Shark-filled waters await
By Todd Pack
Sentinel Staff Writer
October 3, 2002
SeaWorld is about to let guests get in the water with sharks -- giving the park a talk-about attraction in a year that has seen few new theme park experiences.
Beginning Saturday, "Sharks Deep Dive" will let two guests at a time don wetsuits and climb into a cage that is submerged in the 78-degree water of the Orlando park's Shark Encounter, in plain view of diners at Sharks Underwater Grill.
The cage will then be pulled along a track that runs the length of the 125-foot shark aquarium. Guests will spend 30 minutes in the water. Part of the cage will remain above the waterline, but guests can dive inside the cage as deep as 8 feet.
Spokesman Greg Smith said admission will be limited to keep encounters intimate and avoid conflicts with the sharks' care and feeding.
The program is $125 for snorklers, but certified divers can rent scuba equipment for $25 more. The price includes two days' admission to the park, a souvenir T-shirt and a booklet about sharks.
Of the 58 sharks in the water, the largest is a female sand tiger that measures 8 feet and 11 inches long and weighs 311 pounds. Guests will not be allowed to touch the sharks, Smith said. SeaWorld offers a similar program at its San Antonio park.
The Orlando park's shark encounter is opening nine months after the launch of its false killer whale program, which lets as many as four guests a day wade into the water of the park's Key West Dolphin Stadium to interact with the dolphin species. It costs $200 a person.
Only six people are allowed to participate in the "Trainer for a Day" program each day, and only four a day may participate in its eight-hour "Animal Care Experience." Both programs cost $389.
With their limited admissions, the programs aren't big moneymakers, but that's beside the point, said Jim Atchison, the park's vice president of marketing.
"I think it accomplishes a few things," he said. Programs such as the shark encounter serve a niche and help channel business to other products such as Discovery Cove, a day resort owned by SeaWorld's parent, Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.
Judy Randall, a travel-marketing consultant based in Mooresville, N.C., said the premium programs also create buzz about the park.
"People really go for the bragging-rights kind of experience," she said. "You come back from vacation and say you were lowered in a shark cage? How cool."
Todd Pack can be reached at tpack@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5407.
Copyright © 2002, Orlando Sentinel
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...03,0,762451.story?coll=orl-business-headlines
By Todd Pack
Sentinel Staff Writer
October 3, 2002
SeaWorld is about to let guests get in the water with sharks -- giving the park a talk-about attraction in a year that has seen few new theme park experiences.
Beginning Saturday, "Sharks Deep Dive" will let two guests at a time don wetsuits and climb into a cage that is submerged in the 78-degree water of the Orlando park's Shark Encounter, in plain view of diners at Sharks Underwater Grill.
The cage will then be pulled along a track that runs the length of the 125-foot shark aquarium. Guests will spend 30 minutes in the water. Part of the cage will remain above the waterline, but guests can dive inside the cage as deep as 8 feet.
Spokesman Greg Smith said admission will be limited to keep encounters intimate and avoid conflicts with the sharks' care and feeding.
The program is $125 for snorklers, but certified divers can rent scuba equipment for $25 more. The price includes two days' admission to the park, a souvenir T-shirt and a booklet about sharks.
Of the 58 sharks in the water, the largest is a female sand tiger that measures 8 feet and 11 inches long and weighs 311 pounds. Guests will not be allowed to touch the sharks, Smith said. SeaWorld offers a similar program at its San Antonio park.
The Orlando park's shark encounter is opening nine months after the launch of its false killer whale program, which lets as many as four guests a day wade into the water of the park's Key West Dolphin Stadium to interact with the dolphin species. It costs $200 a person.
Only six people are allowed to participate in the "Trainer for a Day" program each day, and only four a day may participate in its eight-hour "Animal Care Experience." Both programs cost $389.
With their limited admissions, the programs aren't big moneymakers, but that's beside the point, said Jim Atchison, the park's vice president of marketing.
"I think it accomplishes a few things," he said. Programs such as the shark encounter serve a niche and help channel business to other products such as Discovery Cove, a day resort owned by SeaWorld's parent, Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.
Judy Randall, a travel-marketing consultant based in Mooresville, N.C., said the premium programs also create buzz about the park.
"People really go for the bragging-rights kind of experience," she said. "You come back from vacation and say you were lowered in a shark cage? How cool."
Todd Pack can be reached at tpack@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5407.
Copyright © 2002, Orlando Sentinel
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...03,0,762451.story?coll=orl-business-headlines
