- Approximately 100 million sharks are killed every year in
the wild, mainly for their fins, making education and conservation
essential to species preservation
- SeaWorld parks enable the public to get up close to sharks
by viewing, feeding, and interacting with more than a dozen
species
- Visitors can learn more about what it takes to care for the
more than 500 sharks at SeaWorld with tours and talks above the
aquariums
- Guests can better understand what's being done for shark
conservation at SeaWorld and see many species that are vulnerable
and endangered
- Thrill seekers can experience what it's like to move like a
shark on coasters Mako and Great White
- Shark lovers can dine next to their favorite species in
Orlando's Sharks Underwater Grill
and Bar and enjoy shark inspired cocktails in every park
- Committed to supporting shark conservation everywhere,
SeaWorld partners with nonprofit OCEARCH and the SeaWorld
Conservation Fund has donated more than $300,000 to shark research conservation
projects
DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES IMAGES HERE
ORLANDO,
Fla., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/
-- SeaWorld celebrates Shark Awareness Day today with the
ultimate shark experience for guests of all ages offering shark
interactions, education, conservation, and inspired thrills that
can be enjoyed all year round. SeaWorld provides world-class care
to more than 500 sharks. Its parks offer a range of different
choices for guests to get up close by viewing, feeding, and
interacting with more than a dozen species. Guests can learn more
about efforts to protect threatened and endangered sharks in our
parks, including being among the first to see the newest zebra
shark pups in Orlando. Thrill
seekers can buckle up for a thrilling ride on award winning
shark-inspired coasters Great White in San Antonio and Mako, the tallest roller
coaster in Orlando. When it is
time to refuel, guests can enjoy dining with sharks at Sharks
Underwater Grill and Bar in Orlando, and sip refreshing shark
inspired cocktails like the Shark-Tail in every park.
Approximately 100 million sharks are killed by people every year
in the wild, mainly for their fins, making conservation essential
to preserve the species. SeaWorld is committed to educating and
inspiring the next generation of shark conservationists through its
park experiences. It is also committed to shark conservation
outside its parks through partnerships and the SeaWorld
Conservation Fund that has donated more than $300,000 to shark research conservation
projects.
"We are privileged to care for such a diverse population of
shark species and to share these amazing creatures with the
public," said Dr. Chris Dold, Chief
Zoological Officer at SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.
"Protecting sharks is not always top of mind in part because so
many people don't understand the importance of this species and how
they help keep the ocean's ecosystem in balance. So, creating
experiences that enable the public to learn about sharks in fun and
engaging ways is essential to better understand and appreciate them
as more than just predators. We encourage shark fans everywhere to
come out to our park and support Shark Awareness Day and experience
the wonder and awe of these stealthy creatures of the deep."
Providing Park Guests with the
Ultimate Shark Experience Including Thrilling, Interactive and
Educational Encounters
SeaWorld parks provide a wide range of shark experiences and
shark themed activities including:
- Shark Encounter® offers a rare,
fascinating, up-close look at these prehistoric predators whose
ancestors dominated the sea more than a hundred million years
before the dinosaur. The aquarium habitats include several species
of sharks, rays, and fish. San
Antonio features a 450,000-gallon aquarium and San Diego's 280,000-gallon attraction features
a 57-foot acrylic tube running the length of the sharks' habitat.
Orlando's 700,000-gallon aquarium
includes one of the world's largest underwater viewing
tunnels.
- Explorer's Reef is home to several species of sharks and
in San Antonio this includes
zebra, sand tiger, blacktip, and nurse – all of which are
considered vulnerable species. Animal Care Ambassadors also share
interesting insights about these awesome animals at each habitat in
San Antonio and San Diego. In San
Diego, guests can feel what it's like to touch bamboo sharks
and the touch pools.
- Behind the Scenes Shark Tours include 'Sharks Up-Close'
in Orlando and San Antonio that enable guests to go behind
the scenes above the habitat to peer down into the shark aquariums,
learning how we care for sharks and discovering more about the
incredible diversity and design of sharks from experts. Guests also
can touch a small shark, feed several species in the shark shallows
in Orlando, and find out why these
ancient species need our help now more than ever.
- Move Like a Shark on Shark Inspired Roller Coasters
include Orlando's
Mako®, voted Number 1 for Best Roller Coaster in 2021 in
USA Today 10Best Reader's Choice award, that is named for one of
the ocean's fastest known sharks and is the tallest and faster
roller coaster in Orlando. This
hyper coaster speeds up to 73 mph and up to 200 feet high and
surges through shipwreck reef. As the first roller coaster ever at
a SeaWorld park, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Great
White roller coaster, a floorless, inverted coaster with 360-degree
flips and the grand-daddy of all SeaWorld® San
Antonio coasters. It takes riders on a nearly 50 mph floorless run
of breathtaking loops, corkscrews and thrilling curves.
- Feed the Sharks with animal feeding stations in
Orlando that enable guests to feed
sharks patrolling the Shark Shallows.
