SeaWorld San Diego
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| SeaWorld San Diego | |
|---|---|
| Location | San Diego, California |
| Website | SeaWorld San Diego |
| Owner | Busch Entertainment Corporation |
| Opened | 1964 |
| Previous names | SeaWorld California |
| Operating season | All Year |
| Area | 189 acres (0.76 km²) |
| Rides | 4 total
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| Slogan | Below The Surface, Above The Waves |
SeaWorld San Diego is a theme park located in San Diego, California. The park is owned by Busch Entertainment Corporation, a division of Anheuser-Busch.
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[edit] History
SeaWorld was founded in 1964 by four graduates of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).[citation needed] They had originally considered the idea of building an underwater restaurant. Although this idea was not technically feasible, the concept grew into the idea of a marine zoological park on 22 acres along the shore of Mission Bay in San Diego. With an initial investment of $1.5 million, 45 employees, several dolphins, sea lions, and two seawater aquariums, SeaWorld drew more than 400,000 visitors its first year.[citation needed]
In the earliest years, the park was held as a private partnership. In 1968, SeaWorld offered its stock publicly,[citation needed] enabling the company to grow. In 1970, a second SeaWorld park was built — in Aurora, Ohio, near Cleveland. It was followed by a park in Orlando, Florida in 1973, and the largest park, which opened in San Antonio, Texas in 1988. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. (HBJ), owned and operated SeaWorld from 1976 to 1989. Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. purchased the SeaWorld parks from HBJ in November 1989. The parks are owned and operated by Busch Entertainment Corporation (BEC), one of the Anheuser-Busch Companies.
[edit] Attractions
- Journey to Atlantis, Passengers begin their ride by climbing up the conveyor belt in a boat. As the boat nears the top, it enters a tower and pauses. It then retracts its roller coaster wheels, and drops down the first shaft. The boats then travel by water in a loop-shaped course to the main tower. Inside, the boats enter an elevator. It shudders and climbs to the top. The wheels then slide out and the final drops and curves are revealed. The boat travels along the tracks and then return to the station.
- Dolphin Cove
- - the popular Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are on exhibit here. SeaWorld staff educates the public on their behaviors and lifestyle. Guests can interact with the dolphins and purchase fish to feed the animals.
- Bayside Skyride, a 1967 gondola lift.
- Lights, Camera, Imagination 4-D!, a three-dimensional film experience themed around Sesame Street, featuring Elmo and his friends. Effects "spill" into the audience, hence the title 4-D.
- Shipwreck Rapids, A raft ride that ventures into the shipwrecks of the deep with twist and turns.
[edit] Play Area Closure
In 2007, Seaworld San Diego made the executive decision to renovate Shamu's Happy Harbor and add something completely new to the area for kids. “Sesame Street” Bay of Play was introduced as the new play area in place of Shamu's Happy Harbor. Sesame Street Bay of Play is scheduled to open May 27th 2008.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- SeaWorld San Diego Home Page
- Shamu Official Website
- Journey To Atlantis Website
- Haunted Lighthouse Website
- Busch Entertainment Company Home Page
- Sea World San Diego Photos
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