To commemorate the original SeaWorld's 50th birthday, the San Diego park today also unveiled its new entrance: a dramatic wave sculpture that sets the stage for a new interactive experience called Explorer's Reef.
Let's hear SeaWorld Parks Creative Director Brian Morrow explain the new entrance:
Once you "dive" under the wave and enter the park, you will find yourself surrounded by coral reef decor, with four touchpools inviting you to come get your hands wet and get close to some animals.
Including sharks,
And cleaner fish.
There's abundant detail in the new area,
and animal ambassadors get right into the action.
Take a moment to notice some of the education detail, too, such as this exhibit of shark eggs.
That's a little shark growing in there!
Before the grand opening, SeaWorld celebrated its birthday with a ceremony that included some special guests,
As well as remarks from CEO Jim Atchison.
Echoing previous remarks by SeaWorld's animal ambassador, Julie Scardina, Atchison lauded SeaWorld for rescuing more than 23,000 sick or wounded animals and returning them to the wild over the company's 50 years. Atchison also said that SeaWorld is needed to inspire visitors to work to protect the world's environment in an era of climate change and threatened habitats.
"We do the one thing animals cannot do, and that is to speak for them and tell their stories," Atchison said. "Our team members are the true animal advocates."
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The Georgia Aquarium is amazing, but it is waaay too crowded most of the time. The Georgia Aquarium actually seems to be shifting toward Seaworld's usage of shows. The G.A. has a large dolphin show and a 3d show. The aquarium is also subdivided into "lands." Despite this, Seaworld's use of better shows, well themed areas, and rides makes me enjoy visits to seaworld much more than visits to the G.A.
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I don't like the animal shows at Sea World, to be honest. They just don't interest my family. However, Sea World would be interesting to me if they had a giant tank like they do in Georgia with whale sharks and other large fish. That is just breahtaking. Look up videos on YouTube of the Georgia Aquarium. There is nothing like this at Sea World.
To me, this is the kind of thing they should focus on in the future. Move away from the animal shows and instead invest in jaw-dropping displays. Build the world's largest tank. Build one so big they could even keep a great white shark in it. Do something like that and I'd be interested in Sea World again.