Emperor penguins, the only breeding colony in the entire western hemisphere, waddle and play along with five other cold-weather species in SeaWorld’s famous Penguin Encounter. Wild Arctic is home to several beloved arctic species including beluga whales, northern sea otters and Pacific walruses, among only a handful of walruses that can be seen in a zoological setting in North America.

For those who want to get even closer to marine life, SeaWorld's reservation-only animal encounters can be a dream come true. The Dolphin Encounter is a poolside experience that allows participants to touch and interact with bottlenose dolphins; or, for a change of pace, slow things down with a Sloth Encounter, a one-of-a-kind chance to meet a two-toed sloth up close.

A visit to SeaWorld San Diego makes an ocean of a difference. Over the last 55 years, SeaWorld’s esteemed Rescue Team has rescued and returned more than 37,000 animals found ill, injured or stranded along the beaches of the local coastline. Behind the scenes at SeaWorld, passionate zoological team members care for these animals in an effort to rehabilitate and return them to the wild, giving them a second chance at life. A portion of every guest’s park visit goes to SeaWorld’s rescue and conservation efforts.

SeaWorld is operating as a licensed and accredited zoo. Reservations are required to manage capacity for the health and safety of our guests and to comply with state and local governmental requirements. Rides, rollercoasters and some attractions are temporarily closed at this time due to current state of California COVID-19 guidelines.

Health and safety is SeaWorld’s priority. Visitors are required to wear a face covering and practice physical distancing. Guests may experience longer than usual wait times to enter indoor animal exhibits. This is due to state and local governmental requirements that limit indoor capacity to 25%.

Looking ahead, SeaWorld is awaiting theme park guidelines that will eventually allow the reopening of several adrenalin-pumping rides, including San Diego’s fastest coaster, Electric Eel, and the family-favorite launch coaster Manta. Coming in 2021 is the launch of Emperor -- California’s tallest, fastest floorless dive coaster!