The Wonder That Is Sea World

{DISCLOSURE: My family and I were guests of SeaWorld San Diego and were given a VIP tour for one amazing day. All opinions that follow are my own.}

I had forgotten. Just over an hour’s drive from our home lies beautiful SeaWorld San Diego. 

It has been so many years since we’d taken our kids to SeaWorld that I had forgotten the beauty and the wonder that is available to us just a short drive south on the 5. (Yes. We truly do describe freeway travel like that in California, but that’s not important right now.) 

My family and I were invited to Sea World to come and experience the wonderful new changes they’re making and how could I say no? Especially because we were able to bring along our grandson, Sebastian (you may call him Bash). 

All I could think of was that SeaWorld was all about the “Shamu Show.”

My family doesn’t look the same as it used to. In another life, I had four kids of varying ages. From middle school down to a toddler in a stroller. The older ones would help watch the young ones. Of course, with the passing of times comes growth and change to families as well as to zoos and parks like SeaWorld. Last Saturday, Eric and I drove down with Amy and Sebastian. Jon had an audition (fingers crossed!) and met us down there a little later.

Let me just say for the record that I was so very wrong. SeaWorld is so much more than just “the Shamu Show.” In fact, last year they made an announcement that they were ending their orca breeding program. I stopped to consider what this might mean for my grandsons. Would this generation be the last to view these amazing animals up close? The answer is: not exactly.

SeaWorld has grown and changed, much like my own family. And seriously, they are so much more than just about the orcas. Of course, the wonder is there everywhere you turn.

SeaWorld Rescue and Rehabilitation

We began our tour behind the scenes at SeaWorld’s Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation area. This was another amazing world to see and these folks work around the clock. There are skilled veterinarians and staff rescuing and treating all kinds of local wildlife. We encountered a couple of rescued dolphins that were thriving in their care.

SeaWorld’s Animal Rescue and Rehab has the most amazing programs with access to scientific research and they provide award-winning education programs that include teaching about how and why they go about rescuing sea creatures. On our California coast, we see all kinds of animals that come up on our beaches. Some get into trouble if they’ve ingested a fishing hook or gotten themselves into a tangle of nets. Who do you call when that happens? That’s right. SeaWorld Rescue.

In the park itself, they’ve eliminated the use of plastic bags, polystyrene products and they continue to advance water conservation at all levels. Impressive.

I was surprised to find that they’ve rescued and released 17,000 animals and their fund has granted $14 million in support of projects around the world. When I said, “SeaWorld is more than the Shamu Show,” I wasn’t kidding.

Dolphin Days

I keep wanting to write, “one of the highlights of our day was…” but our entire day was highlight after highlight!

The dolphins. Guys. The dolphins! 

The dolphins are trained with great love and care. You’d be hard-pressed to find people more in love with their work and their charges as these trainers.

We got to meet the dolphin, Bullet, up close and personal. The trainer taught us how to give him visual commands to which he responded beautifully.

This is where I had a wondrous “Aha!” moment. Watching my grandson delight in the dolphins. Seeing him fearlessly reach out to pet Bullet.

Seeing this magnificent creature through his eyes. That’s where the magic of SeaWorld lies.

Full disclosure: I’m one of those people that get a little squeamish around large animals. However, I didn’t have this response to the dolphins at all. They were beautiful and friendly. Also, I draw the line at feeding them little raw fish, but that’s not important right now either.

I finally got much more comfortable during the end of our presentation and I may or may not have tried to give Bullet some Cuban commands, “Oye! Bullet! Ven pa’ca!” (Shut up. I know.)

The New Orca Encounter

Let’s talk Orcas, people.

This summer SeaWorld San Diego is rolling out it’s biggest new attraction line up in park history.

The Orca Encounter has replaced the old “Shamu Show” – now you can watch the whales behave like they do in the wild. They move, and hunt, and navigate very much in line with how they behave naturally. The “show” will be a new documentary-style presentation that will help visitors gain a deeper appreciation for orcas with a beautiful infinity video screen that will illustrate how the whales live in the wild.

A shift from previous shows, Orca Encounter will empower and encourage visitors to understand why it’s important to preserve these majestic animals. 

One of the highlights of our day (<— see?? I can’t help it. We experienced ALL the highlights!) was *drum roll please* Dining with Shamu and enjoying the All Day Orca Play. 

All Day Orca Play offers unprecedented access to these beautiful creatures. The program hosts a full day of events and activities, including encounters that introduce each whale and their personalities as well as live chats with orca behaviorists and educators.

If you’re so inclined, you can just sit in the stadium all day and watch the whales play. No waiting for “the show.” Their very presence is enough “show.”

We had the distinct pleasure of sitting and enjoying a wonderful lunch – thanks, SeaWorld! – as we watched the orcas show off their personalities.

I recommend this to anyone who is planning a trip to SeaWorld. You get to sit and dine and be amazed. Again, this was a moment when I made the decision that we would include this experience for our family on every future trip we take to SeaWorld.

