by SeaWorld San Diego recently revealed its latest generation Orca Encounter, an immersive experience aimed at enhancing public awareness of the park’s cherished and longstanding ambassadors, building on 60 years of marine animal rescue and teaching.
The new program offers a more intimate, motivational, and instructive look at orcas, their natural behaviors, and the strong human-animal ties that define their care, according to SeaWorld, which claimed it is part of its continued commitment to providing outstanding guest experiences and world-class animal care.
This new iteration of Orca Encounter is a true love letter to SeaWorld San Diego, the whales, and our visitors. Senior zoological specialist Blake Foster stated. Being able to collaborate with so many gifted individuals who put so much of their hearts into this park was truly unique, and for that I am immensely thankful.
According to Foster, who has worked at SeaWorld for five years, the show builds on previous presentations to make it more interesting, motivating, and educational.
In a way that emotionally engages visitors and cultivates a greater respect for the whales and their wild counterparts, our new Orca Encounter showcases the natural behaviors, intelligence, and social dynamics of the whales, Foster said. Orca Encounter gives visitors an inside look at how we take care of the whales and emphasizes the bond between trainers and whales, which is based on trust and positive reinforcement.
According to Foster, visitors will have the chance to get to know each whale’s personality in addition to learning about the overall traits of the orcas.
According to Foster, no two orcas are alike, and this presentation allows them to express their uniqueness. Whether it’s seeing a high-energy exercise behavior like a breach or a fun interaction between a whale and a guest, those are the moments that develop genuine connections. It is crucial that guests perceive the whales as unique individuals in order to care for these amazing creatures.
The program also emphasizes the orcas’ and the park’s committed veterinary team’s behind-the-scenes contributions to important marine science. These creatures are essential to innovative studies that try to save threatened wild populations, such as the Pacific Northwest’s Southern Resident killer whales. They have used drone images to support research on physical condition, hearing, metabolism, and heart rate.
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Eric Otjen, vice president of zoological operations at SeaWorld San Diego, stated, “Our animal care team is dedicated to these animals, often spending more time with the orcas than they do with their own families.” This presentation honors those ties as well as our capacity to motivate change via communication and instruction.
Foster is also fully aware of the connections made available by SeaWorld. He even claimed to still recall his first orca sighting as a 4-year-old.
According to Foster, I want visitors leave feeling awed and more respectful of orcas, our oceans, and all the wildlife that live there. I genuinely think we can motivate people to take action to protect our oceans.
Visit SeaWorldSanDiego.com to learn more about SeaWorld San Diego or Orca Encounter.
