Last week Twitter was alive with talks of New Shores at Aquatica San Antonio. An all new aviary is coming to the waterpark at SeaWorld San Antonio, and with it, a little slice of paradise. What guests may not know, however, is that the Aviary is inspired in spirit by another attraction at a SeaWorld park. Discovery Cove in Orlando is home to an Aviary that is first of it’s kind, not only allowing birds to fly free and interact with guests, but offering a peaceful serene experience. SeaWorld Texas will be recreating that serene experience next March when their all new Aviary opens to the public at Aquatica San Antonio, but we take a look around the Discovery Cove experience to give you a feel for what is coming next year.
Discovery Cove in Florida is home to an all inclusive day resort that gives you unlimited, up close encounters with animals of many different kinds. One of the highlights of that experience is the huge, free flight aviary. The aviary features over 80 different species of birds, all in total bringing the number around to 300 birds. Some of the bird species are endangered and threatened, giving guests a chance to learn about and interact with birds they may never get a chance to see in the wild.
Just like at Discovery Cove, birds are free to roam around the area, and interact with guests. Food is provided to guests, which allow a unique experience for guests and birds alike.
We caught up with Animal Ambassador Chuck Cureau and Brian Morrow who give a little more insight on the inspiration and what guests can expect with the new aviary at Aquatica San Antonio.
SeaWorld has a long commitment to animals, education and bringing those two worlds together for guests in their parks. With the aviary, guests have an all new chance to see animals in settings they never have before. In zoos, guests are brought to an animal and shown the habitat, like an exhibit. While that is a great way to see unique animals in the safest way possible, it’s not always the most fun. With exhibits like the aviary, you are the exhibit. You are in the birds habitat and they choose to interact with you.
Another aspect of the aviary will be that, like Discovery Cove, a river runs through it. Aquatica San Antonio’s Lazy river will take a turn and go right through the all new aviary, giving guests a unique look from two different directions, both land and water.
Another aspect that will be inspired by Discovery Cove is the use of a lounge area in the waters of the aviary. Guests will be able to sit in sunken chairs, and take in the birds as they fly overhead. Guests will also be able to enjoy a drink, relax and even swim through a waterfall as they enter into the world of the birds that fly overhead.
Take a walk and swim around the aviary at Discovery Cove to get a glimpse at what you can expect at SeaWorld San Antonio:
The all new experience will be one for all ages, and will be included with theme park admission to Aquatica San Antonio during the summer. In the winter, guests at SeaWorld San Antonio will be able to interact with the bird through an all new entrance just for SeaWorld Guests.
The aviary seems like a very bland name, but we are assured that the new name will reflect one of the names of the Aquaticans. Wae Wae and Kata are the parks bird mascots, so expect to see Wae Wae’s Wings of Wonder, or Kata’s Aviary Kove, or something clever.
Check out even more pictures of Discovery Cove and the free flight aviary:
All birds in the aviary at both Discovery Cove and Aquatica are hand raised, which gives them no fear of people. They see people as just another perch to land on! The birds are also raised in park, and no birds are taken from the wild. In fact, no animals at SeaWorld have been taken from the wild in over 25 years, unless they were brought to the park for rescue and rehabilitation and deemed unable to return.
Conservation is one of the key messages that the park tries to send home with their guests.
Stay tuned for even more adventures through SeaWorld, and be sure to follow us on Twitter @BehindThrills for the latest!
For more information about Aquatica San Antonio, visit the official website by clicking here!
