This past weekend audiences got a sneak peek of “Azul.” Here are some photos from the first performances. This Friday, March 12, Azul officially opens.
Come join me and experience the lure of the sea…….
Archive for the ‘animals’ Category
Sneak Peek of Azul…
March 10, 2010 by ChrisJordan • 2 Comments »
Posted in Around the Park, Shows, animals
Getting Creative: Artistic Animals
February 17, 2010 by TriciaDees • 3 Comments »
Posted in animals, conservation
Shows are a very small part of an animal’s day here at SeaWorld. They are learning new behaviors, getting their check-ups and of course playing. We have an extensive enrichment program here at the park for all of the species we care for—from fish to whales. Environmental enrichment keeps the animals’ days engaging.
Our animals are so well cared for that their food and shelter are provided for them. Their days are also not filled with escaping from predators, so giving them environmental enrichment devices (EEDs), in other words playing with their toys, keeps the day fresh. We want to make sure all the animals get the mental stimulation they require as well as being in great physical shape. In fact, some of the animals even paint.
Sea lion art
The sea lions, Asian small-clawed otters, Pacific white-sided dolphins, penguins, walruses and even killer whales all have an artistic side to them. We use different kinds of kid-safe paint since some of the animals will stick their faces and feet in the paint. Walruses use their vibrissae (whiskers) to dip into the paint and push onto the canvas. The sea lions use a paintbrush with a modified handle they can hold in their mouth.
One of our California sea lions creating a painting with the modified paintbrush
The dolphins and killer whales use their beautifully sculpted flukes to press against the canvas. The otters and penguins use their feet for their paintbrushes.
An Asian small-clawed otter creating a piece of art
The paintings the animals create are not sold in gift shops. These unique pieces of art are only donated to charities for fundraising, such as the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund.
Are You Ready for the ‘Lure of the Sea’?
February 11, 2010 by SuzyBehne • 3 Comments »
Posted in Events, News, animals
SeaWorld is taking animal and human interaction to a whole new level.
Some feathered friends, including brightly hued macaws (like the one pictured) and sun conures, will be joining the cast and crew.
Picture yourself seated at the park’s 3,000-seat Beluga Stadium. Gaze toward the stage and watch as the beautiful new scenic elements, lighting, a cast of 22 high divers, synchronized swimmers, aerialists, bungee artists, animal trainers in colorful new costumes, and of course the real stars of the show, acrobatic Pacific white-sided dolphins and graceful beluga whales present a mystical atmosphere.
Now close your eyes for a brief moment and let your ears fill with the original music and enhanced sounds. All of this comes together to bring you, “Azul: Lure of the Sea.”
Dan Decker, the park’s executive vice president and general manager, tells us that, “Our lively new spectacle focuses on a curious ‘tourist’ who is transported to a land of strange and mystical air, land and sea creatures. “Azul” will introduce the tourist to the audience in a comical pre-show routine, so it’s important not to miss anything.”
The whole family is sure to enjoy “Azul” time and time again. This amazing show is set to premier on Friday, March 12. Don’t miss out on being some of the first to see the show. Make sure to tell us what you think about “Azul” after the premier on our Facebook fan page.
New Arrivals for 2010 at Sharks/The Coral Reef
February 8, 2010 by NickIreland • No Comments »
Posted in Around the Park, animals
This year has begun, like many others, for all of us here at SeaWorld. With opening day just around the corner, it often prompts the question: What does everyone do when there are no guests to interact with, or shows to perform in, or rides to operate? Well, even though many of our usual activities are not in full swing, we have been hard at work preparing for opening day of the 2010 season, Saturday, Feb. 27.
In the aquarium department, preparing includes fixing up our animal displays, acquiring new animals, moving other animals to different aquariums, moving animals around in the exhibits and even overhauling some of our exhibits to prepare for the arrival of the new animals.
Red Sea Golden Butterflyfish
Some of our new additions can be seen right when you walk in the door to our Sharks/The Coral Reef building. Our first aquarium now houses some new fish species including many pink, orange and yellow Anthias, or Fairy Basslets. You’ll recognize them by their brilliant colors and their tendency to stay together in groups of about a dozen fish. The biggest and most brilliantly colored one in each group is a male and all of the others are females or juveniles.
Longfin Fairy Wrasse (left), Bartlett's Anthias (center and right)
We’ve also added some small fairy wrasses. There are many different types, with brilliant shades of orange, green, blue and red. You can always spot a wrasse by the way they swim. Wrasses swim by simultaneously flapping their pectoral fins (these are the fins on each side that are like the arms of the fish) and hardly ever use their tail to propel themselves.
