seaworld

Be Sure to Bring Your Shades to SeaWorld San Diego

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Sea World San Diego appeals to people of all ages for different reasons. For those interested in learning more about Dolphins, Orcas, and other denizens of our oceans, the park offers many opportunities to get up front and personal with our flippered friends. For those interested in thrilling amusement park rides with an adrenalin rush or two, the park offers something for them, too.

Regardless of your reasons for wanting to visit SeaWorld—to see the animals or ride the rides (or both)—one thing for sure is your WILL be exposed to the sun, and lots of it, if your day there is anywhere close to being a typical San Diego day in the sun.

So you’ll want to bring plenty of sunscreen, stay hydrate, and of course wear a pair of UV-blocking shades to keep your peepers safe. Long-term exposure to UV rays can put you at greater risk for developing cataracts or macular degeneration later in life—so you’ll definitely want to wear a hat and some sunglasses! Sunglass and Optical Warehouse can can help you find shades that are just right for you and your outing to SeaWorld, including sunglasses from Armani, Bolle, Calvin Klein, Maui Jim, Nike, Oakley, Otis, Persol, Ray-Ban, Rudy Project, and many other top brands.

Let’s Visit the Park

There’s not a lot of shade at SeaWorld—especially once the early morning fog so common to San Diego in the spring and summer has burned off, and especially if you’re sitting in the bleachers awaiting the shows for which the park is so well known. There are several dolphin, Orca, and Sea Lion shows throughout the day, so if you pace yourself and plan accordingly, you should be able to enjoy all three (or more).

Tickets

San Diego and area residents can enjoy the park by buying annual passes for as little as $9.99 a month, which provides unlimited admission for 12 months, free parking and other discounts. Visitors can enjoy the park by buying one-time admissions as well as front-of-the-line access on rides and shows for an additional fee. Another great option is to prepay for meals with an all-day dining deal. Just buy your ticket with all day dining included (for an extra fee) and then each ticket holder can eat as much as he or she wants all day long for one low price. More than a half dozen in-park restaurants participate, and you can get as many as 1 entrée, 1 side or dessert, and 1 non-alcohol beverage every hour during you visit! It’s a great value, especially if you plan to stay the whole day.

Shows

There are many amazing animals to see at the park. From exhibits featuring penguins, sea lions, sharks, otters, turtles, and beluga whales, there’s practically something for everyone.

Of course, the highlight of any day at Sea World are the live animal shows which showcase these incredible marine animals. There are usually 2 or 3 shows per day for each attraction, so you should be able to experience them all. Each show runs 20 to 30 minutes and is a great way to have some laughs, ooh-and-ahh at the antics of our marine friends, and rest your weary legs. Warning (and this is the case with most of these shows) you WILL get wet and perhaps even soaked if you sit in the first 10 rows of seats ringing the pool area.

  • Dolphin Show—Dolphins and pilot whales show off their athleticism, playfulness, and smarts in this family-oriented show with trainers.
  • Orca Show—See how Orcas live and survive in their native habitats with this combination live show and video presentation.
  • Sea Lion Live—This is a fun and FUNNY show featuring comedy and interaction between live performers and sea lions (plus the occasional cameo by a feisty otter!). Kids in particular will love this show.

Rides

What would a trip to an amusement park be without a thrill ride or two? While SeaWorld doesn’t offer the quantity of rides a Universal or Disney park might offer, what they lack in quantity they make up for in quality. While there are a number of family-friendly rides in the park, for purposes of this blog, we’re going to focus only on a few of the bigger thrill rides:

  • Journey to Atlantis—What looks like “just another log flume ride” soon becomes anything but. The flume ride is fun, just what you expect, but then this ride morphs into a roller coaster of sorts, sending you up and round twists, turns, and dips after the big splash. You will get wet, but not soaked. Sit in the middle seats (front and back usually get wetter).
  • Manta Roller Coaster—This is a fun and smooth roller coaster ride that’s not only thrilling, but a lengthy glide around the park, featuring big-time Gs, inversions, and two thrilling launches.
  • Electric Eel—This newest attraction is billed as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in San Diego. With multiple launches, reversals, inversions, feelings of weightlessness, heavy Gs, and inversions, it does not disappoint!

Let Us Help You Find Shades that Are Right for You

Make your day out in the sun of San Diego enjoyable and safe. Stop by any one of Sunglass and Optical Warehouse’s three San Diego locations to browse our collections of sunglasses.

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