SeaWorld Yas Island Abu Dhabi, the world’s largest indoor marine life theme park, has launched its Draw Me the Sea initiative that is designed to broaden children’s knowledge of the ocean as they explore the park’s eight immersive realms. Children aged seven to 12 participated in this unique initiative, using what they learned from their journey to illustrate drawings of the sea.
Prior to visiting SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, children were asked to draw the sea from their perspective. The drawings typically included elements like the surface, waves, a sandy beach and a couple of palm trees.
Upon completing their first drawing, the children went on to visit SeaWorld Abu Dhabi where they encountered a variety of marine life, including dolphins, sea turtles, walruses and penguins. SeaWorld Abu Dhabi’s Educators, who are present within each realm of the Marine Life Theme Park, further enriched the children’s experience by providing fascinating insights about the different marine animals.
Towards the end of the visit, the children were asked to draw the sea again and the results were remarkable. The drawings transformed to depict marine life such as dolphins leaping from the water, rays gliding, sharks surrounded by swarms of tiny fish, small orange starfish at the bottom of the ocean and more.
Enhancing children’s understanding
The unique illustrations demonstrated the profound impact a visit to SeaWorld Abu Dhabi has on enhancing a child’s cognitive development and deepening their understanding of the marine world as the park allows them to see parts of nature that they have not seen before.
To gain further valuable insights into the efforts of the social initiative, Dr Rama Kanj, a licensed Educational Psychologist, collaborated with SeaWorld Abu Dhabi to observe the educational impact and developmental progress an experience at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi had on young minds.
“The development of young minds can be greatly enhanced by educational environments that include emotional engagement and sensory experiences,” said Dr Kanj. “This approach stimulates multiple pathways in the brain, making learning more impactful and memorable for children. SeaWorld Abu Dhabi exemplifies this through its multisensory experiences, which offer a dynamic platform for meaningful learning beyond mere entertainment. Such initiatives set a strong example of how education should be conducted in both formal and informal settings.”
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi General Curator, Rob Yordi, said: “At SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, our mission is to inspire and educate guests about the wonders of the ocean and its inhabitants, with a particular focus on nurturing the curiosity of young minds, fostering a deeper connection and care for the ocean. Having been involved in the design process from the very beginning, our objective was to create exciting and immersive experiences that can help inspire our guests to care about animals, their habitats and their future.”
Stephen Sharples, Chief Education Officer at Aldar Education added: “The first edition of Draw Me the Sea has proven extremely successful and we are delighted to be part of such an inspiring initiative that drives conservation and marine life education. Exploring new and engaging learning methods is something we really value. We look forward to continuing our thriving partnership with SeaWorld Abu Dhabi and constantly bring innovative educational experiences for our students.”
On September 28, a select number of children went to the Louvre Abu Dhabi where they explored marine life-themed artworks accompanied by SeaWorld Abu Dhabi Educators who offered deeper insights into marine ecosystems and Louvre Abu Dhabi educators who provided insights about the artwork. The children then drew their perception of the ocean before visiting SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, and will create another drawing afterward, reflecting the impact of their experience.
Guests visiting SeaWorld Abu Dhabi can view the unique collection of drawings in a spectacular art exhibition in the Marine Life Theme Park’s One Ocean realm until the end of October.
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi boasts a team of more than 45 educators stationed across the park’s eight immersive realms, eager to engage with guests and share their knowledge of marine life. For young marine life enthusiasts, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi also houses two state-of-the-art classrooms, which have hosted over 20 school visits since last year.
For more information on SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, visit the website.