Even though we were sitting behind a protective screen, the orcas swam and danced and played so close to us. It was absolutely breathtaking. Full disclosure: We were grateful for that protective screen more than once. Can you say, “Splash Zone?”

Again, as I watched Sebastian under the complete thrall of these majestic creatures, I felt nothing but gratitude that there was a place we could come and he could fall in love with these gentle giants in a safe and protected environment. This is exactly how the love affair starts.

SeaWorld as I said earlier, is so much more than “the Shamu Show.” After our visit, I have a much clearer picture of all the important work that they do.

Eric met with and interviewed Conor, one of the orca trainers and came away feeling so good about everything they do. I encourage you to read all about it at SeaWorldCares.com for detailed information. Also, for the haters, which, parenthetically, I didn’t know were out there, read this well-written and compelling article titled, The Truth About Blackfish. (I’m Cuban. I have an extremely heightened distaste for propaganda.)

As part of our small group we had access to SeaWorld representatives and trainers at all levels and the take-away from each one is this: They are so very proud of their work and the company they represent. It was evident in the emotion they showed as they talked about their jobs and the animals they work with.

This was true of the orca and dolphin trainers, the veterinarians and educators. Every single one of them was committed passionately to their work. I so respect that. I believe their efforts in public education through SeaWorld’s immersive experience ultimately enhances the environment and the lives of all marine animals.

The Stingray Lagoon

Our next encounter was with the stingrays. They are beautiful, graceful creatures that you can view at the Shark Encounter or take your turn feeding them at the Stingray Lagoon®. I was happy to only take the photos this time, thankyouverymuch.

Jon mentioned how much he loved this when he was a child, as did Eric. Can I just tell you how much fun it was to watch them both experience the child-like wonder of petting the rays? (In case you were wondering, Sebastian finally took a well-deserved nap by this point in our day.)

Sea Lions Live

We ended our backstage tour with a meet and greet with Harvey, the sea lion. Weighing in at 450 lbs and acting very much like a regular pet dog, Harvey was so much fun to watch. After he gave us a loud bark, however, Sebastian kept his distance. But seriously, SeaWorld, how much do I love how well you love and care for even these not-as-cute-as-the-dolphins beasts? The Sea Lion Live show is totally worth your time. 

If Sea Lions and Otters fascinate you, SeaWorld has a fun Up-Close Tour where you can feed dozens of sea lions and harbor seals at Pacific Point Preserve®. I was grateful we got the photo op with this guy.

I call it, “Harvey and the Darbys.” We just may take this act on the road.

What’s Next?

Please notice Jon and Amy clowning around inside the Ocean Explorer sign.

The launch of Ocean Explorer will be an expedition of wonder across the seven seas. Scheduled to open by summer of 2017, the area was still closed off, but we saw that the new attraction will combine multiple aquariums, new and exciting rides and digital tech that is designed to engage every family member with a sense of exploration and adventure.

There will be pop-ups into the aquarium where kids can get an up-close look at their favorite sea creatures. I’m looking forward to taking my growing grandsons there!

The Electric Ocean

Also coming in Summer 2017, is Electric Ocean as SeaWorld at night will transform into a brilliant ocean of vibrant colors and energy. Back in the day, Eric and Jon took a local nighttime trip to experience the magic of bioluminescence. (That’s when you can see neon in the ocean. It’s quite magical.) The Electric Ocean party promises to bring that magic to life with their new nighttime spectacular, coming June 17th, 2017.

Visiting SeaWorld With Littles

As an aside, I want to commend SeaWorld for being so family-friendly that they’ve included restrooms with Nursing Stations for moms. Traveling with a nursing baby is not for the faint of heart. I was so grateful – as were Amy and Sebastian, obviously – that they had clearly marked clean, accessible, quiet, and comfortable rooms for changing and nursing.

Kudos, SeaWorld. You totally won us over before, but this particular perk won the day.

I had forgotten about the enchantment, the beauty, the peacefulness that a day at SeaWorld can bring. Yes, they have rides and shows and delightful attractions, but the real wonder comes from being able to immerse yourself in a world that is unlike any other.

To be able to walk with sharks, and dine with orcas, pet the stingrays, and shake flippers with the dolphins are experiences that can’t be duplicated in many places.

That you can do all these things with your entire family while helping fund the amazing work of protecting and conserving and learning about these magnificent animals makes it that much more wonderful.

Thank you, again, SeaWorld for all you do. We plan to go again and again and experience the wonder. I’m so grateful the next generations will be able to fall in love with your marvelous vision as well as all the delightful animals in your care.

To paraphrase The Terminator: We’ll be back.

{You may want to take advantage of this fun promotion: SeaWorld Single-day Tickets are starting at $55 right now, but the best way to enjoy SeaWorld is with a 2017 Fun Card where you pay $87 and come back again and again.}