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Posts Tagged ‘exhibits’

New Arrivals for 2010 at Sharks/The Coral Reef


February 8, 2010 by NickIreland • Comments Off
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

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)

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.

Trunkfish

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.


 

Hidden Gems – Alligator Alley


October 20, 2009 by JackHarvey • 1 Comment »
Posted in Around the Park, animals, conservation
A look at Alligator Alley from SeaStar Theatre.

A look at Alligator Alley from SeaStar Theatre.

SeaWorld San Antonio is a huge place; it’s one of the largest marine parks in the entire world. It’s way too big to see in an entire day, so I’m guessing there are  some of you who miss certain parts when you’re visiting or maybe  you don’t know a lot about what you’re seeing. I’m going to dedicate my next few blogs to some of these hidden places or interesting animals that you may not know a whole lot about.

Alligator Alley sits in the middle of the park between the Sea Star Theatre, Shamu’s Happy Harbor, Mango Joe’s Café, and Ski Lake. It’s home to 19 American alligators, several turtles and a few species of fish, including Japanese koi and bluegill.

American alligators can be found throughout the southeastern part of the United States in just about any freshwater area. They’re a top predator in most lake, river, stream, swamp or bayou ecosystems eating everything from fish to birds to small mammals.  As cold-blooded animals, their growth depends on their environment with warmer temperatures and more food meaning higher metabolism and faster growth. A full-size male alligator can  reach lengths of 4-4.5 m. (13.1-14.8 ft.) and weigh 180-228 kg (400-500 lbs.) The longest alligator ever recorded measured 5.72 m (19.2 ft.) and the largest males may way over 454 kg (1,000 lbs.). Here are a few more cool facts about the American alligator:Alligators 002

  • Females will lay 20-50 eggs in a large nest and protect it at all cost. The incubation temperature of the eggs determine the sex of the offspring with temperatures below 30° C (86° F) will produce mostly female young and nests with temperatures over 34° C (93° F) will produce mostly males. Nests kept between these two temperatures will produce similar numbers of both sexes.
  • The American Alligator is considered threatened due to the similarity in appearance to the endangered American crocodile. The American alligator was once endangered but through extensive conservation efforts, their numbers have increased. They are one of the few animals to be downgraded from endangered to threatened.
  • Although they look similar, alligators are different than crocodiles.  Alligators are dark colored with a broad, rounded snout and are usually found in fresh water. Crocodiles are grayish-green and prefer coastal, brackish and salt-water habitats. They have a narrow, tapered, triangular snout. Also, the fourth tooth on either side of the lower jaw of an alligator fits into an internal socket in the upper jaw so that these teeth are hidden when the mouth is closed. In a crocodile, the fourth tooth is always exposed.

If there are other exhibits in the park you’d like to know about, let me know and I’ll dig up some good facts about them too.

Thanks and Gig ‘em

Jack