SeaWorld Orlando - Review

Location - 7007 Sea World Drive, Orlando, Florida USA

Entry Price - Prices do vary from season to season. Please check their web page for precise prices for you and your family.

Opening Hours - Opening hour is 9am. The park closing time is subject to change based on seasonal events.

SeaWorld web page 

 

Layout 

SeaWorld is a marine/theme park that is located only 20 minutes from Orlando International Airport.The only entry/exit to this park is dominated by a light house entry statement that sets the tone for what is nautical theming throughout the entire park. SeaWorld is positioned around a large central lake with a Sky Tower being the central feature.  Standing at 400 feet or 122 metres the Sky Tower is a perfect location reference point whilst exploring the park. 

 

Clustered around the central lake, left of the Sky Tower via the entry is the Waterfront precinct, where the majority of restaurants and shops are located.  Moving left from this location is where you will find larger attractions including rides, dolphins at Dolphin Cove and the dolphin theater, and sea lions at Pacific Point Reserve next to the Sea Lion Theater. This immediate area also includes Antarctica Empire of the Penguin and a good selection of other marine animals.

As you move around the park clockwise you will come across Shark Encounter, home to sharks and other fish, Shamu Stadium where you can watch the killer whale show and view the killer whales from underwater viewing areas. Still moving clockwise you will find polar bears, walruses and the very friendly beluga wales.

Extra Activities

As this is a theme park, you will be spoilt for choice with rides, shows and many food options. Animals encounters include the feeding of dolphins and stingrays or having lunch with Shamu the killer whale are available and are subject to availability. 

Conservation efforts 

The SeaWorld Conservation fund has donated over 10 million dollars in 10 years.They also assist in the rescue of injured or displaced marine animals.

Stu’s Favorite Bit 

I really loved the atmosphere at this park – maybe because it was the holiday season so the park was dressed up with holiday decorations galore. 

My favorite attraction was by far Antarctica – Empire of the Penguin. This ride allows you to immerse yourself in the Antarctic landscape thanks to the impressive theming. A trackless ride takes you on a journey following the adventures of (animated) Puck a baby Gentoo penguin . The ride peaks  with the revealing of colonies of real Gentoo, King, Adelie and Rockhopper penguins. At the end of the ride visitors can then go to viewing areas inside the penguins enclosure for a closer look.  What I loved about the experience, is how SeaWorld had been able to incorporate great story telling and an up close experience, cold climate and all. It is very immersive and has some sound educational elements. 

Go HERE to see a selection of animals found at SeaWorld Orlando at Stu @ the Zoo TV 

King Penguins at Empire of the Penguin

Stu’s review and tips

Over the years I have watched with interest the unfolding dramas that have been SeaWorld’s killer whale program including horrific trainer deaths and the subsequent controversy of the treatment and housing of the park's killer whales. I visited this park trying to keep as open a mind as possible – including not watching the documentary Black Fish prior to my December visit.  I wanted to experience SeaWorld as any visitor would, so I made an effort to have as little preconceived expectations as possible. Secretly however, I imagined that I would love SeaWorld. That I would get what they were trying to achieve in their efforts to educate people in the conservation of all marine animals and their environment.

I attended two shows whilst visiting SeaWorld, the dolphin show "Blue Horizons" and the killer whale show "One Ocean".  My observation is that SeaWorld places a lot more emphasis on entertainment than conservation messages. The dolphin show was a mix of dolphin tricks, acrobatics and birds swoops. (sample video).  If you took the dolphins out of the equation the show would have still been very entertaining – So I have to ask, what was the point? As an example of contrast, the Sea World Australia dolphin show “Imagine” takes advantage of having a captive audience to talk about conservation, caring for marine environs and the history and care of dolphins. The tricks are all natural things a dolphin will do in the wild, or things they need them to do in order to undertake required medical tasks, so when you leave the show you are informed and entertained. In negative contrast, I found SeaWorld Orlando dolphin show to be all about entertainment and thus they lost a useful educational opportunity.

Blue Horizons dolphin Show

The killer whale show was a bit of a disappointment. Don't get me wrong - I loved seeing these beautiful animals, but for me the show was a loose message on how we can all live together followed by the killer whales soaking the audience and performing tricks.  I would have thought that with all the negative media on SeaWorld, that there would be more of an emphasis on the conservation aspect built into the show. I recently saw an interview with Jack Hanna where he defended SeaWorld Orlando. He said that “SeaWorld was relevant and important because it introduced people to the animal world". This fits comfortably with one of my favourite Hanna quotes “ Zoo animals are ambassadors for animals in the wild”.  A philosophy that I strongly uphold. I need to be honest here and say I can’t imagine being terribly inspired though after simply being soaked to the core by killer whales kept in small enclosures, and I definitely did not learn one thing from this show about killer whales, apart from the fact they will do tricks for fish. (sample video)

One Ocean - Killer Whale Show

Sea World Australia has whale watching boats that take people out to see the whales in their natural habitat.  No tricks -just beautiful nature and educational commentary - and thus much more relevant and important experiences. 

Apart from some impressive enclosures like the penguin and shark enclosures I found most enclosures to be small and stark, sterile to a point and all falling short when it came to conservation messages.  I won’t name them all individually but the stand out is the North Pole exhibit housing the polar bear amongst other animals. Terribly bleak and depressing with little information on the animals. 

On a more positive note - The staff were all very friendly and the grounds through the whole park were impresive.Try and get to the park for the opening – they play the USA national anthem and as a visitor to the USA it is really stirring hearing everyone sing. 

