HaVe Anyone Done Dine in With Shamu?

[Timbo6117]

Hi i was wondering if anyone have done Dine in With Shamu? do you get close enough to take pix with the whales?

 

[annacali]

We have done Breakfast with Shamu in San Diego the past 4 summers. Depending on where you sit, you can get very close to the whales--at one point this last time there was only the thick plexiglass shield between Shamu and my DD's. They could have probably reached over and touched him if they had been big enough and fast enough. It is an amazing, up close whale interaction and we love it. But as far as taking a pictures with a whale...only if you are REALLY quick with the camera and sitting in the right spot, and there would be at least a waist plus high clear wall between you and the whale. My girls did get their picture taken with a "Shamu trainer" though, and that was a huge highlight for them too.

Here are some pics from July so you can see how close you can get (in the second one my DD is standing on a chair at our table):

 

[Timbo6117]

just got back from seaworld this week! wow dine in with shamu was reallly worth it! the food was ok... but the whales were sooo amazing up close! and then after the 2 killer whales left... another 5 mins later dolphins and the 2 pilot whales pop up! that was very coool to watch the dolphins and pilot whale just swimming around !

 

[Spacepest]

Oh wow. I've been wanting to do this for some while now (its been a long time since I've been to Seaworld). This looks absolutely wonderful!

 

[tanyabanana]

We sat in about the same area as the previous poster. We had a good time also.
One word of caution--if you are sitting near the wall you might get splashed. We had a huge wall of water practically wash everything off our table
Our glasses of drinks that were almost empty were filled back up with Shamu water! It made a great experience we will never forget

 

[blackjackdelta]

Breakfast can not be beat. An experience not to be missed.

Jack

 

[craftymomco]

We went a few years ago and our pictures look just like the previous poster's. You can get a really close table. It was an awesome experience and the kids loved it.

 

[iHEARTflorida]

I was looking on the SeaWorld website today, to look at having breakfast with shamu. But I couldn't find it on the site under animal dining. Instead it looks as though they have replaced Dine with Shamu, to Dine with the Dolphins.

And Dine with Shamu is only for special occasions such as Mother's Day, Easter, Father's Day, Christmas etc..

Surely Shamu is more popular? I hope they bring it back for the summer season

 

[sonnyjane]

I was looking on the SeaWorld website today, to look at having breakfast with shamu. But I couldn't find it on the site under animal dining. Instead it looks as though they have replaced Dine with Shamu, to Dine with the Dolphins.

And Dine with Shamu is only for special occasions such as Mother's Day, Easter, Father's Day, Christmas etc..

Surely Shamu is more popular? I hope they bring it back for the summer season

Sorry, I should have thought to post this somewhere. I actually did Dine with Shamu on the last day of the Shamu seatings about a month ago, and they told us that it will be the dolphins from now on. While Blue Horizons stadium is under construction, the dolphins and orcas are sharing pools, and they want to make sure the dolphins maintain their behaviors (I have a few friends that are trainers or animal care team members there). It's also a way to simultaneously beef up on the orca training, since they don't have to do the Dine program. I agree with you that you'd think Shamu would be a bigger sell, but they just wanted to introduce some variety.

 

[iHEARTflorida]

Sorry, I should have thought to post this somewhere. I actually did Dine with Shamu on the last day of the Shamu seatings, and they told us that it will be the dolphins from now on. While Blue Horizons stadium is under construction, the dolphins and orcas are sharing pools, and they want to make sure the dolphins maintain their behaviors (I have a lot of friends that are trainers there). It's also a way to simultaneously beef up on the orca training, since they don't have to do the Dine program. I agree with you that you'd think Shamu would be a bigger sell, but they just wanted to introduce some variety.

Oh right thanks, I was confused when I was reading Timbo's post, as she said that 2 dolphins poped up! I was like what? the dolphins and orcas share?!

So hopefully once Blue Horizons is up and running, Dine with Shamu will come back?

 

[sonnyjane]

Oh right thanks, I was confused when I was reading Timbo's post, as she said that 2 dolphins popped up! I was like what? the dolphins and orcas share?!

