The SeaWorld Chain
Wednesday, 29th June 2005 by James Turnbull
SeaWorld is a chain of theme parks featuring killer whale, sea lion and dolphin shows. When I first read about SeaWorld I was very confused by the fact that "Shamu", the chain's mascot killer whale, manages to appear twice a day at all three parks across the states. As it turns out the name Shamu is a registered trademark of SeaWorld and the 3 whales currently going by that title follow in the footsteps of a long line of "Shamu" performing whales.
The first SeaWorld we're visiting on our tour today is SeaWorld San Antonio in Texas. You can use the officical park map to identify the various areas and rides.
Next stop is SeaWorld San Diego in California. In the thumbnail shot you can see a crowd has gathered for the dolphin show (official park map).
Our last stop is SeaWorld Orlando, Florida. Some of those who submitted this site were sure that the black splodge you can see in the pool is Florida's version of Shamu the whale, but I'm not convinced.
Thanks: R@lf, Roxy, Tim Gregory, Kate, Patrick Gunderson, Stephen, Tom Boyce, Jesse, Philip G, RPirolli, PapaPenguin, Dan Mowry, Alex, Brett Stephens, Michael Zacherl, Dave Kellenberger & Peter
In the mid-80s, they showcased Baby Shamu at SW Orlando, son of what was supposed to be the original Shamu (but clearly wasn’t).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaworld
Looking at it in Google Earth, the “black splodge” in the Orlando Sea World pool actually looks like a group of two or three things. They could be whales.
http://mapper.acme.com/?lat=28.4083&long=-81.46195&scale=8&theme=ColorImage&width=5&height=3&dot=No
Acme Mapper also resolves the smudge to three items. They look like they could be cetaceans to me as well.
When I was younger, I went to SeaWorld in Ohio so i was wondering why it wasn’t included. Apparently Six Flags has purchased the park and it’s no longer part of sea world. You can see the sea life park in the link, and the ride park on the other side of the lake. I wonder what their shamu was renamed…
View Placemark
Jack is probably right with the “cetaceans” (dolphins) guess.
Does anyone know what this map of the US is for at SeaWorld San Antonio? I have season passes here and it’s behind a wall, and it’s not on the official seaworld map. Google Earth tells me it’s 243 feet wide and 130 tall. Here’s the link
Across the street to the South is Discovery Cove where you can swim with the dolphins. Another view is:
View Placemark
http://www.discoverycove.com
Not forgetting SeaWorld Nara on the Gold Coast, Australia!
Bonus points to anyone who finds Southwest Airline’s Shamu airliner in flight. It’s a 737 painted like – you guessed it – an orca. I’ve see in many times in the air over Houston; now it would be cool to find it in the air via Google Maps.
Sean, actually Six Flags pulled out of the former Sea World Ohio place two years back. It is now owned by the Cedar Point company and has been renamed back to its original incarnation as Geagua Lake. And Six Flags did recently get an orca, but it wasn’t named anything in particular in the year before they sold the place and moved it away. Most of the animals were moved to other Six Flags locations or donated to the Akron Zoo.
Anne Mathews it is the Cedar Fair Company. Cedar Point in one of its parks in Sandusky Ohio. To bad they don’t have Hi Res of Cedar point yet to… one of my favorite amusement parks
Yes! Never had an entry posted before.
Gabe:
I have only been to Sea World San Antonio the first year it opened in 1988. I was a lot younger then, but I remember the US map being just a big open concrete area painted w/ the states and cities on it. I think I still have a picture of me and my brother pointing to where we lived, McAllen. That is interesting to know that it is walled off. I think there was a pirate play area just to the north of that. I wonder why they aren’t using that area of the park anymore.
ahhh that’s better.
Here’s Seaworld at the Gold Coast, south of Brisbane, Queensland Australia.
View Placemark
Those are totally whales 🙂 Look at this closer picture: http://virtualearth.msn.com/default.aspx?ss=sea%20world&cp=28.408413|-81.461723&style=h&lvl=19&v=1