Previously known as SeaWorld of California SeaWorld Adventure Park | |
Location | 500 Sea World Drive, San Diego, California, United States |
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Coordinates | 32°45′57″N 117°13′38″W / 32.765751°N 117.227275°W |
Status | Operating |
Opened | March 21, 1964 |
Owner | SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment |
Operated by | SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment |
General manager | Jim Lake |
Theme | Ocean Adventure and Exploration |
Slogan | Real. Amazing. |
Operating season | Year Round |
Attendance | 4.311 million (2013)[1] |
Area | 189 acres (76 ha)[2] |
Attractions | |
Total | 16 |
Roller coasters | 5 |
Water rides | 2 |
Website | 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.
SeaWorld San Diego is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).[3] 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.[4]
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 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. It hosted more than 400,000 visitors in its first year of operation.[5]
SeaWorld was privately held before going public in 1968, which allowed 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.[5] 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.[2]
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 560 miles (900 km) of the city limits.[2]
Many of SeaWorld's shows are seasonal and may change based on the time of year.
The Bayside Skyride is a gondola ride that first opened in 1967, and travels along a stretch of wire over Mission Bay. The ride features the longest span between towers of any Von Roll Skyride ever built at 925 feet (282 m). Previously an upcharge attraction, it has been free for all guests to experience since July 2011.[6]
Ocean Explorer, designed for children, launched on May 27, 2017. It comprises four attractions: Aqua Scout, offering rides in miniature submarines, Octarock, a swinging experience, Sea Dragon Drop, a scaled-down drop tower, and Tentacle Twirl, a wave swing ride with a jellyfish theme. Additionally, this area features a 45-minute orchestral soundtrack composed by 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.[7][8][9] When the park re-opened on April 13, 2021, demolition of the ride track and show buildings began, leaving the animal enclosures intact.[10]
Riptide Rescue is a Huss Airboat ride, and is aimed squarely at families. The ride features 12 gondolas themed as rescue boats, which can carry 2 passengers each. The gondolas swing around a central arm, and feature an open-top design.[11]
Rescue Jr. is an interactive children's play area. The area originally opened in 2008 as Sesame Street's Bay of Play,[12][13] which closed in April 2023 to make way for the re-theme and refurbishment of the area.[citation needed] 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.[14]
Main article: 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 is a 320-foot (98 m) Gyro tower that was built in 1968 by Sansei Yusoki.[15] 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 (1.02 rpm).
Tentacle Twirl is a Wave Swinger built by German manufacturer Zierer, Opened on May 31, 2017.[16][17]
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 high speed of 40 miles per hour (64 km/h), and has a track length of 2,800 feet (850 m). In addition, the ride's straddle seating imitates the feeling of riding a snowmobile.[18][19]
Main article: Electric Eel (roller coaster) |
Opened on May 10, 2018, Electric Eel is a Sky Rocket II model by Premier Rides. Electric Eel stands at 150 feet (46 m) tall, with a track length of 853 feet (260 m) and speeds of up to 62 miles per hour (100 km/h).
Main article: Journey to Atlantis |
Journey to Atlantis is a Mack Rides water coaster that was built in 2004. The ride stands at a height of 95 feet (29 m) and contains three drops and an elevator lift. In addition, the ride hits a max speed of 42 miles per hour (68 km/h).
Main article: Emperor (roller coaster) |
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 2,500 feet (760 m) of track, an Immelmann loop that stands at a height of 143 feet (44 m) and has a 90 degree drop that reaches speeds of over 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). The ride opened on March 12, 2022.[20]
Main article: Manta (SeaWorld San Diego) |
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 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, 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, drops and crossovers.[21][22]
Tidal Twister was a Skywarp Horizon model by Skyline Attractions. Tidal Twister was the first Skywarp Horizon and was the second coaster manufactured by Skyline. The ride reached a top speed of 30 miles per hour (48 km/h), with a height of 22 feet (6.7 m) and a track length of 320 feet (98 m). The ride was opened on May 24, 2019.[23][24] In late July 2023, the ride was permanently shut down and was removed a few months later.[25][26]
SeaWorld San Diego has 19 aquariums. Each aquarium houses different types of aquatic animals, both fresh and saltwater.
This aquarium is home to marine animals including Moray eels, Octopuses, and Japanese spider crabs.
Located adjacent to Journey to Atlantis, this aquarium contains rays and fishes.
Opened on March 21, 2014, Explorer's Reef is an attraction that contains animal attractions and structures.[27] 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.
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.
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.[28]
SeaWorld's Wild Arctic is home to various species of cold water animals, including beluga whales, a walrus, and sea otters.
SeaWorld San Diego houses California sea lions in both its Sea Lion Point exhibit, as well as Sea Lion & Otter Amphitheater.
2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4,000,000[29] | 4,000,000[29] | — | 4,260,000[29] | 4,260,000[29] | 4,147,000[30] | 4,200,000[31] | 3,800,000[32] | 4,294,000[32] | 4,444,000[1] |
2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
4,311,000[1] | 3,794,000[33] | 3,528,000[34] | 3,528,000[35] | 3,100,000[36] | — | — | — | 2,800,000[37] | 3,510,000[37] |
Main article: Aquatica 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.[2][38][39] The park is located approximately 23 mi (37 km) 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.[40]