Park visitors will get the unique chance to look behind the scenes at the inspiring day-to-day care SeaWorld San Diego animal experts provide, with the return of the popular program Inside Look, this time with a focus on “See What the Vets See.” During two weekends in September, park guests can get special, behind-the-scenes access at several animal habitats including orcas, dolphins and beluga whales, as well as a rare glimpse at SeaWorld’s Animal Health and Rescue Center. Participants will get to meet SeaWorld animal experts and veterinarians, as well as SeaWorld’s partners from Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute and Project Wildlife. SeaWorld Inside Look, which is included with park admission, will take place Sept. 7–8 and Sept. 14–15.
SPECIAL EVENT FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Local police chiefs, area companies, Special Olympics athletes and members of the community are all coming together to Plunge, Splash & Play at Aquatica SeaWorld’s Waterpark on Sunday, Sept. 8 to raise funds for Special Olympics Southern California. The fundraiser kicks off at 9 a.m. with participants taking the “plunge” into Aquatica’s Big Surf Shores attraction, a 500,000-gallon pool with swells of up to five feet. Plungers pay $50 to participate in the event, which includes the Plunge, plus music, animal encounters, a police chief challenge and more. After the morning festivities, participants are welcome to stay enjoy the waterpark for the rest of the day. For more information or to register, click here. Aquatica, with experiences ranging from high-speed thrills to the relaxing amenities of a beachside resort, is open weekends through Oct. 7. Special Olympics, celebrating 50 years, is the world’s largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities, with 4.4 million athletes in 170 countries.
HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR REAPPEARS AT SEAWORLD: San Diego’s premier family-fun, not-too-spooky Halloween festival is just around the corner. SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular kicks off at the marine park Saturday, Sept. 21 and surfaces every Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 27. Halloween activities include free candy at 10 trick-or-treat stations, the Spectacular Spooktacular Costume Party, Clyde & Seamore’s Big Halloween Bash sea lion, and otter show and more favorites. New this year, guests can chill out and enjoy the all-new Fall Festival at the Waterfront, an outdoor oasis with fall festivities and a stunning view of Mission Bay, and kids use a special scavenger hunt map to find ocean-themed pumpkins throughout the park. SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular is included with park admission.
SEA OTTER AWARENESS WEEK: For the 17th straight year, SeaWorld is proud to join zoos, aquariums, and other organizations around the state in celebrating Sea Otter Awareness Week, with special activities included with park admission Sept. 22–28. SeaWorld guests can enjoy special presentations and open house events at specified times throughout the week at the park’s Otter Outlook. Otter Outlook is home to four female California sea otters, who all came to SeaWorld through the Otter Conservation Program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The California sea otter is listed as a threatened species by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Threats include oil spills, entanglement in fishing nets and diseases. SeaWorld and Busch Gardens support conservation projects across the globe, such as sea otter preservation, through the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund.
