Sea-Arama Marineworld

Entrance to Sea-Arama Marineworld in May of 1970.

Sea-Arama Marineworld was a marine park located near the Galveston Seawall in Galveston, Texas. It opened in 1965 and closed in 1990. The facility kept killer whales from 1968 to 1974.

## Founding and Early History

The park opened in November of 1965 and quickly became one of the most popular attractions in the southwest United States.  It had several shows featuring water skiers, harbor seals, alligators, exotic birds, and dolphins. After a few years, the park started a large expansion project, adding new shows and updating exhibits.

## Display of Killer Whales

In 1968, Sea-Arama Marineworld purchased a male killer whale that had recently been captured in Washington for $40,000. After spending some time at a boat show in Ft. Worth, Texas, the whale was brought to Galveston on November 6th, 1968.  There was concern over how the whale, who was later named Mamuk, would react to the warm climate of Texas, significantly warmer than the temperatures in the Pacific northwest. Fortunately for the park, he seemed to do fine.

In August of 1970, the park acquired another killer whale, a young male named Lil' Nooka. He was immediately housed with Mamuk, and later began performing in shows with him. Soon, the two whales were performing up to five shows a day.   Lil' Nooka died seven months later and Mamuk died in 1974. The park never acquired another orca.

## Other Animals

Sea-Arama Marineworld kept dozens of other animals aside from killer whales. Bottlenose dolphins, seals, and sea lions all performed at the park and there were exhibits for alligators, tortoises, spoonbills, pelicans, river otters, and swans.  There were also large tanks that housed several species of fish and sharks. In 1968, several of those sharks were given to SeaWorld San Diego in exchange for a young pilot whale named Nemo.  In 1989, a pair of false killer whales were brought to the park from a dolphin hunt in Japan in an effort to revitalize the park.

### Incidents

Shortly after he arrived at Sea-Arama Marinworld, Nemo the pilot whale broke one of the windows in his tank, causing him to get sucked through the opening. He suffered lacerations, but recovered a few weeks later.

Ken Beggs, director of training at Sea-Arama Marineworld, claimed that Mamuk once attempted to bite him.

## Closure and Destruction

By the late 1980s, Sea-Arama Marineworld was in bad shape. The facilities were rusty, damaged by the nearby saltwater, and needed major renovations. The opening of SeaWorld San Antonio in May of 1988 put further pressure on the park. It closed in January of 1990, and all the remaining animals were sent to other facilities. For years, the remains of the park stood empty. There was talk of turning it into a marine research facility and aquarium, but nothing ever came of it. Later on, there were plans to build a greyhound racetrack on the property, but this also didn't happen. The ruins became a popular spot for local teenagers, leading to the facilities being covered in graffiti. Finally, all remaining structures of the park were destroyed in 2006 after being deemed a safety hazard. Two man-made lakes that were once a part of Sea-Arama Marineworld are all that remain of the park today.

## Galleries

**Photos** of Sea-Arama Marineworld

**Videos** of Sea-Arama Marineworld

Killer Whales Kept at Sea-Arama Marinworld from 1968 to 1974
 Lil' Nooka | Aug. 20, 1970

1. ↑ (1973) 'Sea-Arama Marineworld Becoming Top Attraction' *Abbeville Meridional,* 14 June, pg. 6
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 (1969) 'Sea-Arama Continues Expansion' *The Brazosport Facts,* 13 August, pg. 11
3. ↑ (1968) 'Live Whale Goes Flying' *Fairbanks Daily News-Miner,* 22 October, pg. 2
4. ↑ (1970) 'Killer Whale Arrives', *The Galveston Daily News,* 21 August, pg. 6
5. ↑ Pollard, Sanda. 'Puget Sound Whales for Sale'
6. ↑ 'Killer Whales (Orcas) that Died in Captivity by Date of Death'
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Hlavaty, Craig. 'Sea-Arama in Galveston Was an Island Attraction For Decades'
8. ↑ Greg, May. 'SeaArama MarineWorld Reunion Planned for June'
9. ↑ (1989) 'Pacific Whales Adjust to Galveston', *The Kerrville Times,* 4 April, pg. 6
10. ↑ (1969) 'Pilot Whale Nemo Still a Youngster', *The Galveston Daily News,* 23 February, pg. 197
11. ↑ Harrigan, Stephen. 'A Bad Day for Dolphins'