SeaWorld Makes Summer Splash with New Shows and Exhibits

Yoo-hoo!

Anyone who’s been to SeaWorld lately knows that’s the callout used in Cirque de la Mer, the most underrated show at the park.

Relegated to the end of the park, in part because of the show’s use of Mission Bay, Cirque is easy to miss. With most of the audience drawn to Shamu Rocks, the dolphin show, Blue Horizons and the comedic Sea Lions LIVE, Cirque is often the fallback choice for families whose children demand performing sea creatures as part of the act.

But after a long day of navigating kids through the Sesame Street Bay of Play, which can easily become the entire visit if your kids have their way, sea life exhibits and various sweet treats – churros, fresh fudge and Dippin’ Dots are among sugary temptations – Mom and Dad deserve a break.

Cirque provides that intermission. Its highflying acrobats, engaging characters and intriguing music call to mind the Cirque shows populating Las Vegas. In addition to a great show, there’s more than enough humor and wonder to entertain the kids.

Now that summer is here, the Cirque show is back and perhaps better than ever. While you may not want to make it the main reason to visit SeaWorld, it certainly should be among your go-to lineup, which will surely include the killer whale show, One Ocean.

One Ocean, which debuted on Memorial Day, replaces Believe, which enjoyed a five-year run. Similar to Believe, One Ocean impresses upon its audience the connection between humans and sea life.

Also new to the park is Turtle Reef, which officially opens June 18. A 300,000-gallon saltwater tank is home to more than 60 threatened or endangered sea turtles.

For those of us especially interested in the friendly creatures, there’s an interactive screen to track turtles’ movements and a SeaWorld employee on hand to answer questions.

The sea turtles take the place of the Manatee Rescue exhibit, which closed after the manatees were returned to Florida at the request of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

While it’s sad to no longer see the manatees, Turtle Reef is a more-than-adequate replacement to quench any thirst for knowledge of the turtles known as honu in Hawaii.

Also fairly new is the Animal Connections at Sea Harbor exhibit. Where once dwelled the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales – the park was sold to the Blackstone Group in 2009 – is a new area that houses SeaWorld’s animal ambassadors.

The day we went we were able to pet a groundhog named Digger. Born in Ohio, living in Florida and vacationing in San Diego, Digger has the kind of lifestyle that would easily turn his brother Punxsutawney Phil green with envy.

We also met an owl monkey named Daphne, who was standing in for her boyfriend, Dexter.

The Animal Connections exhibit also features several birds, poison dart frogs, a water monitor and capybara. Kids are also attracted to the honeybee station, which demonstrates bee activity in the hive.

While the Animal Connections exhibit isn’t as breathtaking as the Wild Arctic with its beluga whales and playful Commerson’s dolphins, or even as fascinating as the Penguin Encounter, it is still a worthwhile stop on the map.

A word of warning to anyone heading to SeaWorld before the Manta ride is finished in 2012: The park’s colorful maps don’t illustrate the dead-ends caused by the construction. Ask a park official when you get there for the best way to get to different exhibits, such as Shamu Stadium and the Cirque show.