I truly believe that without zoos and aquariums, people will not get the opportunity to learn about animals to the point where they will be motivated to do something to protect their environment. As I have said in the past many times – zoos and aquariums should inspire you to want to be a better person and to do something for all the animals that call this planet home (and their environs).   SeaWorld fails in meeting their stated public mission: "to celebrate and conserve the natural world", and in my opinion, does not strive to educate but simply to entertain. 

If you want to see elephants and tigers do tricks you go to a circus, if you want to see orcas and dolphins do tricks you can go to SeaWorld Orlando. Very entertaining I’m sure, but not a reason to keep these beautiful animals in captivity. 

Must See Animals  
Polar Bear 
Sea Lions 
Walrus 
Dolphin
Killer Whale 
Penguin
Flamingo 
Shark
 


© January 2014-Stuatthezoo.blogspot.com.au

Melbourne Zoo - Review

Location – Elliot Avenue, Parkville Victoria.

Entry Price – Adult $26.60AUD Children (4-15) $13.20AUD  Pensioners $24.10AUD

Opening Hours - 9am to 5pm, Every Day - All year

Melbourne Zoo web page 

Main promenade - Melbourne Zoo

Layout

Melbourne Zoo, the oldest zoo in Australia, opened in 1862. It is a large city zoo located four kilometres from the Melbourne CBD.   The main entrance is located on Elliott Avenue with ample parking provided off Poplar Road. A tram and rail entrance is also available at the back of the zoo.  

Main Entrance

The front main entrance opens up onto a long central avenue, that if followed will lead you straight through the centre of the zoo to the back tram and rail entrance.  The central promenade on the main avenue is the location of the zoo carousel, gift shop, bathroom facilities and food store. Smaller loop paths run off the main avenue leading you to the themed attractions and enclosures. These are roughly themed into regional animal groups from Asia, Africa, and Australia. A sea-life themed area is located close to the central circular promenade.  Food stores, rest rooms and gift stores can also be found in some of these themed areas.

The zoo is well maintained with ample shady open spaces for picnics and family activities. Lakes and landscaped rivers provide refuge to many Australian native birds and turtles that can be seen sunning themselves on logs and river banks throughout the zoo.

Extra Activities

An extensive program for meet the keeper and animal talks are scheduled daily. Kids’ activities including Keeper Kids and Growing Wild are also provided. Free guided tours can be arranged with zoo volunteers.  Wild encounter experiences can be purchased at reasonable prices – Close up encounters start at $25.00

Breeding Programs

The Lord Howe Island Stick Insect is the largest stick insect in the world and was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 2001 on an island called Balls Pyramid. Being flightless and nocturnal made this little fellow vulnerable to attack by the large population of black rats that have ravaged Lord Howe Island – but somehow at least a couple of individuals made it across 25 kilometres  of ocean to this small bit of volcanic rock. There are now approximately 30 insects on Balls Pyramid.

Melbourne Zoo is researching the rare stick insect in the hope to reintroduce it back onto Lord Howe Island once an extensive rat culling program is completed on the Island.  This cull will hopefully also allow the critically endangered wood hen – Australia’s third largest bird, to once again flourish on the island.

The Lord Howe Island Stick Insect

Stu’s Favourite Bit 

I think the only thing cuter than a meerkat- is its pups. Melbourne Zoo has a couple of great meerkat enclosures that allow you to get up close and watch these little guys play, dig, climb and enjoy each other’s company. I was lucky enough to see the latest additions to the zoo’s meerkat family - 5 cute playful pups.

Go HERE to see a selection of animals found at Melbourne Zoo at Stu @ the zoo TV

Two of the Meerkat Pups

Stu review and tips

I have a saying – “Best remembered when long forgotten”.  I say this because for this zoo it wasn’t until I left and pondered my experience that I started to appreciate the day that was.    For example, the entire time I was at the sea life section, I was critical of the theming that included thongs on poles, the dark interior that felt a little claustrophobic and somewhat stark sterile sea lion enclosure. But these entirely pale into insignificance when I remember my close up experience watching a sea lion and its handlers caring interaction. When I was at the elephant’s enclosure I was frustrated that the keepers decided to feed the elephants at the opposite side of the enclosure and away from people hoping to get a glimpse of them feeding only to get an eye full of 5 elephant bottoms instead. Looking back I doubt I would have seen the caring response from a mother elephant to its baby patiently waiting to be fed if they were fed any closer to the crowd.  I didn’t get some of the theming, to be honest I just didn’t like it, but I do appreciate that the zoo was ultimately trying to tell a story. A conservation story, that theme ran strongly right through the whole zoo.

Keeper checking sea lions mouth

Feeding time for the elephants

I did find the signage to be a little confusing and found myself walking around in circles. To be fair the map provided at entry is perfect and a much easier option than randomly walking around looking for your favourite animals.  Friends that we were with on the day, asked a good question – Why don’t more zoos provide a mobile app? I will explore this in a future post.

The zoo does get very crowded on the weekend, so turn up early if you want to park reasonably close to the main entry and avoid the crowds or take a tram or train to enter the less packed back entry. Like I always say, plan, plan, plan.

All in all this is a good city zoo with all the big ticket animals on display. The food is a little expensive but I found the whole day excellent value based on the entry price. 

Must See Animals

Sea Lions 
Gorilla 
Lion 
Tiger 
Penguin 
Meerkat 
Koala 
 
 


 © October 2013-Stuatthezoo.blogspot.com.au