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SAN
DIEGO -- SeaWorld San Diego was on my family's list
of things to do on our vacation. This World of the Sea sits on
almost 200 acres with shows, animals, rides and dining throughout
the theme park.
The first
thing we did was the Sea Lion and Otter show at 2:45 p.m. There
they had stadium bench seating and believe me, every seat was
taken. The pre-show entertainment included the stage crew with
an umbrella dancing and singing to Fred Astaire's "Singing
in the Rain." They also played Olivia Newton John's "You're
The One That I Want." When Seamore, the sea lion, arrived
on set, he did several tricks on land and in the water. He held
a ball on his nose. Clyde competed against Seamore with the tricks.
Clyde did freestyle swimming. He didn't catch the ball, though.
Clyde just didn't listen to his commands. However, he finally
jumped into the water and balanced the ball on his nose. Who was
voted off the island? Biff, the announcer!
The Shark
Encounter was next. This was an indoor exhibit where sharks are
floating in the water. They claim sharks don't eat people very
often. They actually try to avoid you. You actually walk through
a pathway of rock on both sides, then on a walking escalator through
a glass tunnel. It was very interesting.
The Turtle
Reef exhibit contains sea turtles who swim in warm and temperate
seas. Only females venture onto the beaches to nest. This is another
indoor exhibit where the turtles float in the water. The black
sea turtles have their home in the Pacific Ocean from San Diego
to Peru. Their diets consist of seagrasses and seaweed.
Then,
we went to Dolphin Stadium. The show is called "Blue Horizons."
However, you should get there thirty minutes early, unless you
want to sit way up high. The first 12 rows are the wet zone. You
will get wet! The staff swam with the dolphins and danced around
in the water. One girl rode the dolphin across the water. Divers
dressed in colorful bird costumes jumped off the diving deck.
The dolphins jumped out of the water in pairs doing a flip and
double flip.
We finally
got to Shamu Stadium 30 minutes before showtime and we were in
the fourth row. Yes, that is the wet zone. The killer whales did
various tricks and flapped their tails with water flying into
the audience. We got soaked for sure! What a great show. The park
just announced the new tank expansion for the killer whales, which
will be completed in two years and I am excited to see it.
I also
went to see the Penguin Encounter. Penguins live only in earth's
southern hemisphere. Their seasons are opposite of ours. When
it's summer here, it's winter in Antarctica. I also saw alcids,
which are small seabirds and may resemble penguins but they live
no where near them. Alcids live in the northern hemisphere and
can fly.
The "Wild
Arctic" ride nearby is a daring flight simulator on a jet
helicopter that takes you on a journey through the chilly Arctic.
You are exposed to forces, speeds and other intense features.
At Sea
World San Diego, there is something for everyone. Also, when you
get hungry, there are plenty of restaurants to enjoy from stir
fry, crepes, fish tacos to pizza. I really enjoyed my visit there
and look forward to visiting again.
For
more information or to purchase tickets for SeaWorld San Diego,
visit www.seaworld.com.
SeaWorld San Diego is located at 500 Sea World Dr. San Diego,
CA 92109. Click
here for park hours and show schedules. Single day tickets
are $84 for adults, $84 for children (3-9). Discounts are offered
for tickets purchased online.
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