Preview of SEALIFE Orlando Aquarium
The 4th May is a big day for a trio of new attractions that will open at I-Drive 360 on International Drive, Orlando. The Orlando Eye, Madame Tussauds and SEALIFE Orlando will open to the public for the first time and judging by the first impressions we have been given, they’ll all be a massive hit.
Media were invited out to I-Drive yesterday and we were fortunate to enjoy a preview tour of the new SEALIFE Orlando Aquarium. The aquarium is extremely well done and it features some incredible views of the wildlife and nature so many of us never really get to see except when you visit a place like this. Many people wondered about the novelty of this attraction given that SeaWorld is just down the road but the manner in which the project has been built makes you realize there’s always another way to do things. So it goes with the complete I-Drive 360 experience.
Of course, there are some things you’d expect, such as the customary photograph being taken as you enter the attraction. You pick it up later once your self guided tour is complete… and that leads us to our first tip. The whole experience will take around 75 minutes to two hours to complete. It’s a fabulous way to spend a couple of hours, particularly when it’s raining… as it was when we arrived!
After the photo, you are then led into what we’ll call the blue room. Technically it’s called the Oceans of the World theater and this is where you will enjoy a short preview show before you enter the main attraction. The preview lasts about three minutes and in that time you are surrounded 360 degrees with fish and then a projector show on the ceiling. It’s neat but you may find the volume for the show to be a little quiet.
After that, the main event begins as you slowly move through area after area. Ocean caves and Ocean Invaders are areas where you’ll see all kinds of creatures that live deep into the ocean. Some of the eels are fascinating to watch! You then move into Sharp Shipwreck, Atlantic Ocean, Coral Sea and the Pacific Ocean before coming ashore in the unique 360° ocean tunnel in the Caribbean Sea area.
The immersive tunnel affords a spectacular view as you watch sharks, rays and a varied variety of fish swim gracefully around you. The tunnel walls are exceptionally clear and you almost feel that you’re swimming with the marine life. In fact, to get any closer you’d have to get wet!
The aquarium has over 5,000 creatures that include really colorful fish, seahorses, jellyfish and turtles that are located in places such as Seahorse Hideaway, the Indian Ocean, Stingray Cover and the Coastal Rockpools. A particularly nice idea is the tribute to Florida’s marine life with the Everglades Wetlands area.
There’s a lot to look at but there’s also a lot to learn about as each habitat contains details about the species you are looking at on nice sized information displays. There’s also a lot to do for the younger ones in the family with interactive video screens, pop up bubble-tanks for a really close up view, a children’s play area and a Dive Adventure Trail.
SEA LIFE Orlando is a fabulous addition to all the attractions we are lucky to have in the Central Florida area. Make sure you visit… it opens on 4th May and you can see more at VisitSealife.com/orlando/
Here’s some video and more photos are at www.FloridaLeisurePhotography.com
