SeaWorld San Diego SeaWorld or Zoo?

lintworm said:
Then why not have the SD Animal Park as the grande finale, that is a great zoo in it's own right as well ;)
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A bit late to change that, as I had already booked an Asian Savannah Caravan Tour for day 2 (btw does anyone have a current species list of the Asian field exhibits?)
 
It has been A LONG time since I did the photo caravans at Safari Park, but back then they would give participants a booklet with species list (which sadly I no longer have). They may or may not do the same now for your Asian caravan.
 
I will always recommend SeaWorld San Diego. Whether some people on this forum like it or not, it's still a pinnacle of animal care, and if you're comfortable with elephant captivity, there's not a whole lot of difference between it and cetacean captivity, save for the fact that elephant captivity has had hundreds of years of fine-tuning, and cetacean captivity is in relative infancy. There are definite tacky parts, don't mistake that, as it's a for-profit company and has to appeal to a target audience, but I also feel that there are some experiences only SeaWorld (US-wise) can offer. It's certainly worth it to at least once see orcas and pilot whales up close. If you don't end up liking it, you can at least say with certainty that you visited a new facility, you saw a few new species, and that you made up your own mind about it, rather than listening to propaganda or fanboys.
 
Shellheart said:
I will always recommend SeaWorld San Diego. Whether some people on this forum like it or not, it's still a pinnacle of animal care, and if you're comfortable with elephant captivity, there's not a whole lot of difference between it and cetacean captivity, save for the fact that elephant captivity has had hundreds of years of fine-tuning, and cetacean captivity is in relative infancy. There are definite tacky parts, don't mistake that, as it's a for-profit company and has to appeal to a target audience, but I also feel that there are some experiences only SeaWorld (US-wise) can offer. It's certainly worth it to at least once see orcas and pilot whales up close. If you don't end up liking it, you can at least say with certainty that you visited a new facility, you saw a few new species, and that you made up your own mind about it, rather than listening to propaganda or fanboys.
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I dont think he was worried about the care but rather its zoological merit.
 
Considering you haven't been to Sea World San Diego yet, you should go, it is a fantastic place. Also, don't go there for only half the day, you WILL spend all day there, and you will certainly want to make the most of it, since they charge quite a bit for admission.

There are various bird exhibits around the park, two aquariums, a third they call an aquarium but it's just a few octopus tanks. The shows are also absolutely fantastic, and they are where you will find the pilot whale and common dolphin (even if it is a hybrid).

There is also a building just for sea turtles, and another for sharks, and as of my visit in 2015 there was a lemon shark in the shark tank.

Should the pygmy sperm whale go on exhibit you will certainly want to go there without a doubt in your head on whether or not you should go. They have a fantastic penguin exhibit, as mentioned, and a very nice arctic area with belugas, walrus, and polar bears.

I would recommend sea world one day and San Diego Zoo another, because if you get to the zoo when it opens at 9:00, you can see it all by when it closes at 9:00. But go to Sea World, and enjoy it, don't take someones word on it from 20 years ago, it has changed quite a bit since then, and I don't see how you wouldn't have a good time (unless you are me who went the one day it rained several inches in California, but hey, I still had a good time).
 
d1am0ndback said:
Considering you haven't been to Sea World San Diego yet, you should go, it is a fantastic place. Also, don't go there for only half the day, you WILL spend all day there, and you will certainly want to make the most of it, since they charge quite a bit for admission.

There are various bird exhibits around the park, two aquariums, a third they call an aquarium but it's just a few octopus tanks. The shows are also absolutely fantastic, and they are where you will find the pilot whale and common dolphin (even if it is a hybrid).

There is also a building just for sea turtles, and another for sharks, and as of my visit in 2015 there was a lemon shark in the shark tank.

Should the pygmy sperm whale go on exhibit you will certainly want to go there without a doubt in your head on whether or not you should go. They have a fantastic penguin exhibit, as mentioned, and a very nice arctic area with belugas, walrus, and polar bears.

I would recommend sea world one day and San Diego Zoo another, because if you get to the zoo when it opens at 9:00, you can see it all by when it closes at 9:00. But go to Sea World, and enjoy it, don't take someones word on it from 20 years ago, it has changed quite a bit since then, and I don't see how you wouldn't have a good time (unless you are me who went the one day it rained several inches in California, but hey, I still had a good time).
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Considering this thread is full of people saying pachyderm pro is quite likely to NOT enjoy it I find the strident nature of this recommendation unrealistic if not outright confusing. You simply can't know whether someone will experience it in the same way you do.
 
As a longtime fan of both (or - with Safari Park - three) parks and after reading @pachderm pro's preferences, my suggestions are as follows:

- IF you think, it is worth to spent at least 90 USD entrance fee for SeaWorld JUST(!) to see Emperor Penguins, Adelie Penguins, Orcas, Pilot Whales, Walrusses, Southern Seaotters and other animals that you can't see or are rarely exhibited in US zoological institutions, THEN GO TO SeaWorld for an entire day. IF NOT, then use a second day for San Diego Zoo, because - as you probably know - it is difficult to see (and photograph?) everything this Park has to offer in just one day, even if you have 9 hours to spent there and renounce to eat anything.
 
