Wild Arctic Up Close Tour (San Diego)

[Disneyqueendenmark]

Hi

Oh my! Only 5 weeks till I'll be in California for a 3 week road trip. Can't wait!

Posted this in the California forum yesterday, but thought I would post it here too

I have a question about Seaworld San Diego, and hope that some of you can help. I've been thinking about doing the Beluga interaction program, but I think $215 for 20 minutes ind the water is a bit much. Then I thought about the wild artic tour. It's only $70 and it sounds like you get some interaction with both a walrus and a beluga. It's hard to find reviews on this tour, so I thought I would ask here. Has any of you done the wild artic tour and how was it? Do you get to touch, feed and maybe kiss the animals? Can you bring your own camera or are there photographers? Would you recommend it?

Oh yeah, and if you have any other advice when visiting Seaworld at Christmas I would really appriciate it Only been in the summer...

Thanks!

 

[hbisch]

I recently did the Wild Arctic Tour at SW Orlando, so hopefully someone from CA will answer also...

We were not allowed to have our own cameras during the tour at all, we had to put all our loose items in a locker at the beginning of the tour, except for sunglasses, which had to be on our faces, not on the top of your head.

There was a SW photographer (two actually) and they take pictures, but they aren't very creative or skilled even. I chatted up the photographers at the beginning of my tour, told them I was a scrapbooker and would love to have some great interaction pics - and the response was 'we take what we take'. I would call myself 'satisfied' with the pictures from my tour, but I wouldn't be any more enthusiastic than satisfied - lol.

You do get to touch the beluga, kneeling on the side of the pool. I believe I did get a kiss as well.

We did not get to touch the walrus, and I was disappointed about that. We stood a few feet away from the walrus while the keeper did a couple of behaviors with him, and then we fed the walrus a fish and the photographer took one pic while we were feeding the fish, but we were not allowed to touch the walrus at all. It was still cool to be that close to him!!

I loved the tour and would recommend it to anyone - and I'd really like to do the full-on beluga interaction as well, after spending the few minutes with the belugas on the Wild Arctic tour I would say the $200 price tag is totally worth the in the water interaction! There are a few youtube vids of the beluga interaction if you are interested in seeing what it involves.

Hope this helped, even though it is the Orlando tour and not San Diego!

 

[JM27]

Hi

Oh my! Only 5 weeks till I'll be in California for a 3 week road trip. Can't wait!

Posted this in the California forum yesterday, but thought I would post it here too

I have a question about Seaworld San Diego, and hope that some of you can help. I've been thinking about doing the Beluga interaction program, but I think $215 for 20 minutes ind the water is a bit much. Then I thought about the wild artic tour. It's only $70 and it sounds like you get some interaction with both a walrus and a beluga. It's hard to find reviews on this tour, so I thought I would ask here. Has any of you done the wild artic tour and how was it? Do you get to touch, feed and maybe kiss the animals? Can you bring your own camera or are there photographers? Would you recommend it?

Oh yeah, and if you have any other advice when visiting Seaworld at Christmas I would really appriciate it Only been in the summer...

Thanks!

I can help here! I did it in April 2013 in San Diego. I really liked it but I think I paid a little less than $70 because I had my pass discount but I could be wrong. You get to go in the backstage area and you'll see some animals that they have that aren't out in the public area (they had a few arctic foxes I believe). We also go to go into the polar bear behind the scenes area and see some artifacts. Got to touch a clump of hair they had saved that came from a polar bear. All of the zookeeper interaction with the polar bears is protected from behind a barrier so you don't get to get that close but it was still cool to see. I believe they made the bear do 1 or 2 behaviors while we were watching (stand up tall and maybe one other thing)

We also got to go see the walrus. Most of the zookeeper interaction is similar to a polar bear with the protective steel gates with slots where they can reach through with one larger opening. We got to feed it a fish and also get a walrus "kiss" which was us making a fist and sticking it up against the walrus' mouth. It's how they suck down their fish so it created a sort of vacuum type seal with your fist.

