SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld San Diego has hosted some 80 million visitors who come to get a close-up view of the fascinating mysteries surrounding both large and small sea animals.
Eleven daily shows thrill visitors who come to watch Shamu, the Killer Whale. Various other rides and attractions entertain visitors between shows such as the Bayside Skyride, Journey to Atlantis, Wild Arctic and the Polar Express.
The Anheuser-Busch Company once owned all the SeaWorld parks, but now it is part of a Unites States Chain of Marine mammal parks.
SeaWorld San Diego was the first of the SeaWorlds and was opened by four UCLA graduates who originally wanted to build an underwater restaurant. It opened in 1964 with a few dolphins and sea lions, six attractions and twenty two acres. Now it offers orcas, dolphins, sea lions, a multitude of other underwater life and dozens of rides including roller coasters. Don’t be surprised if you also see some of the enormous Budweiser Clydesdale horses. The park offers playgrounds for the kids if you can entice them away from the Penguin Encounter or from watching the manatees.
If you plan to visit, they’ve thought of everything from wheelchairs to kennels for the dog to fireworks when you are ready to just sit down and relax. Plenty of things to see and do besides the animal exhibits, plenty of lodging choices and more than enough places to grab a bite or sit down to a full meal.
San Diego is in the southern tip of California and not far from the port of Mexico. If you still crave a whale encounter, check out the whale watching opportunities. Sail San Diego makes it their business to take visitors out on their Catalina to watch for whales, dolphins, porpoises, sea lions and pelagic sea birds. Knowledgeable captains make the trip fun and interesting. It is not likely, but incase no whales are spotted, a complimentary trip is offered.
by Marti Talbott
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Guide Books
Insiders’ Guide to San Diego, 6th (Insiders’ Guide Series)
Afoot and Afield: San Diego County: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide
