Sea World, ...... Don't Miss It!

North America
July 6th 2009

Published: July 6th 2009

These gates are a doorway to exciting adventures and wonderful times. The Skytower Ride can be seen to the right just inside the gate. Nathanael initially wanted to take this ride but then changed his mind. He would never tell me why.

Sea World, San Diego, was probably our favourite site in California. We absolutely enjoyed every minute! Janice, Nathanael and I spent two days at the park, not only because there was so much to see, but the ticket price included a two-day visit, anyway. (It was the same in Busch Garden and the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, but, sadly, Nathanael and I only had one day to give those sites so we missed out on the extra time we could have spent there.) Janice was able to purchase our tickets on line and get a small discount doing so.

Therefore, on both Wednesday, April 29 and Tuesday, May 5, we made our way down the hill to be at Sea World as early as we could. We packed a lunch and brought bottled water with us to save money once on the grounds.

Before entering Sea World, our bags were searched (the same as many of the other parks we had visited.) When we walked through the gate, we made arrangements with each other for a place to meet if we happened to get separated. We chose the “Skytower Ride” because it could be seen from almost

Beautiful Hanging Baskets

These baskets are glorious in their colourful beauty. I envy the greenhouse that can produce them. Of course the fine weather helps.

everywhere in the park.

Laurie had given us hints on how to plan our days so we would be able to see as much as possible. We confirmed the times we needed to be at the different shows and then began sightseeing at the various displays. The landscaping was beautiful with hanging baskets, ornamental gardens, and unusual varieties of trees. Everything was a feast to the eyes. And there were many little surprises around every corner, ... such as a flamingo parade, ... when we came across handlers moving a flock of those beautiful birds from one site to another.

Our first visit was to “Shark Encounter,” where we learned ”Sharks don’t eat people, .... very often.” Apparently, sharks would rather avoid people and when they do attack, it’s because they have mistaken people for food or to protect their territory. Since many of the larger species of sharks have no natural predators, I really would rather not take my chances and test the above statement. We all agreed that none of us wanted to be an exception to the supposed rule. The various species we got to see included Sandtiger, Australian Leopard, Nurse, Pacific Blacktip,

Manicured Gardens

How I wish my gardens looked like these! All it takes is time and money, .... lots of both.

Whitetipped Reef, White-spotted Bamboo, Brown-banded Bamboo, Bonnethead, Epaulette, and Great White. Walking through the underwater tunnel was really exciting and we went back twice because it was something Nathanael and I would not have the opportunity to experience again in a long time. Sharks and other fish swam all around us as we rode on a conveyer belt through the tunnel.

The first show we took in was “Dolphin Discovery.” We had oodles of fun watching Dolly Dolphin and her various friends perform high-flying stunts and jumps. The trainers got in the water and were pulled by the dolphins at very high speeds. It was amazing to see how far these remarkable creatures could leap out of the water, over lines strung across the pool. It is easy to understand why dolphins are Nathanael’s favourite animal. They are so beautiful and graceful in the water. The intelligence dolphins exhibit is quite impressive. We left the show wanting to see more and wishing we could be the ones to swim and get to work with these magnificent creatures.

On our way to the Shamu Show, .... “Believe,” we all admired the Moreton Bay Fig Tree that stands

What is a Garden Without Water?

There are streams and waterfalls running throughout the Sea World Park. The sound is so calming and the grounds are beautiful.

in the square right under the Skytower. This tree is a member of the mulberry family and is native to the coastal rainforests of eastern Australia. It can grow to be over 200 feet tall in the wild and develops snake-like buttresses as a part of its root system. It forms a huge canopy of leaves and is one of the largest spreading trees in the world. The speckled purple figs it produces are not tasty to humans but are enjoyed by bats and small mammals. This tree only grows in warm temperate and semi-tropical regions of the world. That’s too bad because I would love to have it growing in my back yard. I can just imagine the house built by “Swiss Family Robinson” nestled amongst its branches. What fun that would be for Nathanael back home.

As unbelievable as it sounds, the “Shamu” show was even more amazing than the dolphins. I would never have thought killer whales were so trainable. The trainers actually advised us that they do not tell the whales what to do, ..... they ask them, in a polite way, .... it is a team effort. The show was accompanied by impressive

Dragon Tree

Unique plants help bring interest and variety to the landscaping at Sea World. This Dragon Tree is a threatened species native to the Canary Islands.

musical arrangements with full orchestration and huge screen videos that tell the story of the killer whale. It was so much fun when the whales would swim around the perimeter of the pool and splash the crowd. The cheers were almost louder than the music! We so enjoyed Shamu’s performance that we took in the show on our second day to Sea World, as well. And we were glad we did, because the show had some different stunts that we didn’t see the first day.

