SeaWorld's Animal Care Program
A Passion for Wildlife
SeaWorld has a world-wide reputation for providing unique, up-close animal encounters designed to bring more than 20 million guests each year closer to wildlife and the world we share.
Since our first park opened in 1959, our passion for wildlife has extended to include award-winning zoological habitats, innovative veterinary care, world leadership in animal rescue and rehabilitation, educational programs and millions of dollars invested in critical conservation initiatives in our communities and around the world.
One big finned, furred and feathered family
Did you know...
- Our parks care for 60,000+ animals.
- More than 180 threatened, endangered, and at-risk species are in our care, including sea turtles, gorillas, manatees, tigers, sawfish, and bald eagles.
- SeaWorld employs an extensive team of highly experienced veterinarians, trainers, and animal care specialists to ensure the health, enrichment, and safety of this amazingly diverse group of animals.
- Our breeding programs are among the most successful of any zoological park in the world, beginning in 1985 with Kalina, the first killer whale to be born and thrive in human care.
Our Encouragement-based Training Philosophy
Our world-renowned animal training experts know that effective training is built on one essential ingredient: relationships. To build relationships that cross the language barriers between species, we look for ways to communicate that go well beyond words.
The Power of Positive Reinforcers
When an animal responds favorably to a request by a trainer and receives the sort of stimulus that is a positive reinforcer, they’re likely to repeat that behavior in the future. These reinforcers aren’t that different from what you use with the animals you care for yourself, from toys to rub downs to playful games. After all, play and affection are languages humans and animals share.
Relationships Built on Trust
The relationships between animals and their trainers goes far deeper than the interaction most people see. These relationships are built on trust, mutual respect, and years of positive and stimulating interaction. The result is the kind of human/animal connection our parks are known for throughout the world—a connection we hope to inspire in each of our guests.
Leaders in Animal Care
When it’s time to do a health exam on a killer whale, you can’t exactly ask Shamu to say “ahhh”—or can you? Some of our training is actually very practical, like teaching our killer whales to let us check, brush and clean their teeth as part of a comprehensive preventative medical program.
In fact, many of our animals are even trained to get on scales so that we may accurately and efficiently weigh them, position certain ways so our zoological team can examine them, take sonograms or draw blood samples.
Animal ER
For animals in distress, SeaWorld is like an animal hospital. Just like if you were rushed to an emergency room, our animal rescue patients are first examined by park experts. If an animal is injured, our renowned staff veterinarians can perform complex surgeries, take x-rays and analyze blood for infections.
Our animal care experts are on call 24/7, 365 days a year. To date, we’ve rescued more than 18,000 stranded, sick, orphaned or injured animals during the past 40+ years. In fact, ours is one of the largest animal rescue programs on the planet.
Commitment to Conservation Beyond Our Parks
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment supports and works with more than 100 environmental organizations worldwide. Ranging from local community initiatives to global wildlife research and conservation programs, these partnerships allow the parks to share animal expertise, strengthen on-the-ground efforts to protect wildlife, and reach millions of people with conservation success stories.