SeaWorld San Diego has unveiled plans for a major new underwater attraction which it hopes will reverse lagging attendance at the park.
The Ocean Explorer ride features a submarine ride covering a three acre submerged site designed to mimic an underwater research expedition
SeaWorld San Diego President John Reilly said the cost of the new attraction will be in the tens of millions of dollars and is on track for a late spring 2017 opening.
The three-minute-long submarine ride will offer close up glimpses of a host of underwater critters such as giant octopuses, spider crabs and hundreds of colourful jellyfish.
"The idea behind Ocean Explorer is you’ll be be learning about all these animals and then will leave SeaWorld inspired to act on their behalf," Reilly said in a statement.
"There will be a series of ‘undersea’ research pods with specially designed aquariums and interactive opportunities where you can walk through the area, where there will also be educational displays and informational graphics."
The Ocean Explorer attraction will be just one of five new additions at the park.
One is a ‘wave swinger,’ which is modeled on a similar ride at the Busch Gardens theme park in Virginia.
In the SeaWorld version, guests sit in chairs hanging from the tentacles of a giant jelly fish and glide through thousands of real bubbles.
SeaWorld’s sister park in Orlando is also in the midst of a revamp away from its divisive orca shows.
The Orlando park is due to open ‘the Mako,’ a 70mph shark themed rollercoaster this summer.
