The History of Sea World San Diego

by Contributing Writer

Overview

Sea World is one of San Diego's premier tourist attractions, with more than 100 million underwater sea-life lovers passing through its turnstiles since its inception in 1964. Over the years, the park has grown and changed. Shows and animals have come and gone, but the love for marine life and its main star, Shamu, has not.
History

In the 1960s, four UCLA graduates wanted to build an underwater restaurant. When they realized this would not work, they changed their plans, and thoughts of a marine park began to flourish. The friends managed to raise $1.5 million and began designing their dream park. Sea World opened on March 21, 1964, with 45 employees, a handful of dolphins, sea lions and two aquariums. Sea World was held privately until 1989, when it was purchased by Anheuser-Busch.

Geography

With its ideal climate year-round, San Diego was a perfect location for Sea World. In the early days, Sea World was a modest 22 acres located along San Diego's Mission Bay. Sea World has grown dramatically since then. Though it is in the same location, it has sprawled to more than 189 acres.
Attractions

From its modest beginnings, the park has turned itself into one of the most respected marine establishments in the world, housing more than 20,000 animals and hosting 10 interactive shows, including Shamu.
Milestones

Sea World set the stage for milestones when it enamored fans in 1965 with having the first killer whale on display. Since then, it has had many zoological achievements, including a successful killer whale birth in 2001.
Education

Sea World has always placed value on teaching kids the importance of marine life. Since 1972, it has helped more than 6 million students have a greater appreciation for underwater wildlife through sleepovers, field trips and summer camps.

Overview