Sea World

Sea World is an aquarium adventure and amusement park with three locations: San Diego, California, Orlando, Florida and San Antonio, Texas. All locations feature trained aquatic animal shows, aquarium exhibits, rides and other assorted activities meant to both educate and entertain individuals of all ages. Sea World San Diego is the original location, and is famous for housing Shamu the killer whale. Shamu performs shows regularly. http://www.seaworld.com/

Tickets to all Sea World parks may be purchased on-site, or at the official Sea World website (Seaworld.com). Sea World coupons and other promotional specials are occasionally made available.

Dawn Brancheau, a trainer with 16 years of experience, was killed on February 24, 2010, when the killer whale attacked her at the Sea World Orlando location.

Specattors reported that the whale grabbed her and violently shook her, then dragged her beneath the water. There are conflicting reports as to whether she slipped and fell, or the whale grabbed her off the platform.http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/AmazingAnimals/whale-kills-trainer-sea-worlds-shamu-stadium/story?id=9932526<ref>

The whale, Tillikum, was previously involved in two deaths, and is kept in isolation while officials decide what to do with him.

More information: Sea World Killer Whale Attack

The Sea World story began when four graduates of the University of California Los Angeles set out to open an underwater restaurant in 1964. While their original idea never came into fruition, the group did eventually open a 22-acre zoological marine park by the beach of San Diego's Mission Bay. The original park was home to 2 saltwater aquariums, a few sea lions and some dolphins. The park was an instant success, prompting Sea World to expand. By 1968, the park went from a privately-owned company to a public one, offering stocks.

The second Sea World in Aurora, Ohio (now defunct) was opened in 1970. Then the Orlando location opened in 1973, followed by the San Antonio Sea World (the biggest one yet) in 1988. http://www.seaworld.org/education-programs/swc/history/index.htm