@snowleopard: Did you ride this thing? Do the Commerson's dolphins have a decent home here, or is it ruined by having a roller coaster constantly running through it (I'm assuming that dolphins are still part of the complex)?
I have only visited this park once, back in 1995. I was very impressed with the penguin exhibit, and not much else. That was before all of the rides started being built. My impression is that the rides are starting to dominate the park and the animal exhibits are being reduced. Is that your read on what is going on with Sea World?
@DavidBrown: I did not ride the rollercoaster, and my wife and I have zero interest in such things. The Commerson's dolphins were there on my visit in May of 2006 but the second time around (July 2011) they had been replaced by loads of rays. Certainly with next summer's Manta rollercoaster opening there is the sense that rides will become more of a factor, and the Sesame Street Bay of Play area for kids opened around 2008 and is full of mini-rides for toddlers.
There is still a vast array of animal exhibits at SeaWorld, although I think that Columbus Zoo is a great model of how to incorporate rides into a zoological setting. At that establishment there is a large amusement park, a huge waterpark and a golf course all adjacent and yet separate from the main zoo.
Just a clarification, the roller coaster does not pass through the Commerson's dolphin tank, it is part of the same complex, but separate from the ride.
