OOTL: SeaWorld San Diego Unveils New Turtle Reef

Just three days ago, SeaWorld San Diego opened a whole new area, dedicated to sea turtles. It includes a new flat ride and, of course, a sea turtle exhibit. Read more about this new area, from the Inside SeaWorld Blog:

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SeaWorld San Diego Officially Unveils Turtle Reef

It’s official: Turtle Reef is open to the public! [On June 18, 2011] SeaWorld San Diego’s Park President John Reilly and local conservation organizations commemorated the opening by cutting a kelp ribbon in front of hundreds of park guests, who were among the first to see threatened and endangered sea turtles swimming in their brand new 300,000-gallon aquarium.

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Turtle Reef allows guests to get an up-close look at more than 60 threatened and endangered sea turtles and learn about the threats the species face.  In addition, it features thousands of tropical fish, interactive educational activities and an exciting ride. 

A coral reef themed habitat, the attraction’s focal point, features adult hawksbill and green sea turtles — some more than 50 years old — tropical fish, and juvenile green sea turtles that hatched at the park in 2009.

© 2011 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

“We are thrilled to feature these amazing creatures, some of which are endangered species,” said Thad Dirksen, SeaWorld’s curator of fishes.  “Our hatchlings are a testament to our stellar husbandry practices and ability to design habitats that allow animals to thrive.”

As guests make their way through Turtle Reef, they embark upon the life cycle of sea turtles, learning about how they nest, where they live, what they eat and the threats they face in the wild.  This total immersive experience includes Turtlelink, a touch-screen map that highlights SeaWorld’s rescue and conservation efforts, as well as tracks sea turtles in the wild.  Turtle Reef also includes Race for the Beach, an educational, motion-controlled video game that pits participants against other to illustrate sea turtles’ daunting sea-to-shore journey.

© 2011 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

  

Dual cylindrical-shaped aquariums — one with jellyfish, another with plastic bags that can be mistaken for food — help illustrate how sea turtles often confuse trash for food.   To further demonstrate SeaWorld's commitment to conservation and the environment, the park has eliminated all plastic bags from gift shops. This move will save more than 1 million plastic bags from circulation each year and educate millions of guests.

“I think it’s important for our guests to learn how they too can play a role in keeping trash and pollution out of the sea turtles’ ocean environment,” said Dirksen.  “We’re glad to be environmentally responsible by eliminating the use of plastic bags in our park,” Dirksen added.

A new ride in the plaza at Turtle Reef called Riptide Rescue, enhances the attraction’s adventures as passengers spin in gondola-raft boats on a turtle rescue mission of their own.

© 2011 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

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Really nice area. Sea Turtles are a really endangered species, so it is nice to be able to learn more about them. I wouldn't be surprised to see this new area coming to SeaWorld Orlando!

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