SeaWorld Christmas Pictures
Shamu's Christmas show, decorations, music, and a whimsical holiday sea lion show await you!
In the slide show above, you're viewing pictures of SeaWorld San Diego's Christmas celebration! Shamu rolls out the red and green carpet for you every December---and what a feast for the eyes it is! You'll enjoy both Shamu's and Clyde & Seamore's holiday shows. You'll hear carolers and live instrumentalists. And you'll see the cutest decorations, featuring killer whales, dolphins, polar bears and penguins. It's an ocean-themed holiday treat!
Christmas at Sea World means great family fun!
Three adorable killer whales are inviting you to see their show!
What show is that?
Shamu's Holiday Nights show at Sea World San Diego!
Every year SeaWorld adds special holiday fun during the Christmas season, and 2009 is no exception. What dates in 2010 can you enjoy SeaWorld's Christmas celebration? As of this update (February, 2010) the park's Christmas schedule has not yet been released. For a planning guide, however, here were the Christmas event dates last season in 2009: The fun began November 27th--the day after Thanksgiving! November 27, 28, & 29 was SeaWorld San Diego's kickoff weekend for Christmas events. Other dates for the Christmas shows & attractions were December 5, 6, 12 & 13 (the 1st two weekends of the month)...and daily between December 19-31st. The array of seasonal delights included:
NEW FOR CHRISTMAS 2009---
On this page, we'll talk about the various SeaWorld Christmas attractions, and you can make plans to head to the park to see them in person for Christmas 2009!
SeaWorld Christmas Pictures--Shamu's Christmas Show
The "must-see" Christmas show on most SeaWorld visitorS' listS is the Shamu Holiday Nights show.
With good reason, too...Shamu's Christmas show is both cute and heartwarming.
As you enter Shamu stadium, the stage and pool areas will be lit with a calm, dark-blue lighting. Two Christmas trees flank each side of the performance area.
Then, out come the whales! First, SeaWorld's killer whales do a simple, but beautiful, swimming routine to the sounds of a lovely instrumental version of "O Holy Night."
Next, three killer whales line up to "talk" with their trainers, and on come the bright spotlights so everyone may see them.
In picture above, it almost looks like the trainer is giving Shamu instructions for the show...and that Shamu is understanding every word! Obviously, the whales don't understand English. But the show runs so smoothly, and the whales seem so attentive, it almost SEEMS like they do!
Also above, you can see a picture of SeaWorld's Christmas-themed wetsuits that the trainers wear for the special Shamu Holiday Nights show.
Most of the show, naturally, is centered around Shamu's tricks. Among other things, Shamu splashes the first few rows of the audience with pool water; lets a trainer ride his back like a surfboard; pushes a trainer through the water; poses both on the main stage and on the Shamu shelf directly in front of the audience; and does a few spectacular leaps into the air.
Above, you see a picture of Shamu rising out of the water and twirling his trainer round and round. (The dimness of the deep blue lighting may make it difficult to see the details.)
Then, to your left, you see a photo of Shamu lifting the trainer straight out of the water.
A touching moment during the show is when a vocalist (seen in the photo to your right) sang Silent Night, accompanied by a saxophone player.Simultaneously, a candle-light procession begins. Several dozen people dressed in choir robes walk along Shamu Stadium's central walkway bearing electric candles. Choir members also appear on the main stage...and show members of the audience how some favorite Christmas carols appear in American Sign Language!
How was the show? Judging from the cheers of the crowd, it was a roaring success.
Maybe my own feelings were typical. It was a cold and rainy night the first time I saw this show in 2007. As I sat uncomfortably waiting for the show to begin, I was truly wishing I hadn't come. But, the moment Shamu appeared and the show began, all my thoughts of the climate and the chill came to an end.
The whales were mesmerizing, the lighting was beautiful, and the music was an inspiration. It was one of those wonderful occasions that seemed suspended in time...and I was so glad that I'd stayed. In 2008, I made sure that I attended this outstanding presentation not just once...but twice!
