SeaWorld San Diego

SeaWorld San Diego is a theme park located in San Diego, California. The park is owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a division of The Blackstone Group

History
SeaWorld was founded in 1964 by four graduates of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). They had originally considered the idea of building an underwater restaurant. Although this idea was not technically feasible, the concept grew into the idea of a marine zoological park on 22 acres (89,000 m2) along the shore of Mission Bay in San Diego. With an initial investment of $1.5 million, 45 employees, several dolphins, sea lions, and two seawater aquariums, SeaWorld drew more than 400,000 visitors its first year.

In the earliest years, the park was held as a private partnership. In 1968, SeaWorld offered its stock publicly,enabling the company to grow. In 1970, a second SeaWorld park was built — in Aurora, Ohio, near Cleveland. It was followed by a park in Orlando, Florida in 1973, and the largest park, which opened in San Antonio, Texas in 1988. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. (HBJ), owned and operated SeaWorld from 1976 to 1989. Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. purchased the SeaWorld parks from HBJ in November 1989. After Anheuser-Busch was acquired by InBev, SeaWorld San Diego and the rest of the company's theme parks were sold to the Blackstone Group in December 2009, which operates the park through its SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment division.

Journey to Atlantis
The boat leaves the station and climbs the first lift hill, once at the top of the lift the boat takes a small decline to pick up a little speed and then travels around a right-hand turn that leads to the first tower building. The boat then enters the tower and plunges down a flume drop into a small man-made lake of water below.

During the next section of ride the boat slowly travels along a flume of water, makes a left-hand turnaround and approaches the second tower. Speakers placed along the side of the flume reveal the story behind Atlantis. The second tower contains a brief flood before entering a duel-elevator style lift. This contains two boats which are see through the "glass" (a projection) comersion dolphins, then a whale which comes in and "breaks" the "glass" and "causes" the elevator to rise. The boat slowly rocks side-to-side as it climbs to the top. Inside the tower there is more Atlantis style theming and spiel.

Once at the top of the lift the boat leaves the tower and comes to a sign warning you to hold on and prepare for the sudden slow-down at the end of the drop. The boat then travels down a right-hand twisting drop that turns about 270 degrees, then rises back up onto a flat section of track containing some block brakes. From here the boat descends down another drop that banks to the right, and then climbs up slightly and makes a banked left-hand turn before descending down a small drop into another pool of water. The boat then slowly travels along a flume of water before making a left-hand turnaround and then heading back towards the station.

Wild Arctic
Wild Arctic is a simulator ride through the Arcitc set in a giant helicopter. It features both a simulator or the option to go straight to the exhibits of the wild arctic. After the ride, guests can view animals of the Arctic from both underwater and above. The first exhibit features three beluga whales co-habitating with ringed seals. The second exhibit features a male and female pacific walrus. The third exhibit has two polar bears, and does not feature trainer performed feeding due to safety concerns.

Rocky Point Preserve
The popular bottlenose dolphins are on exhibit here in a pool where guests have free access to pet the dolphins. Guests can interact with the dolphins by purchasing fish to feed the animals. The Dolphin Encounter Program and Dolphin Interaction Program takes place at this exhibit.

Bayside Skyride
Bayside Skyride is a 1967 Vonroll type 101 that traveles over Mission bay, which is the only Vonroll skyride that goes over a body of salt water. It starts in the top-left corner of the map, and travles over a corner of Mission Bay on two poles and lands on the other side. Then an attendant has to push your gondala around to catch the wire to take you back to the other side. This ride provides a great view of the backstage of Cirque de la Mar.

Lights, Camera, Imagination 4-D!
Lights, Camera, Imagination 4-D! is a four-dimensional film experience for kids themed around Sesame Street, featuring Elmo and his friends. Effects "spill" into the audience, hence the title 4-D. Some effects include water-jets, rain, blasts of air, vibration, lights, and "rats".

Shipwreck Rapids
Shipwreck Rapids is a raft ride that ventures into the shipwrecks of the deep with twist and turns. At one point you even flow through a live-turtle exhibit. There is also a point where you get go underneath a waterfall and get extremely wet.

SeaWorld Sky Tower
The Sky Tower is a 320-foot (98 m) observation tower that was built in 1969. 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 ft. a minute while spinning slowly (1.02rpm).

Upcomings

 * Sega Park (opened in 2020)
 * Columbia Pictures Park (opened in 2021)
 * Cartoon Network Park (opened in 2023)
 * Lionsgate Park (opened in 2025)

Dolphins
There are two species of dolphins at SeaWorld San Diego. Both Atlantic/Pacific bottlenose dolphins and Commerson's dolphins. The Bottlenose dolphins may rotate between Blue Horizons, Rocky Point Preserve, and the Dolphin Interaction Program. The Commerson's dolphins live at an exhibit near Journey to Atlantis.

Commerson's Dolphins: Juan, Betsy, and Ringer.

Animal Care: Beaker, Belle, Bodine, Cali, Cocoa, Kenobi, Malibu, Pacino, Polka, Purina, Razzle, Sadie, Sadie's calf, Sparky, Sydney, Toby.

Rocky Point Reserve: Bugs, Captain, Cascade, Cometta, Crunch, Daphne, Deke, Dottie, Frankie, Gracie, Kolohe, Maguire, Ripley, Scarback, Steime, Zana.

Whale & Dolphin Theater: Bullet*, Corona, Melanie, Purina, Sandy, Sophie, Venus.

Bullet (F) is the only hybrid ( Atlantic Bottlenose / Long-Beaked Common ) at Sea World.

Orcas
SeaWorld's main attraction is its orcas, several of which are housed in 7 million gallon habitats that are each known as Shamu Stadium. Shamu was the name of the first orca brought to SeaWorld San Diego in the 1960s. "Shamu" is now used as a stage name for adult Orcas in performances at SeaWorld parks. The Orcas all have individual names.

Seven orcas live at SeaWorld San Diego: Corky, Kasatka, Ulises, Orkid, Sumar, Nakai, and Kalia

Pacific Walruses
SeaWorld features Walruses at both Sea Lion & Otter Stadium as well as wild Arctic. In 2004 SeaWorld successfully birthed a walrus, Kaboodle. This was their second live walrus birth since Takena in 1987.

Sea Lion & Otter Stadium: Seahook (F), Tessa (F), Kaboodle (F)

Wild Arctic: Kitkatska (F), Obie (M)

Penguins
SeaWorld's Penguin Encounter exhibit features over 300 penguins representing eight different species. It is only one of two places in the world where Emperor penguins are kept in captivity, including the only successful captive breeding program. The penguins are not named and are referred to by a three digit number.

Whales
SeaWorld San Diego has two species of toothed-whales:

Pacific short-finned pilot whales: Bubbles, Shadow and Sully, a young male that was rescued, but unable to be returned to the wild.

Beluga whales: Allula, Ferdinand, and Ruby.

Play area renovation
In 2007, SeaWorld San Diego began to renovate Shamu's Happy Harbor to add something completely new to the area for young children. “Sesame Street” Bay of Play was introduced as the new play area in place of Shamu's Happy Harbor. Sesame Street Bay of Play opened May 24th, 2008.