Orca Encounter: A Killer Whale Experience
While orcas still live at SeaWorld they’ll be given something to do in the “Shamu” show. When the orcas start to fly, the crowd comes alive. Closed-circuit TV cameras capture and display the spectacle on four huge, aging rotating screens as the animals thunder dauntingly through the water’s surface, pointedly deluging seating sections in 52 F (14 C) water. The 25-minute plotless show occurs on such a scale as to make it required viewing. Now that trainers are no longer permitted to swim in the tank, they narrate from the sides, and they have to vamp for long periods if the orcas aren’t in the mood to exercise on cue. Trainers fill the gaps with quasi-inspirational scripted gibberish and some defensive patter about how carefully they observe the health of their captive orcas. But you instantly forget about the flaws when the animals reappear to leap skyward and belly flop back into their tank.
The stadium, which fits 5,000 and can still fill early, is covered, but the sides may catch sun, so arrive at least 30 minutes early. Strategy: Soak zone seats offer excellent views of the animals hurtling through the 2.5-million-gallon, 36-feet-deep tank, and in case the splashes miss you, the dozens of fountain jets will finish the job. Seats near the shelflike front platform will also have a close-up view of a killer whale out of the water. Seats at the back of the stadium, higher than the central aisle, must rely on the TV cameras to make out what’s going on underwater. Using the SeaWorld Discover Guide app, you can book reserved seating until 15 minutes ahead, but that’s not usually necessary. Shamu Stadium, Sea of Power.
While orcas still live at SeaWorld they’ll be given something to do in the “Shamu” show. When the orcas start to fly, the crowd comes alive. Closed-circuit TV cameras capture and display the spectacle on four huge, aging rotating screens as the animals thunder dauntingly through the water’s surface, pointedly deluging seating sections in 52 F (14 C) water. The 25-minute plotless show occurs on such a scale as to make it required viewing. Now that trainers are no longer permitted to swim in the tank, they narrate from the sides, and they have to vamp for long periods if the orcas aren’t in the mood to exercise on cue. Trainers fill the gaps with quasi-inspirational scripted gibberish and some defensive patter about how carefully they observe the health of their captive orcas. But you instantly forget about the flaws when the animals reappear to leap skyward and belly flop back into their tank.
The stadium, which fits 5,000 and can still fill early, is covered, but the sides may catch sun, so arrive at least 30 minutes early. Strategy: Soak zone seats offer excellent views of the animals hurtling through the 2.5-million-gallon, 36-feet-deep tank, and in case the splashes miss you, the dozens of fountain jets will finish the job. Seats near the shelflike front platform will also have a close-up view of a killer whale out of the water. Seats at the back of the stadium, higher than the central aisle, must rely on the TV cameras to make out what’s going on underwater. Using the SeaWorld Discover Guide app, you can book reserved seating until 15 minutes ahead, but that’s not usually necessary. Shamu Stadium, Sea of Power.
Details
Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
