SeaWorld Orlando - 8th and 9th September
-So my last trip to Orlando was in 2018. I started off my SeaWorld Tour with a two day trip to Orlando, and I feel like I barely saw the orcas. On the first day I arrived for the 12pm show. On obviously there's only 4 orcas now, compared to 6 back in 2018. They're split as boys group (Trua and Makaio) and girls group (Nalani and Malia). Makaio has grown a lot since I last saw him. They’re two big floppy finned boys now! When arriving to orca stadium, there wasn't even a group in the show pool, both groups were in the pools behind the stage. In the show, it felt like the boys were the main performers and the girls featured towards the end. I felt like I didn't really see Nalani though, even though she was there. After the show, Cesar and I went for 12.30pm Dine with Orcas. Last time I came in 2018, the orcas weren't even in this pool, they had pilot whales. But apparently the orcas don't really like going in this pool anyway, which is unfortunate. The girls had access to the Dine pool, but only went in when their trainers told them to. Nalani kept out of it as much as possible, whereas Malia was a bit more receptive to being in there. During Dine the trainers demonstrated a few behaviours like breach and blowhole vocalisations, but not too much. After dine, we didn't see the orcas until the 6.30pm show.. which got cancelled half way through because of the weather. We didn't even see the girls during that! So overall it felt a little underwhelming that day.
Day 2, Cesar and I popped to Aquatica to see the Commerson’s dolphins - such cuties. Then we Ubered back to SeaWorld to see the 12pm show. The girls featured more in this show which was good. Then I went for the 12.30pm Dine experience again, but alone… The girls were used again, with Nalani keeping out the pool as much as possible. The boys were in the other pool enjoying hanging out under the hose. I couldn't tell who was getting the hose down from afar. But after the trainers left Malia stayed in the Dine pool. I went down to the underwater glass and watched her lapping for some time. The staff were saying it was unusual for her to be this ‘interactive’. She was only lapping past the glass. But it was lovely to see her, beautiful girl. The staff also said apparently the boys will ram the glass if they're in the pool, which isn't good. And the reason it's restricted to stand right up close to the glass is because apparently the orcas don't like the visitors.. curious.
I had my 3.45pm killer whale upclose tour - I really thought it was gunna get cancelled as the sky was looking ominous, but lucky it went ahead. We got taken to the stadium and went down to the glass. We had the boys in the pool! I was in Makaio’s group and I was first up to have my photo with him. Lovely boy. He loved doing the gurgle belches lol. The trainer got him to do some pec slaps, underwater vocals and then splashes.. I allowed myself to get semi-wet by him, not fully soaked ahah. The experience was probably less than 30 minutes tbh.
Then I returned for the 6.30pm show and it did go ahead. Boys and girls used fairly equally this time, I think..and at the end, Nalani and Malia were left in the show pool. They were lapping around together. The trainers drew a net across one of the seperators which I was told was the sign that they will be staying in the pool overnight.
But yes it's a very different experience now… It just feels like there's barely any opportunity to see the orcas. After being in Japan and China where there's all day access to the orcas, this is way more disappointing…but I did know it would be, I just didn't know it would be this bad. Loro Parque is also restrictive, but you at least have better views of the orcas when the stadium is open for the show as there's usually someone lapping in the show pool, and it's possible to see them unrestricted in the back pools. It's also disappointing as Orlando is one of the OG orca parks, but it's not the same anymore. I also don't understand the reason for the bars on the trainer stage, yet the trainers hug and rubdown the orcas on the slide out, so the trainers aren't exactly ‘safe’ then. Strange logic. But it is always surreal to remember that this is the park where ‘the death’ happened and realising it was in the Dine pool as well.. 16.5 years ago, crazy. But yeah it's disappointing how SeaWorld is expensive for not a lot..
SeaWorld San Antonio - 11th to 13th September
-My first time back in San Antonio in 14 years, and first time back to SeaWorld in 15 years! So the morning of my flight I discovered that Leo, who I met at Orlando was going to be going to San Antonio too! Through his connections to the trainers there, he managed to get me a complimentary pass for Friday which was great! Totally unexpected. I didn't arrive until 4.30pm and met Leo at Discovery Point. I saw the bottlenose dolphins there. Then we went over to the Lags and ‘Lugas stadium for that show. I love lags so much. Such great acrobats! Then time for the 6.15pm orca show. We sat on the stadium side of Kyuquot and Takara. Tuar and Kyuquot were in the showpool before the show. This already made it better than Orlando, getting to see the orcas in their free time! Tuar was lapping and being vocal, whereas Ky was just chilling by the gate. The show featured both the boys and girls! Crazy to see how big Tuar and Sakari were now compared to 15 years ago! We hung around for the opening night of Moonlight Mayhem.. lol Sakari hijacked the show but she killed the momentum with a very lackluster splash segment. Oops!
But yeah over the weekend, I basically spent opening until close at SeaWorld. The days went pretty quick. On Saturday there were 4 shows, and Sunday there were 3. I enjoyed getting in as soon as the stadium opened so I could see who was in the showpool beforehand. Sometimes it was the girls, sometimes the boys, and sometimes none. The boys were typically more chill. The girls were more inclined to splash the audience on their own accord - Sakari got me wet twice, thanks girl 😂. The shows varied in how long the boys and girls featured..sometimes it was 50/50, sometimes it'd be more boy heavy. For the second Moonlight Mayhem show, it was boys only..I guess because Sakari ‘spoiled’ the first night they wanted to ensure the boys made a more impressive splash section aha.
