Dubai sand artist Nathaniel Alapide has created a special mural for Earth Day on the Yas Island beach.
Commissioned by SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, Alapide — who set a Guinness World Record for largest sand mural ever created in 2022 — spent 11 hours creating the artwork for the aquatic theme park. The 20-metre by 20-metre sand mural features nature-inspired designs, as well as SeaWorld Abu Dhabi’s One Ocean story: “we are connected to the ocean, and the ocean connects all of us”.
“I am honoured to collaborate with SeaWorld Abu Dhabi on this Earth Day initiative. Creating this sand mural is a unique way to remind everyone of our shared responsibility to protect and preserve our one ocean, and I hope it inspires people to take action for marine conservation,” said Alapide.
When will SeaWorld Abu Dhabi open?
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SeaWorld Abu Dhabi is set to open on May 23, 2023. All photos: Miral unless specified otherwise -
It will be the first SeaWorld location outside North America -
It's set to be home to the region's largest multi-species aquarium -
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi is a new attraction on Yas Island, which is also home to Yas Bay Waterfront, pictured. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is another family-friendly attraction on Yas Island. Photo: Yas Island -
Yas Island is also home to the world’s first Warner Bros-themed hotel
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi will open to the public on May 23.
It will be the first SeaWorld outside North America and is the latest addition to Yas Island’s attractions, which include Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi and Clymb Abu Dhabi.
The attraction is built over five floors spanning about 183,000 square metres and includes habitats, rides, interactive exhibits and immersive guest experiences.
It's set to be home to the region's largest multi-species aquarium, with more than 58 million litres of water and 150 species, including sharks, manta rays, sea turtles, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.
The park will also be home to hundreds of bird species, from penguins to puffins. The animals will be looked after by expert zoologists, veterinarians, nutritionists and other animal specialists.
The central zone is called One Ocean and links six marine environments throughout the park, each telling a story designed to emphasise the interconnectivity of life on Earth and under the seas. There will also be a 360-degree media experience in this zone.