Go behind the scenes of Shamu's Christmas Show! If you, too, enjoy this special Christmas presentation at SeaWorld San Diego (or would like to know more about it,) you can see more pictures of the event and read my interview with the show's producer, Rick Schuiteman. You may use the following link to enjoy the "The Making of SeaWorld's Holiday Show" page of this site.
SeaWorld Christmas Pictures--Seal & Sea Lion Holiday Show
In contrast to the beautiful and elegant Shamu Christmas show, the Clyde and Seamore Night Before Christmas show is a crazy, zany comedy.
It's even hard to say what the show is "about," since its purpose seems to be giving the human performers in the show a reason to dress in outlandish costumes and do silly things. But, who needs a purpose to the show...when bringing a smile to the faces of every guest in attendance is reason enough?
The sea lions in the show are adorable. In addition, there is one huge walrus acting in the show...and a little-bitty otter...that add fun to the festivities.
(Note: you can catch 2 different sea lion shows at SeaWorld during the holidays! Clyde and Seamore perform their "regular" comedic show during daylight hours. Then, performances of the seasonal "Night Before Christmas" show begin until after dark.)
SeaWorld Christmas Pictures--Music & Entertainment
On nights when Sea World San Diego's Christmas shows are running, there are also several musical groups performing some of the "sounds of the season" throughout the park.
To your left, you see the photo of a band which plays holiday tunes in the SeaWorld entrance plaza. The SeaWorld entrance is a great place to see decorative Christmas banners, wreathes & garlands on SeaWorld's stores, and strolling, costumed characters your kids or grandchildren would love to meet.
Festively dressed in old-fashioned costumed, a quartet of Christmas carolers strolls throughout the park, making stops at various locations to perform.
The group sings holiday favorites in 4-part harmony...staying perfectly on-pitch despite the lack of musical accompaniment. Despite the chill of the night, a crowd gathered to enjoy their selections at this stop.
SeaWorld Christmas Decorations
Anyone living in (or visiting) San Diego knows that this theme park decorates for the holidays! How? Because, each year Sea World erects a GIANT Christmas tree which can be seen for miles around!
(Actually, it's not a tree at all! It's a set of lights rigged up from the ground to the pinnacle of their huge Sky Tower Ride!) You'll never get lost heading towards SeaWorld on a wintry night during the Christmas season. The lit-up Sky Tower tree will guide you straight to your destination, just as surely as Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer guides Santa Claus!
Once you enter the main gates of SeaWorld San Diego, you'll see other Christmas Trees; REAL ones, decorated from "head to toe" with clever & colorful ornaments. (Some of the SeaWorld stores have the best Christmas trees of all! Notice the Christmas tree decorated with penguin ornaments in the picture below! Even Shamu has his own Christmas tree...all decorated with little plush Shamu stuffed animals...and a garland strand made of soft, furry little Shamu's strung in a row!)
You and your family will have fun snapping photos at SeaWorld's decorative holiday photo backdrops (like the ones in the SeaWorld Christmas pictures to your left and right.) Your photos will come out beautiful every time with these colorful backgrounds lending their cheer.
The Christmas colors of red and green are used at SeaWorld San Diego in some of their holiday decorations. Still, the most noticeable "Christmas" color that you'll see is BLUE!
That's right! Since the SeaWorld theme park celebrates creatures of the sea, blue is their favorite decorating color. Therefore, the Christmas decorations that you'll find at SeaWorld in San Diego, California are unlike those that you'll find in any of Southern California's other theme parks!
Christmas Wreaths hand throughout the park. You'll want to make the rounds of SeaWorld's stores during the holidays: each store decorates a basic blue wreath in their own special way. At the Shamu Shop, Shamu stuffed animals decorate the wreath. At the dolphin shop, it's stuffed toy dolphins. And, do you notice the picture of stuffed polar bears decorating the Christmas wreath to your right? This is the wreath which adorns the Wild Arctic Adventure ride's shop!
NEXT PAGE OF CHRISTMAS SECTION --->
Use the button above to take a fun, photo-filled tour of CHRISTMAS PAGES on this website. (Follow the trail of Christmasy red buttons & you'll end up back here at this page.) Next stop? Disneyland Park of Anaheim, California!
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