SeaWorld's Big Plans: Turtle Life in 360-Degree HD and Your Personal South Pole

By Susan Clary
Published November 8, 2011

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New attractions TurtleTrek and Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin open in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Orlando – In an effort to connect more park visitors to life in the wild, SeaWorld Orlando announced Nov. 8, 2011 that it will open two new animal attractions.

TurtleTrek will follow the life of Florida's sea turtle. Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin will transport visitors to the South Pole. The new venues will open in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

"SeaWorld is going to be making waves and changing the landscape of theme parks," said Terry Prather, president of SeaWorld Orlando. "We want to change the way people see and interact with the natural world."

"This experience is going to create an emotional attachment and connection that will spark an interest in caring for the environment we live in." – Julie Scardina, animal ambassador for SeaWorld

TurtleTrek's domed theater will feature a fully animated film following the journey of a sea turtle projected in 3D/360 degrees in "high reality," a dozen times sharper than "high definition." More than 12 species of sea animals will be brought to life. SeaWorld wants to show visitors how they can personally be a part of the conservation solution.

TurtleTrek's movie is actually two films running simultaneously, one for the left eye and one for the right. It will take 34 projectors to project, more than 15 times a digital movie theater. The underwater world that surrounds guests will have 22 channels of audio.

Following the film experience, visitors will be propelled inside two massive saltwater and freshwater habitats that will feature sea turtles and manatees, many of them rescued by SeaWorld. The turtles all have been deemed non-releasable by the Florida government due to genetics, illness or being orphaned.

The attraction will be home to a variety of turtles, including hawksbill, Kemp's Ridley, loggerhead and green, plus four West Indian manatees, 200 freshwater fish and 1,500 Caribbean-native fish. Turtle Trek will open in Spring 2012.

"They're going to be able to get closer to these animals than ever before," said Julie Scardina, animal ambassador for SeaWorld, who often appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. "This experience is going to create an emotional attachment and connection that will spark an interest in caring for the environment we live in."

Though Brian Morrow, director of creative development for SeaWorld, was more secretive about the details of Antarctica: Empire of the Penguins, in dramatic fashion, the park's sneak peak included a half-dozen Rockhopper and Gentoo penguins in a specially carved ice world close enough to touch. The attraction will be SeaWorld Orlando's single biggest expansion in its 38-year history.

The park introduced its Penguin Encounter in 1987, which puts visitors in a relatively small 4,000-square-foot exhibit to watch 300 penguins and puffins cavort in 50-degree habitat. The new attraction will be an interactive ride, taking visitors through the continent, which is 98 percent ice, into a virtual experience of the life of a penguin. It promises to be the "coldest" theme park attraction in the world, which will be a nice respite during Florida's hot summer months.

"We want people to show people the challenges of living in the Antarctic," Morrow said. "We want to bring the South Pole here to Central Florida."

As an added bonus to its announcements, SeaWorld said it plans an expansion to Discovery Cove, its interactive theme park where visitors can swim with dolphins, hand-feed exotic birds and land mammals, and snorkel with tropical fish and rays. Freshwater Oasis, opening in Spring 2012, will feature face-to-face encounters with Asian otters and marmosets.

A warm-water relaxation station will have private beaches with brightly colored Adirondack chairs. There will be water-filled trails to explore at waist-deep level with rainforest canopies above. In keeping with the theme of Discovery Cove, the animals in the Freshwater Oasis will wander free with visitors.

"What's better than to be in a swimsuit with a group of otters?" Morrow said. "This puts the period to the end of your SeaWorld and Discovery Cove day."

Susan Clary is a former award-winning reporter for the St. Petersburg Times, Orlando Sentinel and CFN News13. She works as a freelance writer and editor in Winter Park and runs Compassionate Canines, a nonprofit dog rescue.