In addition to thrill rides covered in a recent
post, SeaWorld San Antonio offers multiple opportunities for close encounters
with a variety of animals.
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| Entrance to SeaWorld San Antonio |
A highlight of our day spent at the park was
visiting Discovery Point where an expansive 600,000-gallon lagoon (twice the
size of the previous dolphin habitat) is home to a pod of Atlantic bottlenose
dolphins. You can watch them swim and play from sandy shores of the lagoon or
see dolphins in a new way at the park’s first underwater viewing area, opened
last year. Not only does the underground viewing spot provide a different look
at the activities of these awesome creatures, it’s also a fine place to get out
of the hot summer sun Texas for awhile.
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| The underwater viewing area is great for watching dolphins at play. |
Discovery Point also includes Explorer’s Reef, home
to more than 350 species of fish, invertebrates, and amphibians as well as a
living Caribbean coral reef grown almost entirely by SeaWorld San Antonio’s
Aquarium Department. Learn about the importance of coral reefs in the ocean’s
ecosystem.
Splash
into Aquatica
Purchase a combo ticket for SeaWorld and the adjacent
water park called Aquatica, and you’ll get the best of an active water park and
beach activities including a splash pad for little tykes . Have a cool time
imagining you’re at the beach--kiddos building sand castles, and everyone
romping in crashing surf in the wave pool. On a hot Texas summer day, there’s
no better place to be than getting drenched
on water rides that go from serene to extreme. Add to that the
opportunity to touch sting rays, see tropical birds, or just relax awhile.
New
whale calf and other animals |
| Dine with Shamu gives guests a close-up look at how orcas are trained. |
Who doesn’t love a baby? SeaWorld guests can observe
the whale calf, born on April 19, 2017 to Takara, the 25-year-old matriarch of
the park’s orca pod. This is special because Takara’s calf will be the last
killer whale birth at a SeaWorld park. It’s also the last chance for
researchers to study orca development in ways that can’t be done in the wild.
The knowledge gained will benefit wild whales as well as those at SeaWorld.
One of the best opportunities to see the calf is
during Dine with Shamu, an additional activity that provides guests with a
generous barbeque buffet right next to the training pool for the orcas.
Trainers wander among the diners answering questions and then demonstrate some
of their techniques for teaching specific behaviors to the whales. It’s a great
close-up view of these magnificent animals performing for a small group of
people. |
| Orcas put on a thrilling show which guests enjoy after dining on a generous barbeque buffet. |
And there’s more: SeaWorld is home to many beautiful
birds including flamingos, penguins, and an array of exotic birds. Alligator
Alley provides an opportunity to feed and learn about American alligators and
red-eared slider turtles. Don’t overlook the Animal Connections Conservation
Center where you’ll see pythons, birds, and other animals.
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| Flamingoes are favorites among many bird varieties at SeaWorld. |
For our granddaughter—and us—the day spent at
SeaWorld was fun and filled with special memories we all cherish.
Photos by Larry and Beverly Burmeier
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