SeaWorld Abu Dhabi is opening on Tuesday.
The newest attraction on Yas Island, the first SeaWorld outside of North America spans 183,000 square metres and occupies five floors.
It will have more than 100,000 animals and more than 15 rides and experiences on offer. There are also 18 dining options and 13 shopping experiences through its eight realms.
The theme of the realms is to tell the One Ocean story: “We are connected to the ocean, and the ocean connects all of us."
Before its grand opening, The National was given an early preview of the marine life theme park. Here is a guide of what to expect at all eight realms.
One Ocean
One Ocean is the park's hub that connects to all other realms and it is the smallest.
It is the educational aspect of the destination, with a 360-degree screen as its centrepiece. The space resembles the bottom of the ocean.
The realm has three shows: One Epic Ocean spectacular, which goes on a journey through One Ocean using immersive multimedia; Ocean Stories that uses digital storytelling to present different aspects of the ocean through two-to-five-minute themed stories; and Immersive Media, 10-minute segments about various undersea worlds.
It also houses the Animal Care Centre, where visitors can watch vets and animal care experts at work. For a quick snack, there is Frozen Treats, which has items including ice cream.
MicroOcean
This realm is aimed at children and is described by the park as its “underworld playground” because of its child-friendly rides and play areas.
The theme of the zone is that visitors are the size of plankton in the ocean.
There is a Coral Reef Zone that has four interactive areas for educating little ones. There are also rides such as Turtle Twist, Octozoom, Jelly Plunge and Eel Racer.
The two play areas are the Kelp Climb and the Explorer's Sea Base. There is also roaming entertainment, such as Krill Dude, a puppet character who lives in the reef of MicroOcean, and Sea Star, a character who roams around.
Dining options in this realm are Bitsy Bites, which serves pizza, chicken fingers and slushies. There is also a shopping area that sells plush toys and apparel.
Rocky Point
Th zone is themed after the Pacific North-west in the US with its mountains and waves replicated.
It is where California sea lions and harbour seals are homed. Guest experiences in the realm include feeding the marine mammals.
The Rocky Point Amphitheatre will also have sea lion shows. There are three levels of viewing – an upper platform, ground and a lower level that shows the sea mammals underwater.
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi says it has used advanced technology to mimic the animals' natural habitat by controlling water currents, wave movements and lighting conditions.
The realm also simulates the natural Sun and recreates seasonal light cycles through an advanced lighting system.
There is a Pretzel Point for a quick snack in the area.
Arctic
Found in Polar Ocean, this is one of two realms within. There are walruses, puffin, sea otters and coldwater fish.
The temperature stays between 18ºC to 20ºC and is cooler than the rest of the zones. Visitors can also experience the region's seasonal temperatures and light cycles in this zone.
Other things to see and do include a walrus habitat, the Ahmad ibn Majid Research Vessel with educational games to teach more about the species in the Artic region, and the Hypersphere 360-degree ride, an immersive multimedia sphere that takes visitors on a marine journey.
There is also a shop selling Arctic-inspired souvenirs.
Antarctica
This is the second Polar Ocean-inspired realm. The Arctic's opposite pole is where penguins can be found. It is also the coldest realm.
A zoological lighting system replicates the seasonal changes of the region, and allows the penguins to go through their natural seasons, from moulting to nesting.
There are six different species of penguins to be housed here, including the distinctive macaronis, tiny rockhoppers and king penguins, the second-largest of all penguin species.
There is also the Penguin Play, an elevated structure with climbing nets and slides.
Dining options are Umberto’s, named after Italian aviator and explorer Umberto Nobile, which serves Italian cuisine, and The Catch which has fish and chips.
Endless Ocean
This realm is home to the world’s largest multi-species marine life aquarium with more than 68,0000 animals such as sharks, rays, octopus and schools of fish living in the habitat.
There are more than 20 viewing areas, including one with a giant circular window that is 20 metres deep and looks into the aquarium.
Seven other animal habitats are also in this space, aimed at creating educational awareness of sea creatures and the vast ocean. One of them is the Swirl, where tens of thousands of sardine swim.
The realm will also be home to two soon-to-open experiences – diving with schools of fish and an underwater walking tour inside the giant aquarium.
The zone also has Verne ROV, a remote operated vehicle with an AI system, which roams around interacting with visitors, and the SEA Maintenance Crew that sing and dance randomly.
Fine dining cuisine can be found at Fathom 11, which has direct views of the Endless Ocean, or for a quick snack there is the SEA Snacks kiosk.
The next two zones have already been previous revealed.
Abu Dhabi Ocean
Two escalator rides up to the third floor reveals the first realm: Abu Dhabi Ocean. It is where all visitors will start and end their trip, because the exit is also here.
The area is themed around the UAE capital and its environment, with replicas of mangrove trees, dhows and even a souq-style shop.
It is designed to give a traditional feel of the olden days of Abu Dhabi, yet with a modern touch.
The realm features Arabesque architecture with fort-like buildings on display, as well as a replica of Abu Dhabi's port.
It is home to the Naham theatre, which will have two live shows: one about the history of pearl diving and another featuring mermaids and dugongs.
All of the animals in this realm are native to the Arabian Gulf. There are also four pools where visitors can touch and feed animals such as starfish and stingray.
Abu Dhabi Ocean is the starting point of SEA Guardian Games, an experience that stands for science, exploration and adventure, with different connecting games throughout the realms to educate visitors about ocean life.
Each realm has its own themed restaurants and cafes. At Abu Dhabi Ocean, there is Dallal Al Bahar cafe, Lugaima for fried dough and churros, and Matbakh Ummi (Mother’s Kitchen) that serves Arabic food.
This space replicates sunrise and sunset through lighting on the walls. For example, if the Sun is starting to rise by the entrance, by the end of the day the other side of the realm will have the Sun setting.
Tropical Ocean
This is the biggest realm of the eight at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi.
The space was created as a nod to the tropics, with Amazon rainforest-inspired decor, giant banyans and palm trees, and plenty of natural lighting thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows on one side.
Caribbean flamingos, with their vivid pink colour, are behind a fenced-off area surrounded by water and sand.
Other animals in the zone include macaws and ray, as well as other tropical bird and fish species.
Further on is an amphitheatre that can seat up to 2,000 people and is the venue for dolphin shows.
The curved, green seating is inspired by rice terraces in Asia. Towards the front, seats are in blue to signify splash zones.
The Tropical Ocean realm is also home to Manta Coaster, one of two rides at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi. The indoor-to-outdoor ride includes a trip under an aquarium.
Dining options include: Tiki-designed Spice Island, which serves Indian and Asian food; Bay View cafe that offers views of the entire realm; Pretzel Point, where people can make their own pretzels; Waterside Cafe for Mexican; Wasi’s Market, Lost Cove Treats and Cenote Cafe that serves burgers with views of the dolphins and other marine life.
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi opens on Tuesday; www.seaworldabudhabi.com
