Inside Seaworld

Actor Dermot Mulroney Makes Feathery Friends and a Generous Contribution

Kelly Terry — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:39:54 +0000

Dermot Mulroney recently made about 300 new feathery friends at SeaWorld San Diego! During a behind-the-scenes tour at the park’s Penguin Encounter, the film actor met, among others, "King Tut, a king penguin who lives with four other species in their chilly 25-degree habitat.

Mulroney and his family also met other penguins up-close (including a macaroni, as shown below) and they fed sea turtles, interacted with dolphins and met beluga whales and walruses.

After spending an amazing day at SeaWorld, Mulroney -- who is currently co-starring in the hit movies "The Grey" and "Big Miracle" -- made a generous contribution to the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund (www.swbg-conservationfund.org).

“Thank you for the incredible experience,” he said. “We care deeply about sea creatures and we’re proud to add the Conservation Fund to our other favorite charities.”

And SeaWorld is proud to have Mulroney as a guest and as a champion for wildlife and wild places. His contribution will make a difference in the natural world we all share.

SeaWorld Orlando Announces Opening Date for TurtleTrek

Susan Flower — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:49:59 +0000

We know you’ve waited patiently and now we have great news to share! The grand opening of TurtleTrek at SeaWorld Orlando will be Friday, April 27.

TurtleTrek will give you a turtle’s eye view of the ocean’s wonders and showcase the challenges they face, and the things we can all do to help make a difference in our world. And, coming to life is a first-of-its-kind 3-D, 360-degree dome theater film that is completely immersive. The dome allows a hyper-realistic 3-D movie to be shown all around you and even above you – not just in front of you.

Plus, you’ll be able to see two massive naturalistic habitats, one filled with hundreds of freshwater fish and gentle manatees, the other home to more than 1,500 saltwater fish and more than a dozen sea turtles.

Let the countdown to TurtleTrek grand opening begin! Make your plans now to be among the first to experience TurtleTrek at SeaWorld Orlando. To learn more about this amazing new attraction and to watch incredible behind-the-scenes videos, visit seaworldturtletrek.com.

SeaWorld Orlando Now Caring for a Rescued Manatee

Mari Delgado — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 23:13:08 +0000

The male manatee was rescued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission near Fanning Springs yesterday morning and then transported to SeaWorld Orlando late yesterday. Estimated to be approximately 10 feet long and weighing around 1,000 pounds, the manatee was rescued because he was alone and was observed breathing rapidly.

Upon arrival at SeaWorld Orlando, animal care experts put him right into the medical pool due to the harsh weather conditions. This morning, animal care staff performed diagnostic blood sampling and tub-fed fluids and say the animal is doing okay, resting quietly. They’ll continue to monitor him closely over the next few days.

This is the fifth manatee rescued of 2012. SeaWorld’s animal rescue team is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to rescue, care for and return to the wild manatees, whales, sea turtles, birds and dolphins. Since the 10 parks’ rescue programs began 45 years ago, more than 20,000 animals have been rescued.

SeaWorld San Diego's Night Operations Team Rocks the Night Shift!

Kelly Terry — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:45:06 +0000

Here at SeaWorld San Diego, we always make sure that we have the highest quality and cleanest park possible. Most of our team members do their part while the gates are open, but when the gates close for the day, our Night Park Operations tags in.

It’s hard to imagine that a 25- to 30-person team can clean the entire SeaWorld Park in one night…but they do. From our strip and wax team, carpet cleaners, detail team, pressure washers and waste management team they always get the job done night after night.

Pressure Wash Team

The pressure washing team has to be one of the best in the business. Along with the day team, they can steam clean every pathway in the park within 3-4 days. That means no gum, dirt or stains while you walk the park. Not only do they take care of the pathways, but they also make sure to pressure wash the stands one stadium a night.

Strip and Wax Team

The strip and wax team mostly focuses on waxing the gift shop floors and offices, but they have also taken care of our ticket booths and our aquarium exhibits. Since the team has to make sure that everything is clear off the floor being waxed, they wax a gift shop floor one half at a time. Depending on the size of the floor they can move the furniture, wax the floor and put the furniture back all in one night. Last summer, they serviced 61 facilities and 32 exhibits.

Detail Team

Which team could detail clean 353 restrooms in one summer? Some of the hardest workers at SeaWorld are part of the Detail Team; no task is too big or small for them. I was lucky to work alongside them one summer and was in awe of their strong work ethic. When detail cleaning a restroom, they make it like new. Not only do they make sure that the floors, sinks and bathroom stalls are clean, but if there is rust they sand it off and find out what’s creating it to prevent it. The tiles and grout are cleaned with a floor scrubber, the vents are dusted, the walls are wiped down, graffiti is removed and all dispensers are refilled or replaced as needed.

Waste Management Team

Another huge part of ensuring quality and cleanliness at SeaWorld is our Waste Management Team. From the start of their shift, they are hustling from corner to corner of the park and into the parking lots as well. The waste management team is responsible for taking our big rolling trash, cardboard and food waste dumpsters behind the culinary facilities to their corresponding compactors outside the park.

Here are some interesting waste management team stats from last summer:

Trash Cans/Recycling Bins Pulled: 85,760
Dumpsters Emptied: 5,504
Parking Lot Trash Cans Pulled: 30,840

So next time you come to SeaWorld San Diego, you’ll know that the team members work hard to make sure that you have the highest quality experience possible.

SeaWorld Orlando's Bands, Brew & BBQ Rockin' Weekend

Kenny Howell — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:15:47 +0000

This past weekend two of country’s top stars visited SeaWorld Orlando to perform at Bands, Brew & BBQ Festival. Take a look at these amazing pictures that captured their experiences!

Country music superstar Trace Adkins and his family visited SeaWorld Orlando’s Key West area prior to his performance on Saturday.

Trace Adkins gets the “tails up” from one of his biggest fans during his recent visit to SeaWorld Orlando.

Trace Adkins enjoyed a surprise audition for backup singers during his recent visit to SeaWorld Orlando.

Before Grammy Award winner Kenny Rogers' performance on Sunday he got up-close and personal with a bald eagle.

The real American Idols.

This weekend's Bands, Brew & BBQ features the best in barbecue and country music featuring Doobie Brothers and Ronnie Dunn.

Cute (and Squeaky) California Sea Otter at SeaWorld San Diego

John Walker — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:56:03 +0000

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