SeaWorld history

SeaWorld’s long-standing history dates back to the early 1960’s, when four graduates of UCLA originally had the idea to construct an underwater restaurant.

Four years later, in 1968, SeaWorld offered its stock publicly, enabling the company to further its growth opportunities.

Soon after, in 1970, a second SeaWorld park opened in Aurora, Ohio, near Cleveland.

While SeaWorld Ohio was only a seasonally-operated park because of its climate, a new year-round park, SeaWorld Orlando, opened in 1973 to instant success, much like its predecessors.

Today, there are two Busch Gardens parks: the original Tampa, Fla. location and Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Va. which opened in 1975.

William Jovanovich, who owned the publishing company Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, or HBJ, bought out the SeaWorld chain for just .7 million dollars in 1976.

What began as a 3-acre theme park in 1980 has grown to 55 acres with more than 4-dozen rides, play areas, shows, distinctive experiences and events.

Although it initially was open year-round, the Texas theme park adopted a seasonal schedule in 1989.

Anheuser-Busch sold SeaWorld Ohio to Six Flags in 2001, but the three remaining parks are still committed to SeaWorld’s founding principles, which are quality in the areas of education, entertainment, research and conservation.

Aquatica was opened on March 1, 2008, here in Orlando, Florida.

The animal’s abusive captivity allegedly drove it to kill three people—including Dawn Brancheau, an orca trainer at SeaWorld Orlando, in 2010.

In 2013 the company became the target of protests by animal-welfare organizations following the wide release of Blackfish, a documentary that chronicled SeaWorld’s mistreatment of the orca Tilikum.