The Continuing Adventures of Jud

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I headed back in and noted with the park closing at 10 this evening, there was another Shamu show at 9. I went to that and it was even better than before. There are several special little touches at night that add to what is already one very awe inspiring show, in addition to the simple fact of spotlights being used on the whales! And the screens were fully functional again! I am very happy to report that though the screens and their movement are a wonderful addition to this show, it does stand up without them, as I had seen in the afternoon show when they didn’t work. So this is not a matter of some special effects making the show, only adding to what is quite fantastic already.

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I also want to note another new touch in this show, which now that it is there seems so long over due! As anyone who has ever attended the Shamu show knows, one of the big events is when the whales come out and, ah… “greet” the audience, at least the first 14 rows or so, with a flick of their tail sending hundreds of gallons of icy salt water in a grand plume instantly inundating anyone in the way. Well, that special effect remains, and is now presented as a distinct element in the presentation. The first part of the show concludes, then a trainer comes out and talks a bit and then starts a fairly simple “hand dance” followed by a shout. You put your right hand out, you put your left hand out, you bring them both together wave them up and down and shout, “Shamu!” This is repeated several times and then suddenly Shamu rises out of the water and belly flops near the glass wall sending a plume of ocean into the crowd! This is repeated until everyone has had a fair shot at getting soaked! I will note this part of the show is much more enjoyable in the summer months…

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After the first part of the evening’s presentation, there seemed to be a bit of a stop. As we waited, one of the very large whales was steadily swimming the perimeter of the tank, around and around and around. After a moment, one of the trainers came out and started speaking. He explained that whales are social creatures and sometimes there may be something going on between them that is more important than paying attention to the trainers. He then pointed out that the very large whale in the tank right now had refused to go to the back stage tank, and basically, they were going to have to wait him out while he worked out whatever was going on. After a few passes, the trainers slapped the deck, a signal for the whale to come over to them, so they could then signal him to go to the back stage pool. He ignored them. Then they sent his mother into the pool to swim with him and hopefully calm him down. A few more go rounds, the slaps, the signal, and ignored again. A repeat, and both whales this time headed out through the gate. But just as it was closing, the big whale came pushing back in and resumed his solitary circling of the big tank! The whole process was repeated with two additional whales now joining the original and eventually, they did all go to the backstage pool. I noted that during all this none of the trainers had joined the whales in the water, and I thought to myself, “Where does a 600-pound Gorilla sit?”

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After the show was over, I wiped the tears from my eyes (it really is a moving show) and went down to talk to one of the trainers about a couple of points I had noted in the now three presentations of the show I had witnessed. He explained that what happens in any given show is to some degree dependant on the “mood” of the whales, as well as the particular trainer and whale combination. For instance, in the afternoon show, there was one “trick” in which Shamu shot way up out of the water at one side of the pool, trainer on his nose, and literally tossed him all the way across the pool in a grand dive: truly impressive! That didn’t happen in the evening show because that was only done by that trainer and that whale. Other behaviors were similarly particular to certain whales.

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After the show was the nightly presentation of Mistify, a water light and fireworks presentation and I headed down to the edge of the lake to watch that. Only after it started and I felt I was missing something did I learn that it is only completely viewable from the other side of the lake, in front of the Seaport Restaurant. Movie images are projected onto a mist wall in the lake that tell the story and that is not viewable from the backside. So I just enjoyed the audio and the later fireworks. But, as I sat there, I suddenly was hit with some liquid splashing across my arms and hands. I looked back, thinking someone had carelessly tossed the remaining contents of a milkshake but saw no one. I rinsed off my hands in the lake and continued watching. A while later I again felt a large splash and a big sploot on my back and discovered that it was indeed the dreaded bird dropping attack! I was sitting under a tree, and there are some very large birds in Florida and at SeaWorld and I had been blessed by one of the biggest. I spent 20 minutes in the men’s room after the show washing it off the entire right side of my vest! Apparently elephants do fly!

-Jud