SeaWorld San Diego is ushering in a new season of excitement and education this fall, as the park unveils a fresh take on its iconic Orca Encounter presentation and rolls out a family-friendly promotion just in time for Halloween. The updates, announced in early September 2025, reflect a blend of nostalgia, scientific innovation, and festive fun, aiming to connect guests with marine life in deeper, more personal ways while making the park more accessible to families.
The star of SeaWorld’s latest initiatives is the revamped Orca Encounter, a performance that puts the spotlight squarely on the distinct personalities of each orca and the special relationships they share with their trainers. According to SeaWorld San Diego, the new show format offers visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the daily routines of the orca care team, highlighting the trust, playfulness, and cooperation that define their interactions. Trainer Blake Foster, who has worked closely with the whales, describes his bond with orca Makani as uniquely playful. "Me and Makani love to goof off and be really silly together, and so there’s nothing like coming in at 7 a.m. and hearing a whale [make farting noises] at you," Foster joked, sharing a glimpse of the whales’ quirky personalities.
Foster’s enthusiasm for the new presentation is rooted in his own childhood experience at SeaWorld. "I first came to SeaWorld when I was 4 years old, and I was sitting in these very seats over here. And that single interaction actually changed my life," he recalled. "I came here, and I remember watching our family of killer whales, and I knew that this is what I wanted to do with the rest of my life." Now, Foster hopes that today’s guests will develop similar connections with the orcas, inspiring a new generation to care about marine conservation.
But it’s not just about entertainment. The updated Orca Encounter also gives audiences a window into the park’s contributions to marine science and conservation. Veterinarian Todd Schmitt emphasized the critical role SeaWorld’s orcas play in groundbreaking research, especially studies on heart rate and hearing conducted in partnership with organizations like NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "[If people see] a newsflash about an animal that looks thin in the wild, well those researchers from NOAA got that information from studying our whales here and that groundwork was done at SeaWorld with our animals, with pregnant animals and healthy animals," Schmitt explained. These studies provide vital data that can help protect endangered wild orca populations.
One particularly innovative project, led by veterinarian Jennifer Russell, involved using infrared imaging to measure the blowhole temperatures of SeaWorld’s orcas. Conservationists hope that this technique could eventually enable non-invasive health assessments for wild orcas using drones, a breakthrough that could transform how scientists monitor the health of these elusive creatures.
Central to these scientific advances is the orcas’ training, which allows them to participate willingly in their own health care. "We work so hand-in-hand with the trainers. It’s rare that you have that cooperation in health care, and also because the animals are trained to participate in their own health care," Schmitt noted. "The fact that we can ask them their tail flukes for a blood sample, that we can ask them to blow on a petri dish, we can ask them to lay out on an ultrasound scan. So much of their health care is cooperative." This collaborative approach not only improves the well-being of the animals in SeaWorld’s care but also yields valuable insights for scientists working to protect orcas in the wild.
Foster expressed pride in the work being done by the SeaWorld team and hopes the new show will have a ripple effect beyond the park. "Our hope is that people get to come and learn about Makani, his older sister Kalia, his best friend Shouka, Ulises, 60-year-old Corky — have them come and learn about all the individual killer whales and really develop that connection for killer whales as a whole," he said. The orca team’s revived uniforms, which nod to SeaWorld’s storied past, further underscore the park’s dual commitment to honoring its legacy and advancing a forward-looking mission focused on conservation, education, and inspiration.
While the new Orca Encounter draws guests into the world of marine mammals, SeaWorld San Diego is also making it easier—and more enticing—than ever for families to visit. Beginning September 1, 2025, the park launched its "Kids Free Any Day Ticket" promotion, offering free admission to children ages 2 to 9 with the purchase of an adult ticket. This offer, valid through October 31, 2025, is designed to open the gates to more families, making a day at SeaWorld a more affordable and accessible adventure.
The timing of the promotion couldn’t be better, as it coincides with SeaWorld’s annual Halloween Spooktacular event, a festival that transforms the park into a vibrant, whimsical playground every weekend from September 6 through November 2, 2025. The Halloween Spooktacular is packed with activities and entertainment for all ages, including a Trick-or-Treat Trail featuring 10 candy stations, live shows, and interactive character encounters with DJs, pirates, mermaids, and other themed performers.
Among the highlights are a seaside pumpkin patch, interactive story times, and dance parties starring Spookley the Square Pumpkin and Jack Scarecrow. Guests can also meet the Bone Brothers Talking Skull Quartet, the Heckling Pirate Talking Skulls, and the ever-popular Spooktacular DJ. Beloved characters such as magical mermaids, the Scurvy Squad Pirate Shanty Band, and the talking skeleton duo Captain Sweet Tooth and First Mate Peggy return to spin lively tales of haunted treasures and hidden candy, adding a dash of humor and adventure to the festivities.
The Halloween Spooktacular isn’t just about candy and costumes—it’s about creating lasting memories for families and fostering a sense of wonder about the natural world. The event’s immersive experiences and playful storytelling complement SeaWorld’s broader mission of education and conservation, encouraging guests to see marine animals not just as exhibits, but as individuals with unique personalities and stories.
In blending innovative animal care, scientific research, and festive family fun, SeaWorld San Diego is charting a course that honors its past while embracing the future. Whether visitors are marveling at the intelligence and charisma of orcas during the new Encounter presentation or exploring the magic of Halloween Spooktacular, the park is offering something for everyone this fall—connecting hearts and minds to the wonders of the ocean, one unforgettable experience at a time.
