“Rescue Jr.”: New Children’s Area at SeaWorld San Diego

(eap) Under the name “Rescue Jr.”, a new children’s area with numerous interactive play options, activities and several rides was recently opened at the Californian SeaWorld San Diego theme park. It replaces the former “Sesame Street’s Bay of Play” and is the first and only of its kind in a SeaWorld park. The theme here is all about the rescue and protection of marine life, for which guests should be sensitized in a playful way. As one of the largest marine animal rescue organizations, SeaWorld has helped more than 40,000 sick, orphaned and stranded animals in more than 50 years.

Highlights of the new area include the “Rescue Bay Splash Zone”, a splash pad area with water spray jets and a large boat. Guests will be able to prove their mental and physical strength in the “Rescue Training Obstacle Course”, a new dry play area with three play offerings, the “Nautical Net Climb”, “Breakwater Bounce” and “Tadpole Play”, featuring an elevated network of nets, an inflated air bag floor for jumping and a soft play area. In the “Rescue Jr. Play Yard”, children can play interactive role-playing games. The three new rides – the “Rescue Rafter”, the “Rescue Riders” and the “Tidepool Twist” – are also all about animal rescue. These rides were supplied by the Italian company I.E. Park.

“No matter how young, my hope is that all guests come away with a better understanding of how important it is to be a part of protecting the animals around us and maybe we can be the spark that ignites a passion in kids to become animal rescuers, scientists, veterinarians or conservationists,” said Jim Lake, SeaWorld San Diego Park President.

By the way, with “Arctic Rescue” (see Just Opened in EAP issue 4/2023, p. 46), the park’s sixth rollercoaster went into operation at the beginning of June – according to the park, the longest and fastest straddle coaster on the West Coaster of the USA. The family-friendly ride from Intamin lets passengers race through an Arctic landscape on “snowmobiles” at up to 40 km/h. ■