SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld San Diego in California is the original SeaWorld, though there are now others in Orlando, Florida, and San Antonio in Texas. SeaWorld's star attractions include Shamu the Orca killer whale, dolphins, shark encounters, manatee rescue, and the fun ride: Journey to Atlantis.
How Long Should I Spend at SeaWorld San Diego?
Plan to spend one full day, at least, if you want to see everything SeaWorld has to offer. Two days is even better, but you can squeeze the highlights into one day if you plan carefully. As soon as you arrive, make sure you get not just a map of the park but also a timetable of show times.
SeaWorld Shows
You must definitely see the Shamu show, Believe, which is a knock-out. If there are other Shamu shows on during your visit, like Shamu Rocks or Shamu's SkySplash, take those in too. Not far behind in quality is the Dolphin Discovery show, and we laughed right through Clyde and Seamore's Risky Rescue. Personally we could have skipped Pets Rule! but lots of people loved it. Our advice: on no account miss Shamu and the Dolphin Discovery, then fit in as many of the other shows as you can manage. We even went back to watch Shamu a second time, and it was just as good – and different, because not everyone behaved themselves!
Show and Tell
We'll tell you what we discovered about the shows – get there early and don't sit near the front. Of course some folks love getting soaking wet, but if that's not your thing or you've got cameras, sit well back. A killer whale creates a killer splash. You should also get there in food time if the park's busy. Out of season there's usually room for everyone in the large show theaters, so it's less of a problem, but when it's busy the late-comers might not get a seat. If you're not sure then ask someone – but do not miss the big shows.
Manatee Rescue
We love manatees, so for us this is a must-see. We watched manatees in the wild in Florida, so to see these magnificent creatures up close was amazing. The manatees at SeaWorld San Diego are Florida manatees that have been rescued after injury or which aren't ready to be back in the wild, so they're well looked-after with a huge, natural environment to swim around in.SeaWorld Rides
We had a full day at SeaWorld and didn't even do any of the rides. We preferred to spend time with the shows and the up-close encounters, watching the dolphins and sea otters at the Rocky Point Preserve. But if you like adventure rides then Journey to Atlantis has been the most popular attraction ever, since SeaWorld first opened its gates in 1964. Shipwreck Rapids isn't far behind, and there were lots of laughing faces coming out of both those rides when we walked past.
Location
You'll find SeaWorld San Diego about 5 miles northwest of downtown, and just a 15-minute drive from either San Diego International Airport or San Diego Zoo. To get to SeaWorld head west on I-8 till you get to the end – just stop before you hit the Pacific Ocean.
Further Information
For full information on what there is to do at SeaWorld San Diego, and to find out about current opening hours and ticket prices, visit the
SeaWorld San Diego website.
Here you can not only buy tickets online but even plan your full San Diego vacation package.
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