Visit SeaWorld Abu Dhabi’s newest park

• SeaWorld opened its first international location in the United Arab Emirates in May.
• There are no orcas at the site, but thousands of other animals.
• According to SeaWorld, their aquarium in Abu Dhabi is the largest in the world.

SeaWorld’s newest park on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island opened in May and is the first SeaWorld location without orcas.

garden, Announced in 2016, indicating that the orcas would not be housed in the first place. The decision comes several years after the release of the documentary “Blackfish,” which highlighted the aggressive behavior of blackfish. Killer Whale at SeaWorld Orlando. The main claim of the film is that keeping whales in captivity leads to aggressive behavior in the whales.

Studies have shown that this is not uncommon captive animals Show signs of aggression.A few years later, SeaWorld announced that it would no longer Breeding killer whales.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be cuddly animals big and small in the park, the first SeaWorld to open in more than 30 years. A Sea World Press Release The park is claimed to be the world’s largest marine aquarium, housing 68,000 marine animals including sharks, manta rays and sea turtles.

Next to the park is the Yas Seaworld Research and Rescue Centre, the country’s “first dedicated marine rescue and rehabilitation centre”. The facility is designed for ecologists and conservationists to study and save marine wildlife.

The park is certified by the Humane Society of the United States but has yet to submit an application for accreditation to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums — the “gold standard” for animal certification — According to the Associated Press.

One such marine animal is Smooshi, an 800-pound walrus, and her calf Koyuk. Smuhi, who is originally from Ontario, Canada, found a new home in the UAE after activists accused her former home SeaWorld, a Canadian theme park similar to SeaWorld, of not adequately caring for her. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

inside the magic According to reports, instead of Orcas, dolphins are headlining the park, and during the 20-minute show, trainers watch these marine mammals flip and leap from outside the water.

Recently, SeaWorld has come under fire for spotting dolphins at SeaWorld. Aggressive behavior at Orlando factory and attacked a bottlenose named Rascal until it The tail could no longer be lifted. The USDA later said the park’s dolphin pool had high levels of chlorine.

Animal rights groups such as PETA have criticized the parks for continuing to raise and train dolphins and seals, saying the company is “built on the suffering of intelligent, social animals,” according to the Associated Press.

Located on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi’s entertainment hub, the $1.2 billion project features multiple theme parks and a Formula 1 circuit, and features five interior floors, each showcasing a variety of marine environments from around the world, According to a press statement. The park also has a roller coaster with the “world’s first zero-gravity” roller coaster flip feature, according to the parkand a ceiling showing drone footage of the ocean.

The park was created in partnership with Miral Asset Management, a Abu Dhabi-based developer and owned by the state.

SeaWorld representatives did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.