Beluga Interaction and Wild Arctic Up Close Experience

[Kidgoingon40]

I have seen some different threads about the beluga interaction but none of the ones I have seen really go into detail about the entire experience. I was wondering if someone who has done it could detail the entire thing? Like what kind of area do they have you in to put on your wetsuits?

Also, has anyone done the Wild Arctic Up Close experience? I have tried to find information on this, but i Haven't found anything about it except the few sentences on the seaworld web site. I am really curious about this.

I am really interested in the beluga interaction, but i HATE wearing wetsuits so i was wondering what the wild arctic up close experience was like...

thanks for any help you can give me!

 

[Timbo6117]

Not sure if your asking about the San Diego seaworld. But I've done it a few times and each time is pretty different. The wild artic tour from what I gather is basically everything you do in the beluga interaction besides getting into the wetsuit and into the tank with the whales. Because before the beluga swim we meet up by the gift shop then a tour guide will meet us and we are off behind he scenes. We first stop the backstage area for the walrus and we get to hear se fun facts about them and them thy have a bucket of fish there for you to take pix and feed him. Then after then we are off to see some artic fox which are off display because they are very unpredictable. After that we go inside the building where the polar bears live and we get to see their homes at night and there by haves he bears do a few different things behind the fence to show us how tall and huge they are. After this part we all go and have our own locker room! So is pretty private everyone will the get into their wetsuits. After that we got to
Go look at the beluga behind the scene tank usually they have se
Seals back there too. So after that you go and enter the actualy tank where belugas are on display and get into the water and do
Different behaviors with the whales. And after that back to locker room and hot showers.

I personally think is more worth it to do the beluga interaction being that is $190 but you get the full experience. While you can do the first part of the tour for $65 a person.

 

[Kidgoingon40]

Hi, thank you so much for responding! I forgot to mention I was asking about the Orlando seaworld, although I would expect the tours are similar (although I am not sure they hae arctic foxes at that one).

I was wondering if the wild arctic up close experience had any kind of interaction with the belugas since on the little web siite descriptions it mentions if you have ever wanted to see them, but it was listed as an "or" along with the walruses and something else.

The beluga interaction does sound really cool...I am just really not fond of wetsuits and I really don't like the idea of people being able to see me in the exhibit during it...


My hubby and I did the penguins up close tour asf year, and it was really amazing, so I was really interested in doing something else really cool in oct

 

[Timbo6117]

Oh sorry lol! But interaction wise I think u can kneel down and get a kiss from
The beluga? I would think they let you at least do that. But I heard the belugas in Orlando are much younger and isn't as use to people as the adults in San Diego.

 

[Kidgoingon40]

Oh sorry lol! But interaction wise I think u can kneel down and get a kiss from
The beluga? I would think they let you at least do that. But I heard the belugas in Orlando are much younger and isn't as use to people as the adults in San Diego.

No need to apologize - i appreciate you taking the time to describe the interaction with me!

it is next to impossible to find out any information about that wild arctic up close tour. i can't find any reviews online about it, and i posted about it on here a few weeks and didn't get any responses. I guess i will probably end up calling...i can definitely understand if the belugas are younger having less interaction with them. i am hoping the wild arctic up close tour includes something with the beluga but the short description on the seaworld web site made it sound like you might see the beluga or it might be another animal...I just am not sure the beluga interaction would work well for this trip (price wise and time wise). so i was hoping the other tour would have something interesting to it...

 

[chiamarie]

No need to apologize - i appreciate you taking the time to describe the interaction with me!

it is next to impossible to find out any information about that wild arctic up close tour. i can't find any reviews online about it, and i posted about it on here a few weeks and didn't get any responses. I guess i will probably end up calling...i can definitely understand if the belugas are younger having less interaction with them. i am hoping the wild arctic up close tour includes something with the beluga but the short description on the seaworld web site made it sound like you might see the beluga or it might be another animal...I just am not sure the beluga interaction would work well for this trip (price wise and time wise). so i was hoping the other tour would have something interesting to it...

That's probably because this tour JUST started about a month ago, so there aren't a lot of people out there that have experienced it.

From what I've heard, you meet your tour guide. And your tour group (which might just be your family, might be up to 15 other people) gets about 10-15 minutes with the Seals, Beluga's and Walurs'. If some of the animals decide not participate, they will take you to a side area to see the polar bears.

You get photos taken, and a chance to interact with each of the animals. You do not put a wetsuit on, and are out of the water for all interactions on this tour.

There really isn't much to explain. You get a quick meet and greet with each of the animals. You only see the polar bears if some of the other animals are choosing to not participate in the training session.

Hope that helps.

 

[Kidgoingon40]

Chiamarie, thank you so much. I had no idea that tour was so new - that def explains why I couldn't find any info. What you have described actually sounds ideal to me! I think I will book for dh and me.

 

[Kidgoingon40]

Hi, I just thought I would update this thread with some info about the Wild Arctic tour. I emailed SeaWorld a couple of days ago about the Wild Arctic Up Close experience, and here is the response i got.

Thank you for contacting SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. We appreciate your questions as they are valuable in helping us improve our high level of service that we strive to provide.

The Wild Arctic Up-Close is an awesome experience. It last approximately 60 minutes and there are animal interactions involved in this tour as you mentioned in your e-mail. The animal interactions are meeting a seal; an up close interaction with a beluga whale; and getting a kiss on the hand from a walrus. Usually there is a photographer that will take random photographs during the tour.

Since watching the Frozen Planet series on the Discovery Channel, I have become fascinated with these animals in the arctic. I’m sure you will have an awesome experience if you choose to participate.

Thank you again for your interest in SeaWorld Orlando. We hope to see you soon.

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That is the kind of thing I was hoping it would be, so I think I will definitely be doing it next time I go!