Well, one of the most popular attraction in Southern California, The SeaWorld in San Diego is definitely a must see. I am not a big fan of confining and training wild animals for human entertainment. Still I am amazed by the power of humans to tame and teach these massive creatures to perform to the perfection.
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| One Ocean (Picture- Courtesy Madhu Gajanan, my niece) |
It was my second visit and still I was so excited to see the Shamu Show (The Ocean)! Driving to this place is very easy and lots of parking available. The entry fee was $64 when I visited ten months ago which is subject to change over time. Look for available online offers.
The shows not to miss are- One Ocean, breathtaking performances by killer whales called Shamu. And Blue Horizons, a stunning performance by group of Dolphins.
The rides one should not miss are- Manta, an intense open air roller coaster! Journey to Atlantis is another roller coaster in water with some special effects. Shipwreck Rapids is a tube-style raft ride gets you wet! These are my favorite rides. Some may feel Manta to be too intense.
Go on Skytower from where you can have a 360 degree view of the park, San Diego city, mission bay and pacific ocean. For kids there are so many other opportunities to see, touch and learn about these marine animals- penguins, polar bears, beluga and dolphins. There is a large aquarium exhibiting sharks, turtles and other fish and marine wildlife.
The rides one should not miss are- Manta, an intense open air roller coaster! Journey to Atlantis is another roller coaster in water with some special effects. Shipwreck Rapids is a tube-style raft ride gets you wet! These are my favorite rides. Some may feel Manta to be too intense.
Go on Skytower from where you can have a 360 degree view of the park, San Diego city, mission bay and pacific ocean. For kids there are so many other opportunities to see, touch and learn about these marine animals- penguins, polar bears, beluga and dolphins. There is a large aquarium exhibiting sharks, turtles and other fish and marine wildlife.
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| Blue Horizons Stadium seen from Skytower |
Since this was my second trip and I had taken my family for a vacation, I tried to organize the trip. First, we made a note of all the popular must see shows and were there 30mins earlier in the line. In-between time was used for the rest of the shows, to see the animals and souvenir shops. And still there were things that we wanted to see but couldn't. Yes! You cannot see everything in a day! So, try to see what is the best.
San Diego sun is very punishing. Wear sunscreen, and a sun-hat is a must. I say this because when we were at one of the shows a strong-and-fit guy just fainted because of sunstroke! He was then rushed to emergency. Also take extra pair of clothes. Some of the rides in the water will leave you completely wet. There are driers available for $5 but, it takes a lot of time to dry oneself!
San Diego sun is very punishing. Wear sunscreen, and a sun-hat is a must. I say this because when we were at one of the shows a strong-and-fit guy just fainted because of sunstroke! He was then rushed to emergency. Also take extra pair of clothes. Some of the rides in the water will leave you completely wet. There are driers available for $5 but, it takes a lot of time to dry oneself!
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| Blue Horizons (Picture- Courtesy Madhu Gajanan, my niece) |
SeaWorld in San Diego is approximately 120-miles from city of Los Angeles. If you are around Los Angeles SeaWorld can a good one day excursion. San Diego also popular for a Zoo and an Animal Park. They have a great collection of wildlife from all over the world. I am not big fan of zoo, I feel bad for the caged animals. Though I agree that the zoo concept is a great way to know the world of wild.
Other places of interest around Los Angeles on my road trip: Disneyland and California Adventure Parks, Universal Studios- Hollywood, Joshua Tree National Park, Getty Museums, Huntington Gardens, Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, Wildflowers at Gorman, Orange County Great Park, Santa Catalina Island and Korean Bell of Friendship.
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Scrapbook- A Travel Blog by Kusum Sanu is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Looks like a fun day.
ReplyDeleteIt was a fun day! Amazing training!
DeleteI loved Seaworld San Diego when I visited the US back in 1980!! The Orcas were impressive.
ReplyDeleteI linked up with Orcas in the wild this week... that was an incredible experience!
Wow! in 1980? I cannot imagine how it might be then! Watching them in wild is a delight!
DeleteI share the same feelings with you regarding putting animals in confinement. I've seen these sea creatures on show in Hawaii, but for the last few years we already have it here in the Philippines but i haven't seen it in Subic Bay, Zambales north of Manila.
ReplyDeleteYes! It is sad that those massive creatures from vast oceans swimming in the small ponds.
DeleteWe took our kids and grand kids and I'm glad we did ... But back then nobody really talked or thought about how it might be cruel.
ReplyDeleteEven now no many talk so much about cruelty against animals. And that too when you are watching them perform I just forgot they were animals from deep blue oceans. They looked like my favorite players! I loved them and so want them in their homes :)
DeleteI do love Sea World!! And your captures are terrific as always, Kusum!! Thanks for sharing! Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sylvia! This time it was my niece who took the pics :)
DeleteGreat fun captures!
ReplyDeleteThanks Indrani.
DeleteI love the whales, dolphins and sea lions. They do put on a great show, I just get sad seeing them penned up and not free and wild.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, have a happy day!
Yep! Sad but they are smart very smart!
DeleteNice shots - but I do get sad seeing them all penned up like that.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ladyfi. The pics were taken by my niece I was sitting in the wet zone!
DeleteNice shots, but I agree with ladyfi. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
ReplyDeleteYes, we all feel bad for them but we do enjoy their shows!
DeleteI have witnessed this wonderful show at San Diego - truly a splendid and fabulous performance. A pity though that these wild creatures are domesticated and trained to obey instructions !
ReplyDeleteI just admire the power of humans!
DeleteI remember watching an orca show at Six Flags a couple of years ago and another animal/bird show at Universal studios and feeling the same. You're right, the thought of training the big ones is something that's quite fascinating. :)
ReplyDeleteNice to see these pictures. It gives me some old memories. What a wonderful time we had when me and my friends visited for watching this wonderful show. It was very enjoyable.
ReplyDelete