Also, if you look close to the reef, you may be able to spot a Trunkfish. These look like a small swimming pyramid.
Big changes are also on the way for some of our smaller aquariums, such as a new type of jellyfish and another surprise that’s on it’s way in the coming months. I can’t let the cat out of the bag just yet, but we will have an entirely new exhibit opening soon. We’ve spent many hours overhauling one of our exhibits to house some new animals I think you are going to love.
Asian Otter Exhibit Upgrade: Part 1
February 3, 2010 by KelseyMiller • 3 Comments »
Posted in Around the Park, animals
Tien, one of the park's Asian small-clawed otters.
The Asian small-clawed otter, Amblonyx cinerea , is small and deceptively cute. Don’t be fooled by their looks though, the otters that we have at SeaWorld average 6.5 pounds and can be very destructive in their exhibits. Some male otters like to scent everything in the exhibit. This means stomping all over the plants. They also rip the plants apart to use them for bedding. This is the benefit of having naturalized exhibits for the otters because we can observe some of these behaviors.
We like that the otters find their exhibits reinforcing, but we also want the exhibit to look presentable. Plants have to be hardy to survive the attentions of an Asian small-clawed otter. This year we are beginning the first stages of prepping one of the two otter exhibits for opening day at the park, Saturday, Feb. 27.
In the smaller exhibit, not much made it through last year between the heat and attentions of the otters.
This is something we do every year, but the amount of work needed can vary. This year the first steps will be getting some spots on the wall repainted and filling in areas with new dirt and some new rock work. Fortunately, the second otter exhibit has plants that have taken really well, so little work needs to be done this year.
Both otter exhibits were originally concrete deck and pools,
This is what the smaller otter exhibit looked like before our staff naturalized it.
but the Animal Care staff built waterfalls and added dirt, rocks and plants in the early 1990’s.
Smaller exhibit after its original redesign.
Be sure to check back in a few weeks for part two of the exhibit upgrade! That’s the fun part that involves picking and placing plants in the exhibit.
What Happens at SeaWorld During the Winter?
January 21, 2010 by KellyMorales • 1 Comment »
Posted in Adventure Camp, Around the Park, animals
SeaWorld San Antonio becomes such a different place when we’re not open to the public. At first glance it seems peaceful and serene, but once you look a little closer, it is still a bustle of activity!
During winter months, our Aquarium Department has the opportunity to refurbish, enhance and maybe even change the smaller aquariums in our Sharks/The Coral Reef habitat. They also are working on expanding their facilities to propagate and grow very fragile live coral species and build a space to raise frogs.
Even though we are closed and there are not any shows or guests at the community pools, the animal trainers and keepers stay busy as well. They still work with, feed and care for the animals, work on animal behaviors for shows in 2010, welcome guests on the Sea Lion and Beluga Interaction Programs, and now they are busier than ever after the arrival of the killer whale calf on January 7. As the calf swims alongside its mother, the trainers observe and record behaviors such as nursing, breathing, swimming patterns and bonding.
Did you know that it is the middle of summer for our penguins? Since penguins are naturally found in the Southern Hemisphere, they are on an “austral” season cycle, which is the opposite of what we experience. If you visited the park in July, you may have noticed that it was dark inside the Penguin Encounter. This is because July is the middle of winter in the Sub-Antarctic, where our species are naturally found. Now that we are in January, the penguins are experiencing their summertime, and are busy caring for their eggs and raising chicks recently born in the habitat.
The Education and Conservation Department is busy as well. Not only are we preparing for camp, tours and school programs for the coming year, but we recently hosted a special Adventure Camp for students from Texas A&M University at Galveston.
We also offer a special tour called Seafari, which gives our guests an opportunity to see the park when it’s not open to the public. If you have ever been curious about seeing what it would be like to visit SeaWorld and have the park to yourself, feed dolphins and sea lions away from the crowds, and get a behind-the-scenes peek at what it is like to care for the animals during our winter months, then click here to begin planning your SeaWorld experience.
Video: Killer Whale Calf Bonds With Mom
January 12, 2010 by kamichat • 3 Comments »
Posted in animals
Here is some video of SeaWorld San Antonio Killer Whale Takara bonding with her calf. Enjoy.
KILLER WHALE BORN TODAY
January 7, 2010 by DanDecker • 51 Comments »
Posted in News, animals
It’s a whale! Takara, an 18-year-old, 5,080-pound killer whale, gave birth to a calf today in the main pool of SeaWorld San Antonio’s Shamu Theater. The calf arrived at approximately 7:15 a.m. after a short period of labor.
This is an exciting event for our team members and our guests, but the first days and weeks for a young killer whale are critical. SeaWorld’s Zoological Operations will be monitoring Takara and her calf round-the-clock, watching for nursing behavior, regular respirations and other positive vital signs.