DavidBrown said:
Busch Gardens and Sea World are the same company, so yes, the comparison is apt. If you have never seen orcas or walruses or sea otters or emperor penguins then go to Sea World.
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On one hand, the comparison between Busch Gardens and Sea World is apt, as both are combination zoo/theme parks, with (in very rough terms) the former more comparable to a zoo and the latter to an aquarium. However, one major difference is that much of the time you might spend viewing animals on exhibit at Busch Gardens would instead be spent sitting in (or waiting for) shows at Sea World. If you're not an aquarium type, you'll get less out of Sea World. Furthermore, while some of the rarities at Sea World are well-exhibited, some (notably several cetaceans) are only visible as part of shows and are not otherwise on exhibit. If you're concerned about seeing orcas given the cessation of Sea World's orca-breeding program, I wouldn't be - given the lifespan of the whales and the lack of any suitable alternative at present, the whales will be at Sea World for years to come. I will, however, agree with many to say that the penguin exhibit, while many years old (I first saw it over 20 years ago and it has not substantially changed) is top-notch, and I did enjoy many of the smaller aquariums over the years. I'm not sure how extensive the park's avian collection is now; at one point, the waterfowl collection in particular was very impressive.

Overall, however, knowing that you are visiting in January when the zoo has significantly shorter hours than the summer months and given that you are not interested in rides, I would not hesitate to suggest you follow your original plan and hit the zoo for two days and the Safari Park for the third. Splitting a day between Sea World and the Zoo is feasible, but given the high admission cost to Sea World and the fact that you would need to see at least a few shows (only 3 hours would be a stretch even if you intended to skip all the amusement park sections), I would not advise it. If you intend to spend any significant time watching or photographing the animals at the Zoo (for me, I have never managed to see the entire zoo in one day, even when opened the longer summer hours), you are likely to miss far more unusual species at the Zoo by not taking a second day.
 
I think all depends on your interest on marine mammals. If you like them, SeaWorld is a must, not only because of the unique/rare to see species they keep, but also because how close you can see them. But if you aren´t into them, then probably won´t worth for you. As others already have mentioned, the entrance fee is expensive, about double than the zoo, and most part of the park are rides and attractions. I visited it two years ago, and had a great time there (my only interest were the animals, and I totally ignored rides and so on), but I´m a cetacean fanatic, so my opinion is not impartial XD
 
On my west coast visit we went to the zoo the first and SeaWorld the second. I much preferred SeaWorld - I'd choose any SeaWorld over any zoo any day.
 
If you have never been to a Sea World period I recommend going. I was in a similar situation as you were, and spent one day at the zoo, one at Sea World, and one at the safari park. I enjoyed all 3 virtually equally. You cannot compare Sea World to a zoo, because it is much more than one; Sea World is a very immersive experience in ways I could describe similar to Disney World.

And @FunkyGibbon from what Iv'e read only a few people are strongly saying he won't enjoy it, with a lot more saying they themselves did like it and that they recommend it. I myself am not much of a fan for fish and aquatic species, but I had a fantastic time and highly recommend it to anyone.
 
@d1am0ndback yes, I think I had let my own feelings cloud my perception of the thread. Most people are saying to visit, although I not that there is still a lot of 'at least once'. And I stand by my, now altered, point that with various people, on this site if not the thread, not having enjoyed their visit it's entirely possible that pachyderm pro won't enjoy theirs.
Personally, despite my misgivings about the orcas, and possibly pilot whales as well, I would visit were it not for the fairly astronomical cost.
 
So after consulting for a few weeks, I have finally completed my week long itinerary in San Diego.
Once the trip gets closer I will make a proper thread detailing my visit.

San Diego Itinerary! (Subject to change)

Day 1: Arrival Day! (I'll talk about random shenanigans that happens on this day)
Day 2: San Diego Zoo Safari Park + Asian Caravan Tour
Day 3: More Random Shenanigans + Living Coast Discovery Center
Day 4: San Diego Zoo
Day 5: Again Random Shenanigans + Hopefully another facility close by
Day 6: SeaWorld San Diego + San Diego Zoo Part 2
Day 7: Leaving day

I also have a few questions about this trip that perhaps some of you can answer.

*Where can I find the pilot whales in SeaWorld?
*Are there Any land mammals exhibits in SeaWorld?
*How long would it take to tour the LCDC in its entirety?
*Does anyone know another facility in San Diego I could tour?
 
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The pilot whales are at the Dolphin Stadium although in Orlando, they can now be found in Shamu Stadium. As for 100% land bound mammals, no, there are none other than ambassador animals.
 
Again I'm going to voice this warning, Sea World takes a full day, so don't count on getting to San Diego Zoo later in the day. It's possible but you would need to rush which undermines your sea world experience, which happens to be a very expensive one.
 
The San Diego Natural History Museum is excellent and is located just around the corner from the zoo in Balboa Park. They have some live native reptile and invertebrate species.
 
To see the Pilot Whales properly, you´ll need to see the dolphin show. You can see them anytime on the secondary pools, but the view is not good. Also, the Common-Bottlenose hybrid can be seen there. Don´t miss the Guadalupe Fur Seal, I think is the only one in captivity in USA. Is holded with the California Sea Lions, or at least, was there on my visit.

I don´t know more facilities apart of the Birch Aquarium, but San Diego is a very nice place for Whale watching, in case you want to consider it.
 
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