- Dine and Drink Next to Sharks at Orlando's Sharks Underwater Grill®
and Bar, recognized among the best restaurants in Orlando, and experience fascinating and
ever-changing views of sharks as they swim past while guests enjoy
an upscale full-service dining experience. Fan favorite cocktails
the Mako Margarita and the all-new Shark-Tail offer refreshing ways
for adults to cool down and beat the heat while watching these
goliaths of the deep.
In addition, informative signage teaches guests important
information about shark conservation and ways to get involved. For
example, while guests are in the queue lines for SeaWorld Orlando's
shark-inspired roller coaster, Mako, guests can learn more about
sharks through digital displays. Interactions are hosted by marine
wildlife artist and conservationist Guy
Harvey, who provides access to real science and insights to
sharks in the wild and ways humans can help protect the species.
Guests also have access to real-time shark tracking and videos of
compelling shark expeditions to better understand the importance of
this critical species.
World-Class Shark Care and Rescue
Too
Sharks at SeaWorld receive the same standard of individualized
care as every other species and animal in the park. They are
fed a nutritious diet including a variety of seafoods such as
herring, mackerel, salmon, squid, and shrimp. Every piece of
food consumed by every single shark is accounted for as part of the
individualized care each animal receives. Animal care specialists
feed adult sharks about five percent of their body weight a week
during twice weekly feeding. Every shark in our care also
receives regular health examinations that include blood draws,
weight, size and more to ensure their ongoing health is monitored
and tracked.
While shark rescues are rare, SeaWorld parks work with state and
national organizations including the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and local departments of the Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission to help. For example. SeaWorld
Orlando is home to several sand tiger sharks seized by law
enforcement from an individual who illegally collected them. Local
authorities such as the Florida Wildlife Commission enforce
restrictions on the returning of animals to open water once they
have been in human care.
Commitment to the Conservation of
Threatened and Endangered Species
Like many other species, sharks suffer many human threats such
as overfishing, entanglement, shark finning and bycatch – resulting
in a reported more than 100 million deaths annually. Today, more
than 300 species of sharks are classified as endangered, including
white sharks, whale sharks and hammerheads.
As an accredited zoological organization, SeaWorld participates
in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) SSP, a propagation
and management program in accredited zoos to preserve selected
species typically classified as threatened or endangered. In
Orlando, guests can be among the first to see new zebra shark pups
born as part of one such program. In San
Diego, guests can see Australian leopard sharks cared for as
part of maintaining sustainable populations and genetic diversity
of this endangered species.
Conservation extends beyond the parks and since 2016 SeaWorld
has partnered with global non-profit OCEARCH to support their
efforts in shark conservation through science and education.
OCEARCH helps scientists collect previously unattainable data in
the ocean and to date it has tagged 432 animals on 43 expeditions
and supported the research of 200 scientists.
OCEARCH Founder and Expedition Leader Chris Fischer said, "Our partnership with
SeaWorld has been amazing. In the early days of our relationship,
they helped us build out and broaden all the science disciplines to
maximize the amount of knowledge and data we collect from every
animal we sampled and released. In particular, their expertise in
reproductive biology is leading the way in understanding how white
sharks mate, reproduce, and give birth. We look forward to
partnering with them for many years to maximize the rate at which
we can collect data to return our oceans to balance and
abundance."
SeaWorld also supports the efforts of other third-party
conservation organizations around the world through the SeaWorld
Conservation Fund. Since 2004, the fund has donated more than
$300,000 to several research projects
that aim to further knowledge and understanding of shark species
through 3D shark tracking, exploration of vulnerable shark
habitats, autonomous underwater vehicles, birthing ground, and
shipwreck exploration, tagging and tracking, and more.
About SeaWorld Parks &
Entertainment
SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: SEAS) is a leading theme
park and entertainment company providing experiences that matter,
and inspiring guests to protect animals and the wild wonders of our
world. The Company is one of the world's foremost zoological
organizations and a global leader in animal welfare, training,
husbandry, and veterinary care. The Company collectively cares for
what it believes is one of the largest zoological collections in
the world and has helped lead advances in the care of animals. The
Company also rescues and rehabilitates marine and terrestrial
animals that are ill, injured, orphaned, or abandoned, with the
goal of returning them to the wild. The SeaWorld® rescue
team has helped more than 40,000 animals in need over the Company's
history. SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. owns or licenses a
portfolio of recognized brands including SeaWorld®,
Busch Gardens®, Aquatica®, Sesame
Place® and Sea Rescue®. Over its more than
60-year history, the Company has built a diversified portfolio of
12 destination and regional theme parks that are grouped in key
markets across the United States,
many of which showcase its one-of-a-kind zoological collection. The
Company's theme parks feature a diverse array of rides, shows and
other attractions with broad demographic appeal which deliver
memorable experiences and a strong value proposition for its
guests.
Media Contact:
Mediarelations@seaworld.com
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/seaworld-offers-the-ultimate-shark-experience-with-interactions-education-conservation-and-thrills-as-the-nation-celebrates-shark-awareness-day-today-301586579.html
SOURCE SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment