CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION RINGS ON THROUGH JAN. 6
SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration is in full swing now through Jan. 6, 2019 with Santa, sea lions, and so much more! The park is decked out with more than one million holiday lights and festive décor around every corner, and there’s
something for everyone in the family: the breathtaking live nativity musical O Wondrous Night with
more than 30 carols, storytelling puppets, and live animals; Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and
friends at Rudolph’s Christmastown; Santa’s Christmas Village, a winter wonderland with snow,
story time with Mrs. Claus, visits with Santa and merry moments with Santa’s elves; the Dolphin
Island Christmas show; and Clyde & Seamore’s Christmas Special, starring SeaWorld’s prank-loving
California sea lions.
Plus, new this year is Rudolph’s Movie Experience, shown daily in Mission Bay
Theater, and Elmo’s Christmas dance party in Sesame Street Bay of Play area. Also new is the Three
Kings Procession, Jan. 1-6 only. For more information visit: www.SeaWorldSanDiego.com.
’TIS ALSO THE SEASON FOR PENGUIN BREEDING: SeaWorld’s Penguin Encounter has welcomed
more than a dozen penguin chicks (Gentoo and Macaroni), with more on the way. The chicks are
being parent raised in the breeding rookery inside the 25-degree habitat. The incubation period for
these species lasts approximately 37 days; after hatching, parents shelter their chicks to keep them
warm until chicks are too large to fit under the parent. Penguin chicks grow very quickly, doubling
their weight from day 1 to day 7; by day 14, the chicks no longer fully fit under the parent; by day 21,
they weigh nearly three pounds and have grown in a second coat of down feathers. By this time they
stand next to the parents or join with other chicks of similar age in a group called a crèche; by about
three months of age, the chicks will have waterproof feathers and learn to swim.
SeaWorld is world renowned for its penguin breeding program, with more than 1,000 chicks hatched since 1980,
including the world’s first emperor penguin in a zoological setting. The Penguin Encounter is home
to nearly 400 penguins representing Gentoo, Adélie, Macaroni, King, Chinstrap, and Emperor.
Magellanic penguins, a warm-weather species native to South America, live in a habitat just outside
the Encounter; and Humboldt penguins can be seen during behind-the-scenes tours. Penguins are
the second most endangered of all seabirds, and all of SeaWorld’s penguins are part of SSPs (Species
Survival Plans), which were established to address the concerns of population sustainability based
on genetic variability and demographic representation.
PUT A LITTLE SEAWORLD IN SOMEONE’S STOCKING THIS YEAR: Looking for the perfect holiday
gift for that special someone who loves marine life? SeaWorld has it all, and it all fits in a Christmas
stocking! Here’s just a few SeaWorld gift ideas that will surprise and delight: the 2019 SeaWorld Fun
Card, new animal experiences starting at just $35, All-Day Dining passes and SeaWorld’s Dolphin
Interaction Program or the Beluga Interaction Program. With a 2019 SeaWorld Fun Card in hand, loved
ones can visit the marine park for the rest of this year–including all of SeaWorld’s Christmas
Celebration–plus come back in 2019 to enjoy spectacular seasonal events, and be among the first to
ride SeaWorld’s new, first-of-its kind coaster, Tidal Twister, scheduled to open in time for summer.
HOLIDAY BOWL TEAM DAY AT SEAWORLD: Football players and coaches from Northwestern
University will enjoy a visit to Southern California’s premier marine-life park Friday, Dec. 28. The
Wildcats will meet some of SeaWorld’s most beloved animals up close and take in a little holiday
cheer during SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration. The visit to SeaWorld is a fun outing while the team
is in town for the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 31 at SDCCU Stadium, when the Wildcats will take on the
Utah Utes. The Holiday Bowl has been a tradition in San Diego since 1978.