We left Shamu Stadium and then toured the “Wild Arctic” Exposition which showed us the inside of Sir John Franklin’s expeditions into the Arctic and his discovery of the Northwest Passage. We were able to walk through a replica of his base station with cartons of supplies and very realistic living quarters. There were live polar bears in natural habitats and even a life-sized reproduction of a polar bear den, where mothers birth and raise their young. The bears were on the other side of thick glass walls and we could watch them sunning on the shore or swimming underneath the water. It was truly amazing to be so close to these powerful

Flamingo Parade

What a cool experience. That's something you don't see at home in Ottawa!

creatures that would be so dangerous in the wild. There were also displays of various species of penguins. We passed by them on another conveyer belt while they swam and enjoyed social activities. None of us had ever seen so many penguins in one place before.

The “Manatee Rescue" exhibit was truly enlightening. We learned how Sea World in San Diego, California has, since the early 1970’s, been operating a successful rehabilitation programme for Florida Manatees that are in danger of extinction. These gentle creatures daily face dangerous injuries from collisions with watercraft, entanglements with discarded fishing equipment, and cold winter waters. Florida Manatees are well adapted to life in the water. Stiff whiskers line a manatee’s lips to help propel food into its mouth. A large paddle-shaped tail helps propel it through the water and front flippers help it steer. Like other water mammals, the manatee has five digits in its flipper, .... just like the human hand.

Following Laurie’s recommendation we also took in the “Pinniped Comedy Duo” in the “Sea Lion and Otter Stadium.” Clyde and Seamore, OP Otter, and their stagehand buddy, Biff, performed their own wacky versions of some of today’s

In the Shark Tunnel

Nathanael and I wished we could have just sat down in a lounge chair and enjoyed the sensation of being surrounded by water and fish. We think it would be neat to create a restaurant in the tunnel.

most popular TV shows, movies and music. It was hilarious and all of us laughed our heads off at their incredibly funny antics. (Did you know that sea otters belong to the scientific family Mustelidae, which also includes skunks, weasels, badgers, and river otters? Who would have thought?) We watched visitors feeding sea lions at “Pacific Point,” but people had to be quick because the birds were so aggressive, they would grab the food right out of your hand if you weren’t careful. We also learned the difference between Harbour Seals, California Sea Lions, and Northern Elephant Seals.

At “Forbidden Reef” we actually got to pet ‘bat sting rays’ in a shallow water pool. They are very soft and slippery and feel like rubber. At the “Rocky Point Preserve” we were able to get up close to the dolphins as they swam past and broke the water surface with their fins. We could view them underwater, as well, through thick glass walls. In the “Freshwater Aquarium” we saw the most beautiful ‘rainbowfishes’ that are minnow-like fish native to Australia and New Guinea. There were also transparent fish, angel fish, spotted rays, electric fish, piranha, African cichlids, and freshwater

A Great White

Nathanael posing in front of the jaws of a Great White Shark. It is plain to see he could easily be swallowed whole by such a creature. A sobering thought.

turtles. At the “Tide Pool” we got to see and touch sea stars and other animals that might be found in the wave-swept shallow pools of the California coast. The sea stars were five-pointed and red in colour. When we touched them we were careful not to lift the stars out of the water because they are fragile and would die in the air.

The last show we took in was “Pets Rule” in the “Pets Stadium.” Extremely amazing feats of skill were performed by dogs, cats, pigs, geese, and more. They were amazing and as we watched the show, there were many performers we would have loved to take home with us, ..... of the four-legged variety of course. The set was a riot of colourful props and decorations that included a gigantic box of dog food, a large dog house, a humongous red sneaker, a tree house, and a swimming pool. Most of the pets were animals that had been rescued from shelters or from people who were giving them up for adoption. It is incredible what a little tender love and patience will do and how animals will respond to such care.

And

Dolphin Stadium

This tidy bit of landscaping gave me some ideas for my yard at home.

of course, what would a trip to Sea World be without rides for Nathanael? Being Sea World, ..... the rides involved water, lots of it! The “Shipwreck Rapids” and “Journey to Atlantis” were enormous hits with my little boy. The rapids involved seats around a large donut floating through a fast flowing river with numerous drops and falls. Atlantis was a ride similar to a roller coaster but involved a huge plummet down a water slide at the very beginning. Needless to say, Nathanael rode several times while Janice and I sat at the bottom and waited with towels and a dry shirt. We could have stayed there all night and he would have been happy. It’s a good thing he doesn’t mind going on these rides by himself since I would probably only survive the first drop and then expire. My little boy is growing up.

Thus our two days at Sea World were a fantastic success! What a beautiful place. If we were going to be in the San Diego area for any length of time, we would purchase a season’s pass so we could go back any time we wanted. We’re telling you, ..... “Don’t