Exploring Sea World Orlando

Just before the pandemic initiated a quarantine on everyone and basically shut the entire world down to any travel, Karen and I purchased annual passes to Sea World. We had never been to Sea World Orlando and the price was right. We signed up for the Silver annual pass and a couple months later received an email complimentarily upgrading us to Gold level. Finally, we were able to visit Sea World recently. The weather was sunny, with only a very brief sprinkle just as we were leaving. After our adventure at Bok Gardens the day before, I decided to rent a scooter and was very glad I did. Cutest things – they had a canopy to shield from the rain and sun! We managed to see quite a bit of the park. Most rides weren’t operating, but exhibitions were open. And the Orca show was open, with social distancing very prominent. Many of the vendors were not open. The crowd was controlled by a reservation system. It definitely got busier by mid-afternoon, making social distancing more tricky. But as a whole, I thought everyone was very respectful of each other’s space. Wearing masks was mandatory for employees and guests alike. There are a few areas where you can remove your mask, as long as you maintain a social distance.

Sea World is more than an ‘amusement park’, it is an educational center. It is a rehabilitation center. It is a marine zoological park. Sea World has rescued over 36,000 ill, orphaned or injured animals. For more information – http://www.seaworld.com.

The Orca show was educational as well as entertaining. The Orcas are well trained as well as well cared for and eager to please.

The exhibition areas were not crowded and dimly lit, making it a challenge for me to navigate. The fish, sharks, penguins, turtles, beluga whales and more were happily swimming and were visible through underground glass windows.

Here’s a few pictures from our day at Sea World Orlando. Even the Sesame Street characters practiced social distancing as they came out on parade floats one at a time. Hi, Elmo! Hello, Cookie Monster! And of course, at least a couple flower pictures and an American flag picture to round out our day!

Silence and the sea are the best natural anti-depressants.