middle, surrounded by an odd assembly of chainlink and wood fences and viewed from one side. Cougar Rocks may have a nice sign, but the average caged enclosure for the mountain lions is another study in chainlink, this time with overhead containment as well. At least there are vines growing up and over some of its surfaces to provide shade and shelter. Inside are a few small rockpiles and branches. Yawn. Nairobis Giraffe Encounter, or Giraffe Encounter, or Giraffe (which source do you believe? Or should we go with my new name for it, Adventures with the Giraffes of the World as they Experience the Temple of Nairobi, because these names are just semantics at this point, right?) is a large flat yard contained within steelpole-and-cable fencing. It is on the edge of the lake, separated from it by a stand of eucalyptus with gaps for views outward. The long viewing area is slightly raised above the exhibit, and there is a wood deck and shelter that extends a little further out to reach the inhabitants (I saw 4) for twice-daily short feeding sessions. It is an average habitat and benefits from being a little more distant from the rides than many others. Nairobis Giraffe Encounter: Elephant Encounter is a complex consisting of an exhibit, a ride path, and two small show areas for elephants (I saw 1 African and 3 Asian). There were no rides being offered when I visited; the area provided for them is a raised shelter for boarding and a tree-lined short loop path, as well as a small shower area for a washing demonstration. The exhibit itself is an average dusty yard, mostly contained with heavy steel bars and the plain barn; there is also a shade structure in the back, and a deep rocky pool for swimming in the front, close to the viewing area. I did not see Tavas Elephant Encounter, the show held twice daily that showcases the elephants. I do not know if it takes place in the small semi-circular amphitheater next to the exhibit or the long narrow yard attached to it. The yard is contained in a low railing and has a log crib for stacking timber and a shallow pool. The amphitheater has a simple round concrete stage with only a short curb and step separating it from the audience. Both viewing areas are shaded with many thatched-roof umbrellas, and feature wood seating and other rustic wood elements similar to the San Diego Wild Animal Park and its Nairobi Village aesthetic. Pool in elephant exhibit in Elephant Encounter: Animal Care Veterinary Clinic is a small building with a sheltered porch for viewing a vet lab and small enclosures behind glass. Currently, these house Virginia opossum, flying fox, two-toed sloth, and African bushbaby in understandably ramshackle small habitats. Tavas Jungleland is a really poor mixed bag of animal exhibits interspersed with childrens rides. The gateway to this chaotic area composed of mismatched elements is formed by two tall octagonal aviary columns with thatched peaks. They are unsigned, but one contains a species of cockatoo, the other a species of parrot. Lorikeet Aviary is an especially unattractive walk-through one, surprisingly open for only a half hour each day for feeding. It has a flat wood plank floor, a few potted plants, a few perches and branches, and is shaded by some low blue awnings. Small wire cages for fennec, North American porcupine, and white-nosed coati are classic examples of poorly sited, poorly detailed, poorly furnished exhibits scattered around. There is also a small yard for dromedary and bactrian camels mixed together, enclosed in heavy steelpole fencing. It has a few shelters and can be divided into two even smaller boring paddocks. Reptile Discovery is an octagonal shelter, partially open-air; it has a small fenced open yard on each side, unsigned and apparantly empty. Inside, along two walls, are 8 small wall terrariums, with 2 empty, 1 with gila monster, and the others unsigned. The only thing most visitors discover here is that the park does not have the budget for signs. Yet another outdoor amphitheater is entered from here, the Wildlife Theater, with a show called Animal Mythcrushers that I did not see but apparently features various smaller animals. Clearly, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is a disappointment for zoo fans but a powerhouse for animal show fans. I think it offers more animal shows and presentations than any other park or zoo I have visited, and a visitor would have to be a great planner to see all of them in one day. Certainly, none of its exhibits make my top lists. I rank it at number 50 of the 56 zoo facilities I have visited, and number 27 of the 44 aquarium facilities I have visited. In a curious twist of possible animal welfare, the park is only open daily in the late spring and summer, and on weekends for much of the rest of the year if at all. If animals that are stressed by crowds are kept here, chances are that they actually gain peace and quiet for much of the year as opposed to many zoos that are open everyday. General adult admission is $49.99, overpriced by at least $25 for zoo fans who only want to see the animal exhibits and shows but difficult to assess for those who like thrill rides too. So far this year, adults pay the childrens price of $31.99, so major discounts are frequent here. After all, Six Flags needs butts in seats if they are to recover from their recent bankruptcy! I have posted additional pictures in the gallery.
Thank you, I could read your reviews all day. They seem to cover everything in the zoos and I know I'm not going to go to America anytime in the near future so it's nice to read such complete reviews.
I think these have to be the most boring names for exhibits I have ever heard. Judging from your descriptions, the exhibits fit that theme - they're just as boring as the names are. I guess if you're really into animal shows this would be one of the top places to see but if not there really isn't any point in going at all especially if you're only there to see the animal exhibits. Actually the only place I've really spent time watching animal shows was at Parrot Jungle Island in Miami, because if the price to get in is $29 per person then I want to do as much as I can while I'm there. I hardly ever watch animal shows at most zoos though, because they're all basically the same.
