SeaWorld Orlando has some big changes planned for 2020. The park’s centerpiece orca show “One Ocean” will be replaced by “Orca Encounter,” according to the Orlando Sentinel.
- The final day for “One Ocean” will be December 31.
- The show debuted at SeaWorld Orlando in April 2011.
- The new “Orca Encounter” will take over at Shamu Stadium on January 1.
- SeaWorld San Diego has presented “Orca Encounter” for a few years. The show features an educational tone, with facts presented by an unseen narrator.
- The show will also feature familiar elements from “One Ocean,” including a goodbye wave from the whales at the end of the 23-minute show.
- “One Ocean” featured a conservation theme and was SeaWorld’s first show to not include trainers in the water with the killer whales.
- Dennis Speigel, CEO of International Theme Park Services, pointed out a growing interest in conservation aspects in the attractions industry.
What they’re saying:
- Chris Dold, chief zoological officer at Orlando-based SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment: “Guests will learn about killer whales’ role in the ocean ecosystem, behaviors the animals exhibit in the wild, the importance of conservation to their habitat and animal welfare practices at SeaWorld. This educational presentation reflects our company’s mission to inspire people and protect the animals and wild wonders of our world through education, research, animal rescue and conservation.”
- Dennis Speigel, CEO of International Theme Park Services: “They’ve got a new regime now, and I’m sure they’ve looked at this and studied it and said this will help put us back on track and this is the wave, literally, of the future.”