A Visitor's Guide to the New SeaWorld Yas Island

April 10, 2023, 7:43 PM · The next generation of SeaWorld theme parks opens May 23 in Abu Dhabi. Located next to Warner Bros. World and Ferrari World, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi will be the third major indoor park on the Yas Island Resort, which also is home to Formula 1's season-ending race track, Yas Marina Circuit.

This will be the fifth SeaWorld park, the fourth remaining, and the first to debut since SeaWorld San Antonio opened in 1988. (SeaWorld Ohio closed in 2000.) But as an indoor park without orcas, this will be a SeaWorld unlike any other.

Yas Island owner Miral built the park under license from SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, and the park will be operated by Miral Experiences, which runs the other parks on Yas Island. In addition to the park's attractions, the facility will house Yas SeaWorld Research & Rescue, a marine science and marine life conservation facility serving the Gulf region. [See First look at the new state of animal care at SeaWorld.]

For visitors, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi will offers its attractions across eight themed "realms," instead of lands, because, well, it doesn't make sense to have lands in a Sea World does it?

Here is an overview of the new SeaWorld Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi Ocean

Think of this as Main Street, U.A.E. This is the first SeaWorld park since the San Diego original to be built near the ocean, and the Yas Island park leans into Abu Dhabi's history with the ocean in this realm.

Attractions:

• Touch Pools
• S·E·A Guardian Games: Register here for the park's interactive game that includes challenges across all realms.
• Al Naham Theater: Home to two shows about the history and environment of the Arabian Gulf

Retail:

• Abu Dhabi Souk: Modeled after a traditional Emirati marketplace.

Dining:

• Matbakh Ummi: Emirati cuisine
• Dallat Al Bahr: Arabic coffee
• Lugaima: Freshly fried dough pastries

One Ocean

This is the park's hub, with the One Ocean Globe at its center.

Attractions:

• One Epic Ocean: An indoor mixed media and drone show that takes place around the 218-meter perimeter of the One Ocean realm.
• Explorer HQ: Register here for SeaWorld Expeditions animal encounters throughout the park.
• Animal Care Center: Observe the park's team of veterinarians and animal care specialists.

Dining:

• Frozen Treats: Ice creams and sundaes

Rocky Point

Head around the world from the Gulf to the U.S. Pacific Northwest for this realm of sea lions and seals. Like many of the park's realms, it features SeaWorld's Advanced Animal Lighting System that recreates seasonal night and day cycles for the animals living there.

Attractions:

• Rocky Point Amphitheater: Home to the park's Sea Lion Presentation

Dining:

• Pretzel Point: Freshly baked pretzels

MicroOcean

The park's children's area, where "small is big." So to get in, you've got to get small. Thus...

Attractions:

• Shrinkerators: The Mighty Microscope is back? Okay, not exactly. But its spirit endures within this transition into the realm, where little ones can experience life as plankton.
• Play structures: Kelp Climb, Explorer’s Sea Base
• Character meets and shows: Krill Dude, Sea Stars
• Rides: OctoZoom!, Jelly Plunge, Turtle Twist, Eel Racer (a Zamperla junior coaster)

Retail:

• Squirts

Dining:

• Bitsy Bites: Serving pizza, chicken fingers, and slushies.

Endless Ocean

The world's largest single-tank multi-species marine life aquarium, containing 6.6 million gallons of water and more than 68,000 marine animals. For comparison, The Seas with Nemo & Friends at Walt Disney World's tank is 5.7 million gallons.

Attractions:

• The Swirl: A habitat featuring tens of thousands of sardines
• Observation Deck: Circular window looking into Endless Ocean
• Endless Vista: A 20-meter vertical viewing window
• SeaQuest: Dive experiences and underwater walking tours (I am assuming that, like the SeaWorld Expeditions, these are upcharges.)

Dining:

• Fathom 11: Fine dining with a view into Endless Ocean
• Hazza’s Snacks: Snack kiosk

Polar Ocean - Arctic

The park's Arctic and Antarctic realms are grouped together within Polar Ocean, which includes The Armillary, a domed room that explains differences between the regions and the historic navigation systems that led explorers there.

Attractions:

• Juhani Village: Animal habitat with walruses, puffins. and sea otters
• Hypersphere 360: 360-degree multimedia show

Polar Ocean - Antarctica

Attractions:

• Penguin Encounter: Animal habitat featuring King, Gentoo, Chinstrap, Macaroni, Rockhopper and Adelie penguins
• Penguin Play Area: Climbing structure for young visitors

Tropical Ocean

Attractions:

• Flamingo Point: Animal habitat
• The Rainforest: Aviary with toucans and parrots
• Coconut Bay: Habitat with dolphins, tropical fish, and invertebrates
• Ray Reef: Habitat with cownose rays and spotted eagle rays
• Tropical Amphitheater: Home to the park's Dolphin Presentation

• Manta: The park's Intamin roller coaster, featuring three launches and what the park is calling "the world's first zero gravity flip-out and the world's first twisting double-down dive."

Retail:

• Three retail outlets

Dining:

• Cenote Cafe: Burgers
• Waterside Cafe: Mexican cuisine
• Spice Island: Asian cuisine
• Wasi's Market
• Lost Cove Treats

Update: Here is our review of the park: In Abu Dhabi, SeaWorld finds its heart again.

Along with our interview with Miral CEO Mohamed Al Zaabi: Meet the man behind the biggest new attraction of the year

For tickets to the Yas Island theme parks, please visit our partner's Abu Dhabi theme parks page.

And for more theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider's weekly newsletter.

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