Immersive experiences beckon as SeaWorld Abu Dhabi attraction readies to open next year
Construction 90 per cent complete; marine park will house 150 species, rides and exhibits
Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi is set to get its own marine park at Yas Island when SeaWorld Abu Dhabi opens its door next year.
The attraction, which is 90 per cent complete at the moment, is being developed by Miral, in partnership with SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. It will also include a marine research, rescue, and rehabilitation centre, developer Miral said recently.
To be located next to the marine-life theme park, the research and rescue centre will open this year. It will support regional and global conservation efforts, providing a knowledge hub with a focus on indigenous Arabian Gulf and marine life ecosystems.
The centre will be led by marine scientists, veterinarians, animal care professionals, rescue experts and educators, who will collaborate with peers, environmental organisations, regulators and academic institutions to impact long-term conservation efforts in the region.
Built on five indoor levels with a total area of around 183,000 square metres, the marine-life theme park is in the final stages of construction completion of the interior themed guest environments, habitats, rides, and immersive experiences. Utilising SeaWorld’s experience operating marine-life theme parks for over 55 years, the purpose-built habitats and ecosystems for the animals that will call SeaWorld Abu Dhabi home have been designed and built using the latest technologies, the developer said in a statement.
Exhibits
The park will be home to the “region’s largest and most expansive” multi-species marine-life aquarium, and immersive experiences and interactive exhibits. The central ‘One Ocean’ realm of SeaWorld Abu Dhabi links six distinct marine environments throughout the park. Within the central hub, guests will experience ocean stories as part of an immersive media experience, transporting them from one place to another, while they encounter much of the ocean’s diverse marine-life, learning how the One Ocean current impacts us all.
“Abu Dhabi and the UAE have delivered longstanding marine conservation, and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi signifies the start of a new chapter in regional and global marine life knowledge, conservation, and sustainability. Our partnership with SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment to bring this next-generation marine-life theme park to the capital will help further position Abu Dhabi as a global tourism hub and contribute to its economic growth and diversification vision,” said Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Miral.
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi is set to contain more than 58 million litres of water, and be home to more than 150 species of marine animals including sharks, schools of fish, manta rays, sea turtles, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates, as well as birds like penguins, puffins, murres, flamingos and more. The park’s animals will be cared for by a team of zoologists, veterinarians, nutritionists, and animal specialists.