On the Saturday, Leo and I booked to do Dine with Orcas, but we had separate tables.. we had the girls, Sakari and Takara. Takara was doing laps where she'd go half way around the pool upside down and then surface upright near the slideout. Sakari did some aerial behaviours during the trainer segment, which Leo said is not common. So that was cool. The food was really good to, lots of variety! Again, better than Orlando!
On Sunday we did the Orca Close Up Tour… This time we had the boys. I was a little disappointed as I would've liked to have met Sakari at the glass. But Leo and I split again, where I wanted Ky and Leo wanted Tuar. The tour was also way better than Orlando. The trainer, Jacob, gave us much longer with the orcas than what Orlando gave. I got my photos then Jacob got me to do some behaviours with Ky, such as vocalising and waving. Cutie. Such a big beautiful boy.
Aside from the inhumane heat, I much preferred my time in San Antonio. I felt like I really got to see more of the orcas compared to Orlando, even though the stadium opening times are still restricted - it makes such a difference to have access to see the orcas before the show in the showpool. It's a bit like Loro Parque in this way. Obviously both Orlando and San Antonio have only four orcas each, so it feels like I'm ‘improving’ with each park where my next and final stop will be seeing the 8 orcas at San Diego!
Well San Diego is my most recent park, having been only 3.5 years ago. So it’s still all the same group, everyone is still around which is good. Whereas SeaWorld Orlando was previously home of the icon orcas (Katina, Tilikum, Kalina, Taima) back in the 90s/00s, I’d say that SeaWorld San Diego definitely takes the title of having the icon orcas now (Corky, Ulises, Orkid, Keet). I’m so grateful that Corky is still around, she really is such a legend. And so I was delighted that she was one of the first orcas that I saw when I arrived at the park. I headed straight to the Dine pool and Corky and Ike were there. Ike was spyhopped and Corky did a tailslap. She swam past the glass and checked me out! Then Shouka and Makani came into the pool. Shouka came to the glass to check out my toys and was vocalising, so cute! Ike was basically chilling, Makani lapped a bit and then went over near the gate, and Corky was continuing upside down laps, but she did check me out again, eep! Just couldn’t keep her there long enough. The group were sent out the Dine pool just before 11am to have time with their trainers. I went into the stadium when it opened at 11:30am. Makani was chilling under the jets and Shouka was swimming in and out between the showpool and back right pool. She also went over the stage slideout that connects the two pools aha. Makani then went to chill by the showpool glass. Looked as if he had a faded patch on his head. Sun burn? In the show were Corky, Ikaika, Shouka and Makani. Even though it was the same script as Orlando and San Antonio, I was relieved the recorded video was different at least!
After the show I went for my Dine with orcas. I had the other group, yay - Kalia, Orkid, Keet and Ulises. I had Orkid closest to me. Beautiful girl. We saw lots of aerial behaviours and spyhops and slideouts during the Dine. Orkid and Kalia were sent out and the boys stayed. I had Ulises and Keet individually keep spyhopping right next to me, it was awesome! I stayed the full time for Dine, then continued to watch Ulises and Keet from a different view point. They were mainly hanging near the gate, just chilling. They’d alternate who would take turns to go and spyhop haha. I could see Kalia was on the other side of the gate though, hanging and spyhopping too. Keet was vocalising and blowing bubbles underwater a lot ahah. I left the park around 3:25pm to then go for a sunset whale watch cruise.
The following day, I headed straight to the orcas when I arrived but the Dine pool was empty. Well, the gate was open but they were in the mid pools. Shouka and Ulises were coming in and out. It looked as if they were hosting a late breakfast for SeaWorld staff so I went on some rides. When I came back, Keet was around the trainer stage and Ulises was hanging underwater near the gate. I went into the stadium before the 12pm show. Orkid and Shouka were lapping and did a bit of synch swimming. Then Makani and Kalia swapped out. In the show were Shouka, Orkid, Kalia, Makani, Ulises and Keet. After the show, Ulises and Keet were enjoying massages from the jets.
I did my orca close up tour. It was just me and one other person. We got to watch the orcas having a ‘race’ through all the pools, and doing porpoising. Kalia was up front and Keet at the back haha. Shouka got sent over to the slideout to pose, pretty girl. Then we had Kalia at the glass. I got to do a fluke pump, wave and vocalisations with her. Pretty girl. And photos, of course. After the tour I got food and watched Corky and Ikaika in the Dine pool. I watched the end of the trainer session - some breaches and spyhops. Then after they chilled. Ike was hanging by the stage, Corky doing upside down laps as always. I went and did some more rides, then came back to the stadium at 3.30pm for the second show. Shouka was in and out of the showpool. In the show was Makani, Kalia and Shouka. Then after the show I went back to Dine and watched Ikaika and Corky doing laps until it was closing time.
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So as already mentioned, I felt like the parks improved with each one I went to. Orlando is the least enjoyable with the least access to orcas for me. San Antonio was good, I enjoyed the Dine and Close up experience and the night shows. However San Diego is the best as it has the most orcas and the all day access to them. I had actually purchased a 2027 Fun Card for San Diego, so I think I will try and squeeze in another trip there next year!
