SeaWorld San Diego

SeaWorld San Diego is a theme park located in Mission Bay Park, San Diego, California, United States. Owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, the park is an animal-focused marine mammal park, oceanarium, marine animal rehabilitation center, and aquarium with both indoor and outdoor aquatic exhibits. The park's shared waters of Mission Bay connect directly to the Pacific Ocean, and it is this location which enables the rescuing, rehabilitating and re-releasing of injured, orphaned or stranded marine animals.
SeaWorld San Diego is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Adjacent to the property is the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, which conducts marine biology research, provides educational and outreach programs on marine issues to the general public, and provides information on the park's animal exhibits.
History
SeaWorld is located on San Diego's Mission Bay. 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 shifted into a 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. It hosted more than 400,000 visitors in its first year of operation.
SeaWorld began as a private partnership before going public in 1968, allowing it to expand and open new 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. The partnership later sold SeaWorld Ohio to Six Flags in January 2001. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich owned the parks between 1976 and 1989, when Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. purchased them. After InBev acquired Anheuser-Busch, it sold SeaWorld San Diego and the rest of the company's theme parks to the Blackstone Group in December 2009, which operates the park through its SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment division.
The land is currently leased by SeaWorld from the City of San Diego, with the lease set to expire in 2048. The premises must be used as a marine mammal park, and no other marine mammal park may be operated by SeaWorld within of the city limits.
The park was closed between March 16, 2020, and April 12, 2021, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and two stay-at-home orders issued by California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Attractions
Shows
Many of SeaWorld's shows are seasonal and may change based on the time of year.
Orca Encounter: a live show highlighting the park's killer whales and various aspects of their lives, biology and adaptations. Post-2015, the show focuses less on physically demanding (for the orcas) entertainment and more on showcasing the animals themselves. The show is an opportunity to teach the audience more about orcas without the use of “circus tricks” and over-stressing the animals.
Dolphin Adventures: guests can meet the whale & dolphin family and learn what inspires their keepers. The name change simply came after the remodeling of the stage. It is still the same format as Dolphin Days.
Sea Lion and Otter Spotlight: a new educational presentation that replaces “Sea Lions Live”, featuring California sea lions and Asian small-clawed otters.
Rides
Bayside Skyride
Bayside Skyride is a Von Roll type 101 gondola ride located in the northwest corner of the park behind the Bayside Amphitheater. It travels over the waters of west Mission Bay-Perez Cove for a 6-minute ride on two towers, making a U-turn on the opposite side before returning, completing a full loop. Bayside Skyride has the longest span between towers out of any Von Roll Skyride ever built. From its opening in 1967 to 1988, the Skyride was known as the SeaWorld Atlantis Skyride, transporting riders to the SeaWorld Atlantis Restaurant, which was formerly located on the opposite end of the ride across the lagoon. After the restaurant closed, the ride remained, but took riders on one full loop, passing through the second station instead of stopping. A similar attraction in San Diego is the Skyfari at the San Diego Zoo.
Ocean Explorer
Ocean Explorer is a children's realm that opened on May 27, 2017. The area includes four rides: Aqua Scout, a ride that bounces in mini submarines, Octarock, a swing that rocks back and forth, Sea Dragon Drop, a child-size drop tower and Tentacle Twirl, a jellyfish-themed wave swing ride. This addition also features an original 45 minute orchestral soundtrack by composer Rick McKee.
The realm originally featured Submarine Quest, an outdoor people mover-like ride with indoor segments, themed around deep sea exploration. The ride cars featured a touchscreen dashboard that contained minigames and interactions during the ride. Amid negative reviews, the ride only began to operate intermittently after the summer season, and quietly closed indefinitely in 2018 with little fanfare. SeaWorld staff initially indicated that Submarine Quest had been temporarily closed for maintenance, but by May 2018 references to the ride had been removed from SeaWorld's maps and website. When the park re-opened on April 13, 2021, demolition of the ride track and show buildings began, leaving the animal enclosures intact.
Riptide Rescue
Located outside Turtle Reef, Riptide Rescue is a spinning flat ride, with the vehicles being themed to SeaWorld's rescue boats.
Rescue Jr.
Rescue Jr. is an interactive children's play area. The area originally opened in 2008 as Sesame Street's Bay of Play, which closed in April 2023 to make way for the re-theme and refurbishment of the area. The rethemed area is represented by concept art available on SeaWorld San Diego's website, and is themed to Sea Rescue and aquatic sea-life. It includes three rides: Tidepool Twist, a spinning teacup attraction, Rescue Riders, an attraction in the style of Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and Rescue Rafter, a raft themed Tug Boat ride. The area also includes interactive play areas and visual theming.
Shipwreck Rapids
Shipwreck Rapids is an Intamin river rapids ride themed as a shipwreck on a deserted island. In one section, riders pass by a sea turtle exhibit. There is also a section where riders go underneath a waterfall into a cavern.
