SeaWorld San Diego

History

SeaWorld was founded on March 21, 1964 by four graduates of the University of California, Los Angeles. Although their original idea of an underwater restaurant was not feasible at the time, the idea was expanded into a 22-acre (8.9 ha) marine zoological park along the shore of Mission Bay in San Diego. After an investment of about $1.5 million, the park opened with 45 employees, several dolphins, sea lions, and two seawater aquariums, and hosted more than 400,000 visitors in its first year of operation.

Initially held as a private partnership, SeaWorld offered its stock publicly in 1968 enabling them to expand and open additional parks. The second SeaWorld location, SeaWorld Ohio, opened in 1970, followed by SeaWorld Orlando in 1973 and SeaWorld San Antonio (the largest of the parks) in 1988. SeaWorld Ohio was later sold to Six Flags in January 2001. The parks were owned and operated by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich between 1976 and 1989, when they were purchased by Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. After Anheuser-Busch was acquired by InBev, SeaWorld San Diego and the rest of the company's theme parks were sold to the Blackstone Group in December 2009, which operates the park through its SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment division.

SeaWorld currently leases the land from the City of San Diego with the lease expiring in 2048. The premises must be used as a marine mammal park, and no other marine park may be operated by SeaWorld within 560 miles of the City limits.

Attractions

As of December 31, 2012, there are 26 animal habitats, 10 rides, 20 shows, 2 play areas, 4 special limited-time events, and 11 "distinctive experiences" (including special experiences such as swimming with dolphins). Note that some of the shows may vary during dayparts or seasons, but are counted as separate shows.

In November 2015, Seaworld announced that it would be changing its signature killer whale shows, which historically have featured theatrical and acrobatic performances, by making them more of a nature show that concentrates on natural whale behavior. The new orca presentation is scheduled to be opened in 2017.

In 2017, there will be a new Orca Show (opening May 2017), a new night time experience (opening June 2017) and the park will add five new attractions, including Submarine Quest, a dark ride that takes you through the sea while inside a submarine. There will also be a Zierer Waveswinger themed to a jellyfish, and three other family friendly attractions (opening May 2017).

Shows

Seasonal Shows

Bayside Skyride

Bayside Skyride is a 1967 VonRoll type 101 gondola ride located in the northwest corner of the park near the "Cirque Electrique" show. It travels over part of Mission Bay for a 6-minute ride on two 80-foot (24 m) towers, and lands on the other side before returning for a full loop. The Sea World Skyride has the longest span between towers out of any VonRoll Skyride ever built—925 feet (282 m). From 1967 to 1988, the Skyride was known as the Sea World Atlantis Skyride, and took riders to the Sea World Atlantis Restaurant which was located on the opposite end of the ride across the lagoon. After the restaurant closed, the ride remained, but took riders on a full loop, passing through the second station instead of stopping.

Journey to Atlantis

Journey to Atlantis is a joint flume and rollercoaster. The boat leaves the station and climbs the first lift hill, once at the top of the lift the boat takes a small decline to pick up a little speed and then travels around a right-hand turn that leads to the first tower building. The boat then enters the tower and plunges down a flume drop into a small man-made lake of water below.

During the next section of ride the boat slowly travels along a flume of water, makes a left-hand turnaround and approaches the second tower. Speakers placed along the side of the flume reveal the story behind Atlantis. The second tower contains a brief flood before entering a duel-elevator style lift that can lift two boats at a time. In the elevator " a projection of Commerson's dolphins is shown, then a humpback whale which comes in and "causes" the elevator to rise. The boat slowly rocks side-to-side as it climbs to the top. Inside the tower there is more Atlantis style theme and spiel.

Once at the top of the lift the boat leaves the tower and comes to a sign warning the rider to hold on and prepare for the sudden slow-down at the end of the drop. The boat then travels down a right-hand twisting drop that turns about 270 degrees, then rises back up onto a flat section of track containing some block brakes. From here the boat descends down another drop that banks to the right, and then climbs up slightly and makes a banked left-hand turn before descending down a small drop into another pool of water. The boat then slowly travels along a flume of water before making a left-hand turnaround and then heading back towards the station.

At the exit of the ride is a large aquarium home to cownose rays, spotted eagle rays, southern stingrays, and leopard sharks.

