Sun-drenched SeaWorld San Diego is the sum of its parts and so much more. It’s a zoo, an aquarium, a thrill-ride theme park, and a vital animal research facility. Sprawling across nearly 200 acres on San Diego's Mission Bay, this park will educate you, entertain you, and amp up your adrenaline with its exciting rides. You could spend a few days exploring the park, but don’t miss these five things to do at SeaWorld San Diego:
Ride the Electric Eel and more coasters
Over the years, SeaWorld San Diego has become a hotbed for thrill rides. Take a lap on San Diego’s tallest, fastest roller coaster, the Electric Eel, which soars to 150 feet with multiple loops, twists, and inversions. Inspired by the park’s tallest penguin residents, Emperor is the tallest, fastest, and longest “dive” coaster on the West Coast.
The slightly tamer Manta coaster roars across the park at 45 miles per hour, while Shipwreck Rapids features wheel-shaped rafts and Journey to Atlantis offers a flume ride that plunges 60 heart-stopping feet—and will soak you to the skin. The family-friendly Arctic Rescue, meanwhile, places you on a snowmobile-shaped car as you zip around a track. Afterward, explore the habitat for walruses and beluga whales and learn about SeaWorld's real-life rescue operation.
Learn at the Penguin Encounter
Roll along the moving sidewalk in the Penguin Encounter past a colony of 300 penguins, including tall Emperor penguins and smaller Adélie, Gentoo, and Macaroni penguins. These adorable tuxedo-wearing birds hang out, swim, waddle, and slide on their bellies in a simulated Antarctic.
Sign up for the Penguins Up-Close Tour and you can meet a penguin face-to-face and learn more about these extraordinary birds.
Get up close to dolphins
In the Dolphin Encounter, you’ll stand poolside with a dolphin trainer and get up close and personal with utterly charming bottlenose dolphins. You’ll learn a few hand signals to communicate with these super-smart creatures, who seem as eager to please as golden retrievers.
For an even bigger once-in-a-lifetime thrill, the Dolphin Interaction Program lets you don a wetsuit and get in the water to touch, feed, and play with the animals.
Get splashed at the Sea Lion & Otter Spotlight
Two of the most popular residents at SeaWorld San Diego are Clyde and Seamore, the acrobatic comedy duo of hilarious sea lions who seem to get a genuine kick out of performing for—and splashing—the audience. They don’t mind posing for photos, either.
Sharing the stage with them are a few mischievous, cuddly-cute Asian small-clawed otters who do their best to trip up the show’s bumbling newbie intern, Neutron.
Bask in the presence of beluga whales
Enjoy a one-on-one experience with beluga whales—snow-white denizens of frigid Arctic waters known for their curious temperaments and cheerful-sounding calls. You’ll go behind-the-scenes at the Wild Arctic habitat and meet the gentle belugas and whiskered, long-tusked walruses at poolside.
More things to do in San Diego
SeaWorld San Diego is just one of the must-see attractions in San Diego. To explore more facets of the theme park, check out these rides at SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld San Diego for small children. For more theme park fun, head to its partner attraction Sesame Place San Diego, which offers rides, water slides, and sightings of the Cookie Monster, Big Bird, and Elmo in nearby Chula Vista.
As you plan your San Diego getaway, consider these family-friendly vacation ideas and more fun ways to play in San Diego.