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By George Chen
Date Visited: 8/19/01
SeaWorld San Diego has very few rides, but the shows are excellent. Here's my take on them:
Wild Arctic: Board a motion simulator to Base Station Wild Arctic, then explore the station. Theming is excellent. The crew's attire is consistent with the theme of the place.
Shipwreck Rapids: River rapid ride. You will get wet. Fun thing to do is to shoot water at the rafts using the water cannons. Only problem, it costs 25 cents per shot. Again, excellent theming.
Pirates 4D: A 3D film with added effects, like the ones at Disneyland and DCA. A funny film that is in a way related to Home Alone where a kid sets traps to catch people. A fun film/experience.
Cirque de la Mer: A circus over water. Very well choreographed show. See a Zorb (A large inflatable ball) float across water with a person inside it. A must see.
Bird Show: See rare and exotic birds in this free-flying bird show. Nothing really special. There are lots of other places with similar shows.
World Rhythms on Ice: A spectacular show of lights, gymnastics and ice skating. Excellent choreography of dance and light. A definite must see.
Dolphin Stadium: A cute dolphin show. The time I went, they had a newborn that was adorable! Anyway, show runs very well, but I could ask for a few more tricks, please.
Fools With Tools: The sea lion/sea otter show. Meant to be a TV show, it features a whole list of corny jokes and funny tricks (including making the sea lion stick out its tongue). A funny show for all ages.
Discovery Cove: Watch sea otters, pet and feed dolphins. A really great experience, especially for the younger kids.
Forbidden Reef: Pet Bat Rays and Guitarfish, view Moray eels. Again, a great experience for younger kids.
The Shamu Adventure: Highlight of SeaWorld. See Shamu and his family do tricks and laugh at the people getting drenched in the soak zone. A must see.
Shamu's House of Douse: A Shamu nighttime show where the tricks are choreographed to the latest hits in music. Very fun show.
Shamu's Happy Harbor: A play area for younger kids. Well done on the themeing.
Penguin Encounter: View various species of penguins. I think that this should be merged with Wild Arctic and its theming should be enhanced.
Shark Encounter: View various sharks. Well done. Theming is acceptable.
Manatee Rescue: The only place you can see endangered Manatees outside of Florida. Very touching. The quiet music adds the proper effect.
Anheuser-Busch Hospitality Area: Includes Plaza Del Sol, Clydesdale Hamlet, and Beer School. Focused mainly toward adults, the Clydesdales, however, are a pleasure for children to see.
SkyTower Ride: Requires an additional fee, however provides an excellent view of the park.
Bayside Skyride: Requires an additional fee. A chairlift takes you across Mission Bay.
Overall, SeaWorld San Diego is a great park, but if it had more rides, it would be even better.
More info: www.seaworld.com, www.shamu.com
