SeaWorld Orlando's killer whales took shelter during hurricanes Charley and Frances beneath 30 feet of cool water, comfortably oblivious to the maelstrom above.
The gushing wind that ripped shingles from homes and limbs from trees did little to SeaWorld, where most of the inhabitants dwell in fortified tanks and recessed ponds.
"These are steel fortresses here," said Chuck Tompkins, the attraction's vice president for animal training. "It would take a 200-mile-an-hour wind to do any damage to these structures."
SeaWorld took the usual precautions for Hurricane Ivan. Even if the powerful storm had veered toward Central Florida, Tompkins said the marine-life park would have suffered little damage.
"Our biggest job at Shamu Stadium is to make sure no foreign objects like chairs fall in the water," Tompkins said. "For us, it's a question of having the right people here to respond if the need arises."
SeaWorld has generators to power the park if the electricity goes out. And if the primary generators fail, the complex has a backup set to keep things going.
About 100 of the parks 2,500 workers stay on site during hurricanes, keeping an eye on the animals and their support systems.
SeaWorld has a small number of birds that it shelters during storms, but its maritime population mostly stays in place. Tompkins said that many of the creatures instinctually know what to do when a storm whips across the water above them.
"Dolphins are in hurricanes all the time," Tompkins said. Like the whales, the dolphins stay protected in their tanks.
Sea lions in the Pacific Point Preserve also cope well, Tompkins said. The recessed exhibit resembles the rocky shoreline of the Pacific Northwest, where sea lions abound.
Tompkins said the sea lions cope with forceful winds, seeking shelter in the crevices and grottos of the exhibition tank.
He said SeaWorld's hurricane plan worked well during Charley and Frances.
"We had very little damage to speak of from the two hurricanes," Tompkins said. "If a storm hits us again, we will have hundreds of employees at work as soon as it passes, going to work on whatever needs attention."
Christopher Boyd can be reached at cboyd@orlandosentinel.comor 407-420-5723.
The gushing wind that ripped shingles from homes and limbs from trees did little to SeaWorld, where most of the inhabitants dwell in fortified tanks and recessed ponds.
"These are steel fortresses here," said Chuck Tompkins, the attraction's vice president for animal training. "It would take a 200-mile-an-hour wind to do any damage to these structures."
SeaWorld took the usual precautions for Hurricane Ivan. Even if the powerful storm had veered toward Central Florida, Tompkins said the marine-life park would have suffered little damage.
"Our biggest job at Shamu Stadium is to make sure no foreign objects like chairs fall in the water," Tompkins said. "For us, it's a question of having the right people here to respond if the need arises."
SeaWorld has generators to power the park if the electricity goes out. And if the primary generators fail, the complex has a backup set to keep things going.
About 100 of the parks 2,500 workers stay on site during hurricanes, keeping an eye on the animals and their support systems.
SeaWorld has a small number of birds that it shelters during storms, but its maritime population mostly stays in place. Tompkins said that many of the creatures instinctually know what to do when a storm whips across the water above them.
"Dolphins are in hurricanes all the time," Tompkins said. Like the whales, the dolphins stay protected in their tanks.
Sea lions in the Pacific Point Preserve also cope well, Tompkins said. The recessed exhibit resembles the rocky shoreline of the Pacific Northwest, where sea lions abound.
Tompkins said the sea lions cope with forceful winds, seeking shelter in the crevices and grottos of the exhibition tank.
He said SeaWorld's hurricane plan worked well during Charley and Frances.
"We had very little damage to speak of from the two hurricanes," Tompkins said. "If a storm hits us again, we will have hundreds of employees at work as soon as it passes, going to work on whatever needs attention."
Christopher Boyd can be reached at cboyd@orlandosentinel.comor 407-420-5723.