Dolphin Point

(Formerly Known as "Rocky Point Preserve") The park's popular bottlenose dolphins are on exhibit here in a multi-pool complex where guests have free access to pet the dolphins. Guests can also interact with the dolphins during scheduled presentations hosted by trainers that give them the opportunity to touch and give training signals to the dolphins. The Dolphin Encounter and Dolphin Interaction Program also take place at this exhibit. Adjacent to Dolphin Point is Otter Outlook, home to the park's California sea otters.

SeaWorld Sky Tower

The Sky Tower is a 320-foot (98 m) Gyro tower that was built in 1969 designed by Intamin. The ride was refurbished in 2007 with a new capsule. The ride gives passengers a six-minute view of SeaWorld and San Diego. It rises at a rate of 150 feet per minute (46 m/min) while spinning slowly (1.02rpm).

Sesame Street's Bay of Play

Sesame Street's Bay of Play is an interactive children's play area that opened in 2008 and is based on the long running Sesame Street children's television series. The area includes three rides: Abby's Seastar Spin, a spinning "teacup" attraction, Elmo's Flying Fish, an attraction in the style of Dumbo the Flying Elephant", and Oscar's Rockin' Eel, an eel themed "Tug Boat" ride.

Shipwreck Rapids

Shipwreck Rapids is a river rapids ride themed to a shipwreck on a deserted island. At one point riders pass by a sea turtle exhibit. There is also a point where riders go underneath a waterfall into an underground cavern and get extremely wet.

Turtle Reef

Turtle Reef is an attraction housing over 60 sea turtles in an aquarium with a variety of fish and other creatures.

Wild Arctic

Wild Arctic is a simulator ride through the Arctic set in a giant helicopter. It features both a simulator or the option to go straight to the exhibits of the wild arctic. After the ride, guests can view animals of the Arctic from both underwater and above. The first exhibit features three adult beluga whales and two adolescent beluga whales. The second exhibit features two female polar bears. The third exhibit features one female and one male pacific walrus.. When guests continue on, they will be able to view the polar bears and beluga whales from underwater.

Riptide Rescue

A spinning flat ride located at the exit of Turtle Reef themed after rescue rafts.

Manta

On May 26, 2012, SeaWorld San Diego opened a new mega-attraction called Manta, a Mack launched roller coaster featuring two launches LSM of up to 43 miles per hour (69 km/h) accompanied by a bat ray aquarium and touch pool. A shallow pool for touching bat rays, white sturgeons, and shovelnose guitarfish lies at the entrance of the attraction while two-sided underground aquarium (for riders and nonriders) can be accessed downstairs or via the queue. Manta begins with 270 degree projected media experience at the first launch. The train rocks forward and backward in synchronization with the projected film of a coral reef and school of rays. The two-minute, 2,800-foot (850 m) long ride stands at a height of 30 feet (9.1 m) and features a drop of 54 feet (16 m). The layout is characterized by multiple turns, short but sudden drops, and crossovers.

Former attractions

Explorer's Reef

Opened on March 21, 2014, Explorer's Reef is an attraction set to an underwater-themed area that contains animal attractions and structures. Featuring four different touch pools, Explorer's Reef gives guests the opportunity to interact with a variety of fish, including 400 brown-banded and white-spotted bamboo sharks, and more than 4,000 cleaner fish.

Dolphins

There are four species of dolphins at SeaWorld San Diego: common dolphin hybrid, both Atlantic and Pacific bottlenose dolphins and Pacific short-finned pilot whales. The bottlenose dolphins may rotate between Dolphin Stadium, Dolphin Point, and Animal Care. Commerson's dolphins were on exhibit for many years, but the remaining three were transferred to Aquatica Orlando in January 2016. There are two Pacific short-finned pilot whales that live at Dolphin Stadium.

Animal Care: Primo (M) and Rain (M).

Dolphin Point / Dolphin Interaction Program: Gracie (F), Crunch (M), Cometta (F), Dottie (F), Kolohe (F), Cascade (F), Razzle (M), Belle (M), Tobie (F), Ripley (F), Sadie (F), Bugs (F), Bodie (M), and Sarasota (F).

Dolphin Stadium (Dolphin Days): Sandy (F), Melanie (F), Steime (F), Beaker (F), Bullet* (F), Malibu (F), Daphne (F), Corona (F), Maggie (F), Zana (F), Venus (F), Captain (F), Cocoa (F), Kali (F), Koa (F), Avalon (F) Connie (F), and Lanikai (F).