I have seen some amazing photos of Odin the white tiger underwater. In your opinion, is it easy to get photos like that from the stands (assuming you are in or near the front row)? Or were those just press photos for photographers who get to go past the rope and right up to the glass?
Much thanks - something I would really like to do someday. I toyed with the idea of shooting out there for Labor Day, but not really wise since I am leaving a week later for Europe and don't want to have to skip meals because I blew my wad in Frisco.
Good day, all, Another outstanding and detailed review, one which actually provided me a strong feeling of vindication. Why? Easy. The vast majority of your observations parallel my own. I feel compelled to add some additional commentary, based on 20+ years of being a 'regular' at the old park (long before Sick Flags borg'd it), both in its former Redwood City location and later in Vallejo. First and foremost: I think the reason the park seems so chaotic and disjointed now is because it was never intended, nor built, to support thrill rides or the 'carnival midway' atmosphere Sick Flags seems to favor, in the form of those multiple cheap shacks you mentioned and the presence of obnoxiously noisy midway-type games near the front entry. Prior to SF's takeover, the park was entirely zoological and oceanarium mix with the exception of the water ski show, a few picnic areas, and a children's play area. Much of the area currently occupied by thrill-rides (or support members for same) were once open grassy areas, often with trestle-style picnic benches, where one could simply stretch out or sit for a quiet few moments. I clearly recall seeing at least one person taking a nap in a shady spot on said grass. I retract my original comments about losing the fountain in the entry plaza. I had originally thought it had been removed, but it turns out I was looking at the wrong set of photos. I'm glad it's still there, but it used to be readily accessible instead of having that wall of flowers around it. Some other key differences: During Marine World's tenure, there was never a perimeter fence blocking access to the underwater viewing windows at the whale stadium. Between shows, the windows were readily accessible, period. Next: There used to be a small, but well-equipped 'petting zoo' on the park's upper north level, on the hill above the parrot/raptor show. This exhibit featured a number of common hoofstock, mostly goats, but also a very people-oriented llama (name of Fernando, if I recall). Long gone, unfortunately. Next: The cat exhibits used to be a lot bigger before the thrill-rides put such a demand on every square millimeter of available space. I'm sorry you had to witness them in their current state. They were far better before SF made their presence felt. Your description of the euphemistically-named 'Dolphin Encounter' pool was one I found sad, but hardly surprising. I visited the park shortly after they first opened this exhibit. At the time, you could indeed reach over and try to play with the dolphins. Unfortunately, it sounds like they changed that (probably in the name of selling more food-fish). Then again, it may have been just as well. It's awfully hard to relax when playing with a dolphin (as you should) when you've got some half-trained park employee watching your every move with an expression like a hungry raptor, apparently just waiting for you to make what they perceive as a mistake. Dolphin Discovery does indeed take place in the backstage pools, at the southeast end of the park. I believe the extent of the experience is sitting on a pool's inside ledge, water at about chest-level, with a trainer and a couple of dolphins. To the best of my knowledge, it is possible to view the sessions from the outside of the chain link fence. That, however, may have changed. My last visit to the place was in 2006. The former Marine World never had a walrus, nor penguins, nor alligators (that one must have gone in during the past few years), though they did have a nice short-clawed river otter exhibit. That's long gone as well. Geomorph, I have to say I admire your patience and tolerance. I certainly have not the slightest desire to make another visit. The memories of what we, as regulars, lost, compared with the mutated money-grubbing shallow-spirited horror the place has become, are just too painful. In fact, I still get a bit angry every time I see the place from Highway 80, driving down to the Bay Area for my annual electronics-scrounging trip. I will be happy to try and answer any questions other readers may have about the place, especially from those curious about it prior to its... mmm... 'modifications' (I'm being polite). Happy travels.
kc7gr, thank you for your recollections of this park in its better days! This was my first visit, despite living in the area for 9 years, so it was all new to me, so no patience was required...however, if I went back again I imagine my patience would be tested!
I had been to the old Redwood City location a couple of times around 1974 when I was a kid (fun and amazing experience to young eyes) and wanted to visit the new site in Vallejo when I had learned of the ASC otters being there. Pat Foster-Turley (Otter expert) had connections there for some time when it was still known as "Marine World", so that was an additional positive draw for me. But alas, I am sad of the turn the place had become. Thank you for the detailed report. Wish it (the 'new' park) was more promising enough for the price of admission and less thrill-ride oriented. I guess I'll pass stopping in if I were to make a return trip to the bay area.
Otter pop, Since my visit and review I have not returned, the major changes that come to mind since then are that the orca and elephants have been sent to other facilities.
I always wanted to visit while Shouka was still there because I wanted to also see Odins Temple of the Tiger. I've seen some great underwater pictures taken of the tigers. Shouka is now at Sea World California, which I won't visit anymore, but would still like to see the diving tigers at DK.
