The wait is over: SeaWorld Abu Dhabi will officially open its doors in 2023, the park has announced.
Construction on the Yas Island mega-development has reached 90 percent, which include not only a new park, but a marine research, rescue, rehabilitation and return center to help local marine life.
The park will be huge—five indoor levels with a total area of 183,000 square meters. In comparison, IMG Worlds of Adventure is 140,000 square meters.
Currently, construction is completing the interior themed guest environments, habitats, rides and immersive experience.
SeaWorld has existed internationally for 55 years, so the construction is using those decades of experience to build the best purpose-built habitats and ecosystems with the latest technologies, creating a dynamic environment that replicates their natural habitat—in other words, a better environment for the animals than we’ve ever seen before.
The park will also include the region’s largest and most expansive multi-species marine life aquarium, which itself will include a ton of immersive experiences and interactive exhibits that will help guests increase their knowledge and appreciation of sea life.
The park will include a central realm called “One Ocean”, which will link six distinct marine environments throughout the park. Those different parts will combine to a unified story based on the interconnectivity of life on earth and the ocean.
In the central hub, you’ll be able to learn ocean stories, presented in a 360 degree immersive media experience that will transport you from one place to another to learn about how the ‘One Ocean’ impacts us all.
The size will indeed be staggering, containing more than 58 million liters of water and be home to 150 species of marine animals, including sharks, fish, manta rays, sea turtles, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates, as well as hundreds of birds—penguins, puffins, murres, flamingos and more.
And yes, that’s a roller coaster you see below.
All animals will be taken care of by an expert team of dedicated zoologists, veterinarians, nutritionists and animal specialists.
The SeaWorld park is built by Miral, and building will finish by the end of 2022 for the 2023 open.
2023 can’t come soon enough.
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi Research and Rescue Center set for 2022 open
The research and rescue center will open ahead of the park, however, opening its doors next to the marine-life theme park by the end of 2022.
The SeaWorld center is a big part of Abu Dhabi’s ongoing push to protect its marine life and conserve its sensitive natural ecosystems. The center will provide an advanced knowledge hub with a focus on indigenous and Arabian Gulf marine life ecosystems.
The center will be led by ‘world-class marine scientists, veterinarians, animal care professionals, rescue experts and educators, who will collaborate with peers, environmental organizations, regulators and academic institutions to impact long-term conservation efforts in the region,” said an announcement from the park.
It will be a full-scale operation, with a rescue team available to support local authorities 24/7.
Find more on SeaWorld Abu Dhabi here.