Skytower
Skytower is a Gyro tower that was built in 1968 by Sansei Yusoki. 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 while spinning slowly (1.02 rpm).
Tentacle Twirl
Tentacle Twirl is a Wave Swinger built by German manufacturer Zierer, Opened on May 31, 2017.
Roller coasters
Arctic Rescue
Arctic Rescue is a Intamin launched coaster with straddle seating that opened on June 2, 2023. This family coaster features arctic theming and is the fastest and longest straddle roller coaster on the west coast of the United States. This new attraction replaced the Wild Arctic simulator ride, which closed on January 11, 2020. Arctic Rescue has 3 launches, reaching a top speed of , and has a track length of . In addition, the ride's straddle seating imitates the feeling of riding a snowmobile.
Electric Eel
Opened on May 10, 2018, Electric Eel is a Sky Rocket II model by Premier Rides. Electric Eel stands at tall, with a track length of and speeds of up to .
Journey to Atlantis
Journey to Atlantis is a Mack Rides water coaster that was built in 2004. The ride stands at a height of and contains three drops and an elevator lift. In addition, the ride hits a max speed of .
Emperor
Emperor is a Dive Coaster manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard. With a height of 153 ft, Emperor is the tallest, fastest and longest Dive Coaster in California. The ride contains of track, an Immelmann loop that stands at a height of and has a 90 degree drop that reaches speeds of over . The ride opened on March 12, 2022.
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 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 the two-sided underground aquarium (for riders and nonriders) can be accessed downstairs or via the queue. Manta begins with a 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, long ride stands at a height of and features a drop of . The layout is characterized by multiple turns, drops and crossovers.
Tidal Twister
Tidal Twister is a Skywarp Horizon model by Skyline Attractions. Tidal Twister is the first Skywarp Horizon and is the second coaster manufactured by Skyline. The ride reaches a top speed of , with a height of and a track length of . The ride was opened on May 24, 2019. In late July of 2023, the ride was permanently shut down and it is now standing but not operating.
Animal exhibits
Aquariums
SeaWorld San Diego has 19 aquariums. Each aquarium houses different types of aquatic animals, both fresh and saltwater.
Ocean Explorer Aquarium
This aquarium is home to marine animals including Moray eels, Octopuses, and Japanese spider crabs.
Ray Aquarium
Located adjacent to Journey to Atlantis, this aquarium contains rays and fishes.
Explorer's Reef
Opened on March 21, 2014, Explorer's Reef is an attraction that contains animal attractions and structures. Featuring four different touch pools, Explorer's Reef gives guests the opportunity to interact with a variety of fishes, including 400 Brownbanded bamboo sharks and white-spotted bamboo sharks, and more than 4,000 Cleaner fishes and horseshoe crabs.
Dolphins
There are three species of dolphins at SeaWorld San Diego: common dolphin hybrid, Atlantic, and Pacific bottlenose dolphins. Pacific & Atlantic short-finned pilot whales also live at Dolphin Amphitheater. The parks dolphins rotate between the Dolphin Amphitheater, Dolphin Point, and Animal Care as their needs change.
Killer whales
SeaWorld's main attraction is its collection of killer whales, eight of which are housed in San Diego in a 7 million gallon habitat. Shamu was the name of the first killer whale brought to SeaWorld San Diego in 1965. "Shamu" is now used as the character name for the costume character at the park entrance. SeaWorld San Diego ended their theatrical Killer Whale shows in San Diego in January 2017. San Diego was the first of the three SeaWorld parks to premiere "Orca Encounter," an educational presentation that gives insight into various aspects of a killer whale's life.
Wild Arctic
SeaWorld's Wild Arctic is home to various species of cold water animals, including beluga whales, a walrus, and sea otters.
Seals & Sea Lions
SeaWorld San Diego houses California sea lions in both its Sea Lion Point exhibit, as well as Sea Lion & Otter Amphitheater.
Attendance
Sesame Place (San Diego)
SeaWorld Entertainment purchased one of the Cedar Fair-owned "Knott's Soak City" water parks in late 2012. In 2013, the water park was opened as Aquatica San Diego. The park is located approximately southeast of its sister SeaWorld park, in Chula Vista, California. The park features 26 slides. On October 21, 2019, SeaWorld Entertainment announced that Aquatica San Diego would be converted into Sesame Place, the first Sesame Place theme park on the West Coast. Aquatica San Diego closed its final season in September 2021, and was re-opened as Sesame Place San Diego, on March 26, 2022. The new park retained the water park attractions from Aquatica San Diego.
See also
Incidents at SeaWorld parks
References
External links
Buildings and structures in San Diego
Event venues established in 1964
Oceanaria in the United States
1964 establishments in California
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
Tourist attractions in San Diego
Zoos in California
Amusement parks in California
Landmarks in San Diego
Zoos established in 1964
Amusement parks opened in 1964