SeaWorld San Diego recently broke ground on a multmillion-dollar attraction to take visitors on an exploration of Earth’s seven seas.
Ocean Explorer is scheduled to open in late spring 2017 on the southeast end of the theme park.
According to SeaWorld officials, the new park attraction will combine multiple aquariums, rides and digital technology aimed at providing guests with a sense of adventure while inspiring them to protect the oceans.
“I’m extremely excited about Ocean Explorer and I know our guests, of all ages, are going to love this fun, interactive and educational new area of the park,” said Marilyn Hannes, SeaWorld San Diego’s park president. “The opportunity to see and learn about some of the ocean’s most fascinating creatures, coupled with a mix of distinctive rides and activities, will give our visitors a meaningful experience only SeaWorld can create.”
At Ocean Explorer guests will have the opportunity to learn about:
• Mini submarines: the signature ride of the attraction, will turn visitors into researchers on a mission to collect data and learn how they can help animals during a three-minute experience including an onboard digital navigation dashboard.
• The heart and destination of Ocean Explorer will be a series of undersea research bases, or pods, housing specially-designed aquariums and interactive activities displaying unique as well as elusive ocean animals. Visitors will come eye-to-eye with: Giant Pacific octopuses, Japanese spider crabs (largest arthropod in the world) and Moray eels.
• Enriching educational displays, technologies and graphics will be key components of each pod.?In addition to the mini subs, Ocean Explorer will also feature: An exhilarating wave swinger ride with chairs suspended from the tentacles of a giant jelly; an Octopus swing ride; A Jump-around submarine ride; and a Bounce/drop ride.
“This newest, fully immersive attraction at SeaWorld San Diego is the next chapter in creating experiences that can create both wonder and curiosity for the oceans,” said Brian Morrow, SeaWorld Parks Entertainment’s vice president of theme park experience design. “Park guests will trek through sea-base stations, make special connections with incredible animals and discover how they too can take action to protect the oceans.”?”I can’t be more thrilled about Ocean Explorer,” said Mike Price, SeaWorld San Diego’s assistant curator of fishes. “We will give our visitors the chance to come eye-to- eye with amazing animals, some of which have never been seen at the park before. We will also give everyone a variety of different vantage points to view the animals by taking them around and inside these underwater habitats.”?SeaWorld Parks Entertainment is a leading theme park and entertainment company. It is one of the world’s foremost zoological organizations and a global leader in animal welfare, training, husbandry and veterinary care. The company collectively cares for what it believes is one of the largest zoological collections in the world and has helped lead advances in the care of animals. SeaWorld also rescues and rehabilitates marine and terrestrial animals that are ill, injured, orphaned or abandoned, with the goal of returning them to the wild. The SeaWorld rescue team has helped more than 28,000 animals in need over the last 50 years.
Over its more than 50-year history, the company has built a diversified portfolio of 12 destination and regional theme parks that are grouped in key markets across the United States, many of which showcase its one-of- a-kind zoological collection of more than 800 species of animals. The company’s theme parks feature a diverse array of rides, shows and other attractions with broad demographic appeal which deliver memorable experiences and a strong value proposition for its guests.
For more information, visit www.SeaWorldEntertainment.com.