One More Weekend to Enjoy SeaWorld’s Inside Look

​In recent years, SeaWorld has dramatically increased the number of special events included with park admission. One of my favorites is SeaWorld’s Inside Look held in January. During this event, SeaWorld opens up select backstage locations to better show guests how their team members care for and interact with the animals.

This year, there are six locations included in the Inside Look event:

• Sea Lion and Otter Primary Housing – Continuous Tours from 10am-4pm
• Manta Aquarium – Continuous Tours from 10am-4pm
• Dive Operations at Manatee Underwater Viewing – Presentations at 1:30 and 3:00pm
• Honey Bee Conservation – Continuous from 10am-4pm
• SeaWorld Rescue – Continuous Tours from 10am-4pm
• Dolphin Theater – Environmental Enrichment Device (EED) Demonstrations available at 12:00pm and 4:30pm.

I tried to experience this event last year, but I arrived too late to see any of the venues. As you can see above, they all close at 4pm – which was surprising to me as the park was open for a few more hours. This year, however, I had already planned to be at the park for one of their morning tours. After my tour, I grabbed lunch and used the rest of the day to enjoy the Inside Look locations.

Visiting SeaWorld’s Inside Look

The most surprising part of this event was how long it took to see each area. Based on the description, I had assumed that the “continuous tour” locations would be more like a self-led experience. You could walk into the location, look around, and maybe there would be SeaWorld staff at different points to explain certain features. That’s not what happened. Each location requires groups of no more than 15 guests to be led by a specific tour guide. Overall, this makes for a much more informative experience. However, this also means potentially long lines and no control over the amount of time spent at each location.

Because of these waits and tour lengths, I was only able to experience three of the six locations before the event ended for the day. I didn’t see any of the presentations, and I missed the honey bee conservation station. The three locations that I did experience were pretty awesome, and I really enjoyed the tours – despite the wait times.

Manta Aquarium

Of the locations I experienced, Manta Aquarium had the longest line. I waited about 25 minutes for my tour. In the grand scheme of potential wait times, this line really isn’t all that bad. However, the queue doesn’t move for 10-15 minutes at a time while you’re waiting for tours to be completed. This lack of movement makes the wait feel a lot longer than it actually is.

Dine With Orcas at SeaWorld Orlando

Once my tour group was called, we were first brought behind the Manta coaster to discuss what we’d see inside. There would be two stops on this tour. We would see the top of the aquarium and meet with one of the animal care specialists before moving behind the tanks to see the pump and filtration areas.

Once inside, we climbed up a narrow staircase to see the top of the Manta Aquarium. We could clearly see the Mobula rays, sardines, and bonnet head sharks swimming beneath the water. The animal care specialist explained how they feed the Mobula rays using a special bottle and how this allows the staff to keep track of everything the rays eat. It was a fascinating presentation, but, of course, we couldn’t stay there too long as other groups needed to move in behind us.

Downstairs, we were able to see even more behind the scenes action. We learned that SeaWorld has to make its own saltwater as its located so far away from the coast. Additionally, the staff member explained how the filtration system cleans the aquarium waters of waste and turns it into a easily disposed of foam (I heard about this process a few times in different Inside Look locations. Apparently this is a topic that is very much on the minds of SeaWorld staff members.)

SeaWorld Rescue

The SeaWorld Rescue area was definitely the longest tour I experienced at Inside Look. Lasting almost 40 minutes, this tour covers SeaWorld’s rescue and rehabilitation efforts for stranded and injured wild animals.

The tour included up close views of the marine mammal transport unit, marine animal ambulance, and various rescue boats. The sheer size of these units – specifically the whale sized transport – was amazing.

We also got to see the hospital and animal quarantine area. Animals in this area included orphaned manatees struggling to gain weight, sea turtles with buoyancy issues (gas trapped in their spinal cord that prevents them from diving below the water’s surface), and various other birds and sea creatures. We got to hear another aquarist explain the tank filtration system (and cleaning process) and a lab technician for the park’s veterinarian talked about animal medical care. While this tour is a time commitment, it’s fascinating. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting during this event.

Sea Lion and Otter Primary Housing

The shortest of the tours I enjoyed, this experience allowed guests into the housing area for the sea lions and otters performing in the Clyde and Seamore Show. While it was interesting, there wasn’t a whole lot to see. Most of the animals were performing in a show during my tour and many of the concrete walls within the housing unit were so high it was impossible to see the animals that were inside.

Our tour guide did show us the giant refrigerators used to store food for the sea lions and otters as well as the food prep area for these animals. ​

Before we left the housing facility, we did get to see two sea lion pups playing in their holding area – which was pretty cute.

Freaky Thoughts

I really enjoyed my SeaWorld’s Inside Look experience. It was fascinating to hear about animal care practices at Sea World and to learn more about their efforts to help wild animals in need. I was impressed by the variety of tours offered and the sheer amount of information given. I spent more than two hours just enjoying the Inside Look event, and I was only half finished. This special event is most definitely worth a visit.