SeaWorld Kicks Off Memorial Day with Summer Nights
By admin
Published: Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
There are lots of amusement parks with amazing thrill rides and attractions. But when it comes to pure awesome power and excitement in one single experience, nothing is quite like the killer whale show at SeaWorld in San Diego.
I recently visited the park to check out one of its most popular shows, “Believe.” Opened in 2006, “Believe” is a visually-stunning production that features killer whales and their trainers dancing and acting in a multimedia extravaganza.
The show is highlighted by a stainless steel set with a 3-story whale tail flanked by four 20-foot-wide video screens that operate independently or together to create a single 80-foot-long panoramic screen. The screens provide guests breathtaking views of the whales from above and below the water. The set also features waterfalls, a powerful water fountain that sprays across the pool, and original recorded music by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in Prague.
“Believe” is the story of the close relationship between trainers and killer whales. It begins with images of a young boy who loves killer whales. The story then shifts to the pool, where whale and trainer discover each other. This turns to rambunctious fun as more whales and trainers enter the pool to upbeat music before it suddenly end, leaving trainers and whales center stage.
Next, a ballet segment highlights the power and awe of the relationship between trainer and whale. With help from screen images, the storyline returns to the young whale enthusiast, now a SeaWorld killer whale trainer, whose passion for the whales is passed on to the audience.
After “Believe” I experienced a really cool exhibit called Wild Arctic Interaction. As the name implies, this attraction is interactive and wild. It costs $170 besides park admission, but is a very unique and spectacular behind-the-scenes tour.
The adventure began with a narrated journey in which we (me and about seven other guests) encountered numerous arctic animals, including enormous Pacific walruses and gigantic polar bears. We then put on thick SeaWorld wet suits and entered the habitat of the beluga whale, which can weigh 2,500 pounds and stretch 14 feet long.
Next we were allowed to go in the 650,000-gallon Bulaga pool and meet the beluga whales and touch their soft, melon-like head and feel their graceful dorsal ridge, which helps them breakup ice in the wild.
This weekend SeaWorld begins its “Summer Nights” attraction in which the park features nighttime shows such as “Shamu Rocks,” an energetic musical journey around the world; “Ignight,” a high-flyin’ dolphin show featuring music and pyrotechnics; “Cirque de la Mer,” a daytime show with acrobats; “Sea Lions Tonite,” a comedy show starring Clyde and Seamore; and “Shamu’s SkySplash” firework show. Summer Nights runs weekends May 23 – June 7; and nightly June 13 – Sept 7.
SeaWorld is located at 500 Sea World Dr., San Diego, CA 92109. Admission is $65 for ages 10 and up; $55 ages 3–9; free for kids under 3. Parking is $12. For more info, call (800) 25-SHAMU or visit www.seaworldsandiego.com.
By Greg Aragon
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