So hopefully once Blue Horizons is up and running, Dine with Shamu will come back?

Lol yes, the pools are all connected with gates, but they are not together

According to my friend that is a trainer there, the plan IS to return to Shamu once Blue Horizons opens and all the animals are moved, which is supposed to be May. If you go to the "dolphin show" now (which is not a show so much as an educational presentation), they might show some of the behaviors from the new show, and from what I saw when I was there about four weeks ago, they still have a LOTTTTTTTTTTTT of training to do, so I hope it all comes together in time, but it should be a really cool show when it's done!

 

[iHEARTflorida]

Lol yes, the pools are all connected with gates, but they are not together

According to my friend that is a trainer there, the plan IS to return to Shamu once Blue Horizons opens and all the animals are moved, which is supposed to be May. If you go to the "dolphin show" now (which is not a show so much as an educational presentation), they might show some of the behaviors from the new show, and from what I saw when I was there about four weeks ago, they still have a LOTTTTTTTTTTTT of training to do, so I hope it all comes together in time, but it should be a really cool show when it's done!

Yes, when I was on the SW site, it's called The Dolphin Experience. Hopefully DwShamu should be back up when we there in July. I have seen Blue Horizons before at Orlando, and TBH I much prefer the old Key West style show they did, alot more fun to watch. Whereas BH is more Cirque De Sol style, not my style, I'm afraid. I'm suprised it's taken SD soo long until they have decided to change to BH, Orlando has had it since 2005. I was looking forward to going to SD, to see the dolphins and it not be the BH show, never mind though.

Believe was a great change, and I love that show! Shamu Rocks is also great, more fun, and high energy, like the old Dolphin Key West show used to be.

Also do you know what the "The Shamu Story" show is all about, that says is returning 2010, is this similar to "The Dolphin Experience"?

I'm looking forward to see a new SeaLions shows aswell, I have seen Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island many times at Orlando -- it's such as funny show, and can't wait for SeaLions LIVE! - though I might now get all the jokes as it's based in SNL.

 

[DizFan13]

I'm sad to hear that they have changed the breakfast to Dolphins only. Hopefull it is temporary. We went last April and the Breakfast with Shamu was such a highlight, a completely amazing experience. I think that the dolphins would magical as well, just different.

 

[sonnyjane]

Yes, when I was on the SW site, it's called The Dolphin Experience. Hopefully DwShamu should be back up when we there in July. I have seen Blue Horizons before at Orlando, and TBH I much prefer the old Key West style show they did, alot more fun to watch. Whereas BH is more Cirque De Sol style, not my style, I'm afraid. I'm suprised it's taken SD soo long until they have decided to change to BH, Orlando has had it since 2005. I was looking forward to going to SD, to see the dolphins and it not be the BH show, never mind though.

Believe was a great change, and I love that show! Shamu Rocks is also great, more fun, and high energy, like the old Dolphin Key West show used to be.

Also do you know what the "The Shamu Story" show is all about, that says is returning 2010, is this similar to "The Dolphin Experience"?

I'm looking forward to see a new SeaLions shows aswell, I have seen Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island many times at Orlando -- it's such as funny show, and can't wait for SeaLions LIVE! - though I might now get all the jokes as it's based in SNL.

The reason it took San Diego so long to adopt Blue Horizons is because they wanted to test it out in Orlando first. Since it was successful (relatively, since you said you aren't a fan lol) they decided to bring it here.

The Sea Lions LIVE show has been around since spring of last year, and I've seen it several times. It's pretty funny, and has nothing to do with SNL (it's that format, but the jokes are making fun of current TV shows, not of SNL specifically). The night show is even better, but they only have it during the peak season. Same goes for the Shamu Rocks night show. I'm not a fan of the Believe show - I think it's cheesy and slow, but that's just my opinion

I will add that I am currently a bird trainer, but prior to that I was a dolphin and sea lion trainer, so I'm a little more critical than most. Overall they are all very entertaining shows, especially if someone has never seen marine mammal shows before