We will keep you posted on the progress.
“Who Knows What Miracles…”
December 31, 2009 by LesliePopiel • 3 Comments »
Posted in Children, Christmas Celebration, Christmas Miracles, animals
In the midst of the holiday chaos, I find myself easily lost in the hustle and bustle of shopping, baking and decorating while maintaining a full work schedule. Even at work, I get caught up with the many tasks to be accomplished and lose sight of what the holidays are really about. A small visitor recently reminded me to take a step back, slow down, and count the blessings that are all around me. I was watching through the eyes of a child…
I love this time of year because we celebrate the season at Shamu Theatre with “Shamu Christmas Miracles,” a fun-filled, action-packed, very festive show. During this show, we invite children to join in the fun and interact with the whales through the glass.
One lucky boy or girl gets the chance to step up to the glass with a trainer to give Shamu signals to perform behaviors, such as waving and dancing around in a circle. Interacting with a certain little boy is one of my fondest memories from this holiday season at the park.
The excitement and wonder was written all over this child’s face. His smile was huge, his enthusiasm contagious. In that moment, I felt the joy of being a kid myself. Like I said, it was contagious! My own smile grew and grew and I laughed as watched him waving and dancing with Shamu. I still have a silly grin plastered across my face.
Seeing a child’s expression when he sees Shamu for the first time or watching her amazement as the whales leap through the air reminds me daily of the dreams I had a child. My hope is that children young and old watching “Miracles” will remember their dreams and believe that miracles still happen.
Have a Happy New Year!
My New Year’s Resolution is to Act More like a Penguin.
December 29, 2009 by KellyMorales • Comments Off
Posted in animals
Have you ever taken the time to observe an animal? I love to sit and watch animals, and as often as I can, I try to take the time to observe and appreciate the animals around me here at SeaWorld. One of the neatest animals to just sit and watch are the penguins, and believe me, they provide endless enjoyment. Their trademark comical waddle and black and white feather tuxedo are what draw us all in, but they’re more than just funny little animals. These birds are serious survivors that can thrive in Earth’s most extreme weather. In fact, we can learn so much by watching penguins that we may even learn an important lesson or two.
1. Stay true to your commitments and never give up.
Penguins make great parents, endure many hardships and make difficult sacrifices to care for and raise their chicks. Every year, as breeding season begins, many species of penguins leap from their watery homes to travel to their nesting grounds. King and gentoo penguins my walk as far as two miles inland, and chinstrap penguins may nest on rocky slopes up to 1600 feet above sea level. Enduring exhausting travel, extreme weather, starvation, and danger from predators, both male and female penguins take turns guarding the eggs and baby chicks for a period of several months.
As we head into 2010 and prepare for what lies ahead, many of us make resolutions to eat and spend less, exercise more, improve our relationships, and become more responsible. With so many commitments and new experiences along with the uncertainty of the future, we all sometimes can feel discouraged. Take a lesson from the penguins, and remember that sometimes it is important to keep going, even if it means you have to slide around on your belly for awhile.
2. Work as a team
In the case of emperor penguins, working as a team is critical. It is a matter of survival. Emperor penguin breeding season is in the middle of the winter in Antarctica. These penguins do not build nests; rather they balance their one egg on the top of their feet. They huddle together to stay warm as a defense mechanism against the cold. As they huddle, the penguins move in a circular pattern so that everyone has a turn on the inside as well as the outside. Teamwork is such an important skill. When people work together, progress is made. We achieve goals and get things done more efficiently. When one person doesn’t pull their weight, it affects everyone around them.
3. Be loyal
Penguins are monogamous per breeding season. In other words, they remain in the same pair for the season, and if they can find the same mate next year, they will pair up again. Loyalty is one of the greatest qualities a person can possess in any type of relationship. Commitment, faithfulness, and the desire to be there for that person no matter what is a trait that is not only hard to find in people but it’s also hard to do. Stay loyal to your friends and family.
4. Take a leap of faith
As the penguin chicks grow and begin to develop their feathers, parents continue to care for them, feeding them, and teaching them the basics for survival such as how to swim. Eventually, they grow their waterproof feathers; they enter the water, and become independent from their parents. Sometimes it is important to move on and let go. This week, as we leave 2009 and head into the new year, it is time to take that next step, or leap of faith into a brave new world as these little penguins do with their first courageous leap into the sea.
As we all fledge from 2009 into 2010, never miss an opportunity to be still and observe nature. See it. Appreciate it. Love it. You never know how much you will come away with and learn about yourself in the process.
This year, I would like to resolve to become more like a penguin.
