Guide to SeaWorld, Orlando
Posted by Jackie Hewett on Thu 10th May 2007 at 06:23 PM, Filed in USA Florida
On our first day in Orlando we decided to go to SeaWorld thinking it would be more relaxing than some of the other parks. It was a good choice.
We started with the Dolphin Show called Blue Horizons, which was quite the best show of its type that I’ve seen anywhere with more animals than just dolphins – but I won’t spoil the surprise. There were also numerous acrobats diving, on trapezes and swimming with the dolphins. The set was quite spectacular and the costumes. It’s a definite must see.
The other attractions we really enjoyed were:
• Shark Encounter – a walkway under glass tubes with some 50 different sharks, rays and sawfish
• Manatee Rescue - this is a very educational and moving exhibit. There is a large under-water viewing area that looked like they were in suspended animation when we were there.
• Wild Arctic – this is a great attraction. At the start there is an option to go on a simulated helicopter ride into the wilderness before you enter a ‘research base. The beluga whales I found enchanting and I never realised just how big walruses are.
• Waterfront area – is a great chill-out area with many restaurants and cafes and action-shows on the lake
• Dolphin Nursery – you can get close to the younger dolphins in the park
• Odyssea – is a Cirque-du-Soleil style show that starts with a ‘plant’ in the audience.
We were lucky enough to eat at the Sharks Underwater Grill. It’s very popular and advisable to book. We hadn’t but as we were a little off high season we managed to get in, but had to wait until about 2.00pm. The food was excellent – I had some quite spicy scallops and the kids were well catered for. The lighting is quite dark, making the atmosphere quite eerie, and it’s great fun watching people ‘dive’ in with the sharks. They had probably paid quite handsomely to get into a cage that is dropped into the water with the sharks and rays that moved like a snail across the aquarium. It seemed to take ½ an hour to progress some 30 meters and I can only hope it was more trilling than it looked from the restaurant – but provided us with a few laughs.
Shamu’s show was disappointing to us. Too much schmaltz and video, and not nearly enough Whale for me. The video was very much ‘hopes and dreams’ and pictures of photogenic kids. We hung around a bit after the show and the trainers seemed to put the whales through their paces more than in the show!
We were disappointed that we didn’t get to see the Sea Lion and Otter show which is meant to be very funny. When we return we’ll probably do that instead of Shamu!
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