The beluga part was cool too. I honestly felt satisfied with the interaction I got with it vs what it could have been with the in the water one. You got to go (one at a time or with your small group) and kneel down at the foot of the pool and do some behaviors with the trainer. You get to make it sing, touch its tail fluke, hold it for a photo and a few other things I can't remember at the moment. I actually got to go twice because I was the first person to go and the photographer hadn't arrived yet. So they let me go again at the end so they could take photos. I had my own camera there and the SW staffer took photos for me during my beluga interaction. I have pics of me by the walrus too...I think the rule there was you couldn't bring a camera past the line on the floor (probably 10-15 feet away from the gate where the walrus was at.

I'm in a rush because I have a concert tonight but I'll try to come back later on and add some of the photos I have.

Hope this helps!

 

[hbisch]

We got to feed it a fish and also get a walrus "kiss" which was us making a fist and sticking it up against the walrus' mouth. It's how they suck down their fish so it created a sort of vacuum type seal with your fist.

That sounds SO awesome - we definitely didn't get a walrus kiss on the Orlando tour!!!

 

[Disneyqueendenmark]

I recently did the Wild Arctic Tour at SW Orlando, so hopefully someone from CA will answer also... We were not allowed to have our own cameras during the tour at all, we had to put all our loose items in a locker at the beginning of the tour, except for sunglasses, which had to be on our faces, not on the top of your head. There was a SW photographer (two actually) and they take pictures, but they aren't very creative or skilled even. I chatted up the photographers at the beginning of my tour, told them I was a scrapbooker and would love to have some great interaction pics - and the response was 'we take what we take'. I would call myself 'satisfied' with the pictures from my tour, but I wouldn't be any more enthusiastic than satisfied - lol. You do get to touch the beluga, kneeling on the side of the pool. I believe I did get a kiss as well. We did not get to touch the walrus, and I was disappointed about that. We stood a few feet away from the walrus while the keeper did a couple of behaviors with him, and then we fed the walrus a fish and the photographer took one pic while we were feeding the fish, but we were not allowed to touch the walrus at all. It was still cool to be that close to him!! I loved the tour and would recommend it to anyone - and I'd really like to do the full-on beluga interaction as well, after spending the few minutes with the belugas on the Wild Arctic tour I would say the $200 price tag is totally worth the in the water interaction! There are a few youtube vids of the beluga interaction if you are interested in seeing what it involves. Hope this helped, even though it is the Orlando tour and not San Diego!

Thanks! I guess that the tour in Orlando is pretty simlar to the tour in San Diego.
It sounds like it's a great tour - but I'm a little dissapointed to hear about the photographers. Is it possible for you to uploade some of the pics? Would love to see them to get an idea of what kind of photos they take?

 

[Disneyqueendenmark]

I can help here! I did it in April 2013 in San Diego. I really liked it but I think I paid a little less than $70 because I had my pass discount but I could be wrong. You get to go in the backstage area and you'll see some animals that they have that aren't out in the public area (they had a few arctic foxes I believe). We also go to go into the polar bear behind the scenes area and see some artifacts. Got to touch a clump of hair they had saved that came from a polar bear. All of the zookeeper interaction with the polar bears is protected from behind a barrier so you don't get to get that close but it was still cool to see. I believe they made the bear do 1 or 2 behaviors while we were watching (stand up tall and maybe one other thing) We also got to go see the walrus. Most of the zookeeper interaction is similar to a polar bear with the protective steel gates with slots where they can reach through with one larger opening. We got to feed it a fish and also get a walrus "kiss" which was us making a fist and sticking it up against the walrus' mouth. It's how they suck down their fish so it created a sort of vacuum type seal with your fist. The beluga part was cool too. I honestly felt satisfied with the interaction I got with it vs what it could have been with the in the water one. You got to go (one at a time or with your small group) and kneel down at the foot of the pool and do some behaviors with the trainer. You get to make it sing, touch its tail fluke, hold it for a photo and a few other things I can't remember at the moment. I actually got to go twice because I was the first person to go and the photographer hadn't arrived yet. So they let me go again at the end so they could take photos. I had my own camera there and the SW staffer took photos for me during my beluga interaction. I have pics of me by the walrus too...I think the rule there was you couldn't bring a camera past the line on the floor (probably 10-15 feet away from the gate where the walrus was at. I'm in a rush because I have a concert tonight but I'll try to come back later on and add some of the photos I have. Hope this helps!

