is sea world a must see for a tourist?

[jimmy]

My wife and kids are planning a road trip to Southern California from Vancouver BC Canada this fall and plan to hit DL for 3 days, Universal, and Knots for a day. Should we head down to sea world? Or is this another trip?

Kids are 10 -12

[RobotMirror]

Sea World is a substantial drive further (about 3-4 hours from Universal, and 1-2 hours from Disneyland), and on certain days the traffic can delay things even more. If you are going to San Diego anyway, to visit the world class zoo, its museums, the gas lamp district, etc., then I'd say yes, absolutely.

[TIS17]

believe is a pretty cool show (when everything is working). So i would say yes. But do it after everything else

[NeverNeverland]

Well, if you're into sea animals and such, then definitely.
If not, then not really.
But it'd be a good educational experience for the kids.

[duckiedianne]

I loved it when I was a kid. It's great to see these amazing animals up close! My favorite was feeding and petting the dolphins.

I don't know how your kids feel about roller coasters but if there are into big rides. Upside down, downside up, spiraling, huge drops, you should try Six Flag Magic Mountain in Valencia.

http://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/

[Diznyfan]

I think Sea World is a little better than Knotts, although I like the old west town at knotts the log ride and mine ride are cool too, but a lot of the new stuff at knotts kind of sucks IMO.

[jimmy]

Originally Posted by duckiedianne

I loved it when I was a kid. It's great to see these amazing animals up close! My favorite was feeding and petting the dolphins.

I don't know how your kids feel about roller coasters but if there are into big rides. Upside down, downside up, spiraling, huge drops, you should try Six Flag Magic Mountain in Valencia.

http://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/

I think that we will make this a must stop as my kids love the big roller coasters.

[DonaldDuckFan]

No way. Really boring.

People will say its OK so they feel better for spending the money to get in, but deep down... they know it sucks.

[Disney Magic]

I wouldn't go out of my way to visit Sea World but if you are going to visit San Diego anyways it is a good way to spend a day, as Frogberto mentioned above.

First time to a Sea World in 1988 next visit wasn't until 1999 and again in 2002 at the one in Orlando and then once in 2001 at San Diego. Though I had a great time when I went I'd be okay with skipping it for another 10 years.

[RangerSyl]

Originally Posted by jimmy

My wife and kids are planning a road trip to Southern California from Vancouver BC Canada this fall and plan to hit DL for 3 days, Universal, and Knots for a day. Should we head down to sea world? Or is this another trip?

Kids are 10 -12

You could plan a whole trip around San Diego -- in addition to Sea World, there is the Zoo and Wild Animal Park, plus gas light district and all kinds of things to do. I prefer the Zoo and the Park to Sea World, as I think there is more to see.

[Maui Mike]

Please don't visit Sea World. Please don't support animal abuse.

FACTS:
Average lifespan of a wild dolphin: 23-35 years
Average lifespan of a captive dolphin: 7 years

Please remember that these animals are not animatronics. They are real thinking feeling creatures - with a complex social structure - that have been kidnapped from their homes and families and forced to perform inane behaviors strictly for profit.

As Jacques Cousteau pointed out, observing captive dolphins to learn about dolphin behavior is like observing prisoners in a concentration camp to learn more about human behavior.

Please don't support animal abuse.

[Not Quite Cpt Jack]

Originally Posted by Maui Mike

Please don't visit Sea World. Please don't support animal abuse.

FACTS:
Average lifespan of a wild dolphin: 23-35 years
Average lifespan of a captive dolphin: 7 years

Please remember that these animals are not animatronics. They are real thinking feeling creatures - with a complex social structure - that have been kidnapped from their homes and families and forced to perform inane behaviors strictly for profit.

As Jacques Cousteau pointed out, observing captive dolphins to learn about dolphin behavior is like observing prisoners in a concentration camp to learn more about human behavior.

Please don't support animal abuse.

you are misrepresenting the data
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jaap/Survival/Surv_2.htm
(the above is a source from the wikipedia page on bottlenose dolphins)
also see, from dolphin project.org(a dolphin welfare site):
"Just a few examples of mortality statistics provided by members of the animal welfare community:

'Orcas can live up to 90 years in the wild. They live an average of only 5.2 years in captivity'


'Bottlenose dolphins live up to 45 years in the wild. In captivity, they live an average of about 5 years.'


The most obvious problem with these statements, of course, is the fact that they compare maximum life expectancy of wild dolphins with the average lifespan of captive dolphins. Maximum life expectancy and average lifespan are two different values. They can’t be compared as if they were one, and for this reason alone the statistics are misleading."
This site does not list life expectancies as a reason to not house dolphin and other marine mammals. They do provide other very compelling reasons. Basically, it is likely that at some point the captive and wild avg. lifespan will be equivalent, and there will still be people against housing these animals. SO if you would like to not patronize Sea World and the like, that is fine, but make a more robust argument than what you have done here.

In reality, there is not a huge difference with dolphin's lifespans in captivity. Although Orcas, yes do live shorter lives, though significantly longer than 7 years my friend; usually into their 20's.


Personally, without my childhood experiences at Sea World I don't know that I would have the same appreciation for these creatures as I do. I have made the choice to accept certain trade-offs that go along with captive animals. I will leave it up to each person to make his or her own mind up about this.

[Disneyland Daddy]

Originally Posted by Maui Mike

FACTS:
Average lifespan of a wild dolphin: 23-35 years
Average lifespan of a captive dolphin: 7 years

If the dolphin is wild, then how would anyone know that it lives 25 to 35 years?

[Not Quite Cpt Jack]

More to the point, don't go to San Diego just for Sea World, see EVERYTHING that has been mentioned above, it's a great town that I miss.

[Not Quite Cpt Jack]

A good point DisDad this point is made on the welfare site I cited. The data on wild dolphins are estimates, whereas the exact lifespan of many dolphins are known to the minute if born in captivity.