Dolphin Stadium: Pacific short-finned pilot whales: Shadow (F) and Argo (M).

Ocean Explorer

As part of the new for 2017 Ocean Explorer park realm, several new animal habitats will open exhibiting species including Moray eels, Giant Pacific Octopi and Japanese Spider Crabs.

Killer whales

SeaWorld's main attraction are its killer whales, eleven of which are housed in a 7 million gallon habitat known as Shamu Stadium. Shamu was the name of the first killer whale brought to SeaWorld San Diego in 1965. "Shamu" is now used as a stage name for adult killer whales in performances at SeaWorld parks. Each killer whale has an individual name.

Eleven killer whales live at SeaWorld San Diego: Corky (F), Kasatka (F), Ulises (M), Orkid (F), Keet (M), Shouka (F), Nakai (M), Ikaika (M), Kalia (F), Makani (M) and Amaya (F). However, these are the last killer whales that will ever live at SeaWorld San Diego because of SeaWorld's newest announcement that they will end their killer whale breeding program.

Blue World Project

On August 15, 2014, SeaWorld announced the Blue World Project; a major renovation to all three of the SeaWorld parks' killer whale habitats. The project will begin with SeaWorld San Diego in 2015 and is scheduled to be completed sometime in 2018 with a cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The company has also pledged $10 million in matching funds for killer whale research. On May 13, 2015 SeaWorld announced to e-mail subscribers of their SeaWorldCares website that plans for the project were submitted to the California Coastal Commission in May 2015. As of March 17, 2016, SeaWorld has stated that they will not move forward with the Blue World Project. Instead, they will feature a new orca experience that will take place in a more natural setting. The new encounter will be focused on educating guests about the killer whales and will debut in 2017.

Pacific walruses

SeaWorld features walruses at Wild Arctic. The last successful walrus birth at SeaWorld San Diego was a male named Dozer (father: Illiyak and mother: Tumuk) on June 21, 1993 who was transferred to SeaWorld Orlando.

Wild Arctic: Chouchou (F) and Mitik (M).

Penguins

SeaWorld's Penguin Encounter exhibit features over 300 penguins representing seven different species: emperors, kings, gentoos, macaroni's, Adelies, Magellanics, and Humboldts. It is one of the few places in the world where emperor penguins are kept in captivity, including a successful captive breeding program. The penguins are not named and are identified by colored arm bands, with each color representing a number.

Beluga whales

Wild Arctic is home to five beluga whales. The park's belugas regularly participate in Beluga Interaction Programs.

Wild Arctic: Ferdinand (M), Allua (F), Klondike (M), Atla (F), and Pearl (F).

Polar bears

SeaWorld's Wild Arctic exhibit is currently home to two polar bears, Snowflake (F) and Szenja (F). Snowflake, born November 28, 1995 came from the Buffalo Zoo in New York. In the coming months, Snowflake will travel to the Pittsburgh Zoo on a breeding loan as part of an effort to increase the numbers of the endangered polar bear species.

Otters

SeaWorld houses two different species of otters: sea otters, who live at the Otter Outlook exhibit, and Asian small clawed river otters, who perform in the park's sea lion and otter shows and live in the park's Animal Connection exhibit.

Sea otters: Clover (F), Mocha (F), Coco (F), Sina (F), and Pumpkin (F).

River otters (Animal Connections): Buffy (F) and Zander (M).

River otters (Sea Lion Stadium): Willow (M), Min (F), Desi (M), Sun (F), Leo (M), Giselle (F) and Hana (F).

California sea lions

The park houses California sea lions at its sea lion show venue as well as its Pacific Point exhibit.

Sea Lion Stadium: Duke (M), Jorge (M), Harvey (M), Victor (M), Kiawe (M), Murdoch (M), Jay (M), Tank (M), Diesel (M), and Ozzy (M).

Aquatica

Just like SeaWorld in Orlando & San Antonio, SeaWorld San Diego also includes a water park called Aquatica. SeaWorld Entertainment purchased one of the Cedar Fair-owned "Knott's Soak City" water parks in late 2012. In 2013, the water park opened as Aquatica San Diego. The park is located approximately 22 mi (35 km) from its sister park, in Chula Vista, California