Thank you so so much! It is nice to get a review from someone who did the tour in San Diego.
I'm getting more and more convinced that I wanna do this tour! You helped me a lot!
I would love to see some photos!
Am I thrilled that you could bring your own camera - hope that it's still like this.
Did you buy any photos that the photographers took?

 

[JM27]

Thank you so so much! It is nice to get a review from someone who did the tour in San Diego.
I'm getting more and more convinced that I wanna do this tour! You helped me a lot!
I would love to see some photos!
Am I thrilled that you could bring your own camera - hope that it's still like this.
Did you buy any photos that the photographers took?

I did not buy the photos they took.

Let's test this photo thing to see if it works. If it does I will add more. This is Ruby...she died a few months ago though

ETA: Apparently photo didn't work. Tried two different sites.

If you want to send me your email address i will be happy to email some.

 

[Disneyqueendenmark]

No, there's an error with the photo...
Thank you so much! Very sweet of you to send them! thanks!!
My email is: rebekka.sophie@hotmail.com

 

[JM27]

Sent you some photos. Make sure to sign up for the tour in advance because I got shut out my first day. Luckily I was planning on staying overnight in San Diego and going back to SeaWorld anyway the next day so I was able to schedule it while I was at the park for the following day.

I went back and read your original post again and see some stuff I may have skipped over. Yes, you get to feed the beluga...they give you a pail of fish. Not sure if it was a per person or per group since I was alone and I can't remember. Funny story...so you basically sit with your legs tucked under you/knees on the ground on the edge of the pool and the whale had splashed a bit everytime she was coming up so when my turn was over and I got up my knees/jeans were soaked, haha.

If you have any other questions, just let me know. I lived in So Cali for a few years in 2010-2013.

 

[Disneyqueendenmark]

Thank you for the photos! They are great!
Really appriciate your help! Thanks!!

 

[dolphinrescuegirl]

The tour in Orlando used to also involve petting a harbor seal when the tour was brand new. Is this not included anymore? It was a beluga whale, walrus, and the seal.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

The tour in Orlando used to also involve petting a harbor seal when the tour was brand new. Is this not included anymore? It was a beluga whale, walrus, and the seal.

It changes, depending on what animals are available. Last year we had a Beluga, Walrus and Seal. Sometimes you'll get a penguin instead.

 

[Disneyqueendenmark]

I wrote to Sea World last week, to get some more details about the tour. This is the reply I got:

Hello Rebekka,

Thank you for your email. During the Wild Arctic Up-Close Tour you get the opportunity to meet one of our walruses, and meet a Beluga Whale poolside. We don't guarantee any feedings. Our Animals always have the choice to not participate, though they are usually eager to meet guests. Unfortunately there are not any photographers for tours, but you are welcome to bring your own camera with you. For guests that don't want to get into the water with the Beluga Whales, the tour is a great option. Please let me know if you have any further questions.


Thank you,
Shandar
SeaWorld and Aquatica San Diego


I'm a little dissapointed that there aren't any photographers. I just don't understand it, since many reviews of the tour in both San Diego and Orlando says there is.

 

[JM27]

I wrote to Sea World last week, to get some more details about the tour. This is the reply I got:

Hello Rebekka,

Thank you for your email. During the Wild Arctic Up-Close Tour you get the opportunity to meet one of our walruses, and meet a Beluga Whale poolside. We don't guarantee any feedings. Our Animals always have the choice to not participate, though they are usually eager to meet guests. Unfortunately there are not any photographers for tours, but you are welcome to bring your own camera with you. For guests that don't want to get into the water with the Beluga Whales, the tour is a great option. Please let me know if you have any further questions.


Thank you,
Shandar
SeaWorld and Aquatica San Diego


I'm a little dissapointed that there aren't any photographers. I just don't understand it, since many reviews of the tour in both San Diego and Orlando says there is.

That is very strange. There was definitely a photographer there for mine (for the beluga portion). Maybe they just say that because they can't promise one will always be there. ???

Honestly though the tour guide used my camera and took plenty of pics for me so you'll have pics if you bring a camera.