Four graduates of the University of California at Los Angeles planned to open a restaurant with a marine life show twist. The concept proved to be too difficult and costly to implement. Undeterred, the graduates turned their attention to developing 22 acres in San Diego, California and on March 21, 1964 they opened SeaWorld with just six attractions--including a few sea lions and dolphins. The founders worked diligently to bring in new species, including an orca dubbed Shamu who became a brand name for the SeaWorld parks much the way that Mickey Mouse served Disney.
The first SeaWorld Park in San Diego was followed by a park opened in Aurora, Ohio. The climate in the northern Midwest proved difficult for park operations, allowing it to be open only a few months out of the year and closed during the cold months. Still, it was a popular destination. In 1973, SeaWorld opened an Orlando park to take advantage of the DisneyWorld tourism being generated in the area. In 1976, the founders sold their parks to Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. HBJ primarily published school books, but 12 years after purchasing the marine parks, it opened a new one in San Antonio, Texas. HBJ eventually sold its interest to the Anheuser-Busch Company.
Marine life fascinates the world. Dolphins, sea lions, sharks, fish and orca all live in the oceans. Marine mammals, particularly dolphins, fascinate humans because of their structured social interactions and seemingly human responses. SeaWorld appeals to the adventurers who cannot travel to the oceans of the world but can make a day trip to a theme park. SeaWorld facilities offer tourists a chance to see marine life up close, to learn more about the oceans and at the same time devote enormous resources and funds to the preservation of marine life. However, controversy over keeping the marine mammals in captivity and capturing practices in the 1970s gave the company a bad name. Many of the species in the parks currently are bred in captivity or through artificial insemination.
The parks located in San Diego, San Antonio and Orlando are open year-round. The warm climates and lack of severe cold winters make it easy to maintain the marine mammal facilities. The park in Aurora, Ohio opened seasonally from mid-May to mid-September and proved very costly to maintain, particularly in the brutal cold of winter. In 2001, SeaWorld in Aurora was sold to the Six Flags Corporation. The park's marine mammals were sent to the other SeaWorlds, and the name was removed from the facility.
A visit to SeaWorld in any three of the U.S. geographical locations is a fun family time. Playgrounds, water parks and amusement rides add to the entertainment value, but the primary draw of SeaWorld remains the marine mammals and their shows. Though the original Shamu passed away in San Diego, the stage name and the orcas that play him are beloved by every child who visits. So whether getting splashed by an orca tail or getting a chance to pet a dolphin or jetting on a ride through a shark tank, SeaWorld's a great place for a family vacation without going under the sea.
