Manta is a steel launch coaster at SeaWorld San Diego, built by Mack Rides and opened to the public on May 26, 2012. Rather than towering into the sky, Manta hugs the terrain of the park’s Mission Bay shoreline, a design choice forced by strict height restrictions from the California Coastal Commission that limited the ride to just 30 feet of above-grade structure.
To compensate for the limited height, Mack Rides and SeaWorld engineered a ride built around speed and theatrics rather than sheer scale. Two linear synchronous motor (LSM) launches send trains shaped like manta rays through a twisting, terrain-hugging layout that includes a 54-foot drop into an excavated trench, delivering unexpected airtime for a family-oriented coaster.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: SeaWorld San Diego
- Manufacturer: Mack Rides
- Opened: May 26, 2012
- Height: 30 feet (9.1 m)
- Top speed: 43 mph (69 km/h)
- Length: 2,800 feet (850 m)
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
Manta’s first launch begins inside a 20-meter tunnel wrapped in a 270-degree projection screen, where riders’ trains rock forward and backward in sync with projected footage of a coral reef teeming with rays. SeaWorld and projection firm Kraftwerk Living Technologies billed the system, powered by 18 projectors totaling 100,000 lumens, as the first of its kind installed in the United States.
After emerging from the tunnel, a second LSM launch propels the train through a compact but twisty course that dips into a trench for its signature 54-foot drop, generating brief moments of airtime despite the ride’s low profile. The full circuit lasts under two minutes and covers 2,800 feet of track before returning to the station.
Design Under Constraint
Manta’s low-to-the-ground layout wasn’t a stylistic choice but an engineering response to coastal building regulations near Mission Bay. With only 30 feet of vertical clearance to work with, designers leaned on launch technology and underground trenching to create a sense of speed and drama that a taller structure would normally provide.
The coaster sits alongside SeaWorld’s Forbidden Reef exhibit, home to bat rays and other sea life in a 100,000-gallon aquarium, tying the ride’s manta ray theme directly to the animals guests can view nearby.
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Manta FAQs
Who manufactured Manta at SeaWorld San Diego?
Manta was built by Mack Rides, a German roller coaster manufacturer. It is a distinct ride from the similarly named Manta at SeaWorld Orlando, which was built by Bolliger & Mabillard as a flying coaster.
How tall is Manta at SeaWorld San Diego?
Manta stands just 30 feet tall above grade, a height limited by California Coastal Commission building restrictions near Mission Bay.
Does Manta have any inversions?
No, Manta has zero inversions. It relies on two LSM launches and a 54-foot trenched drop for its thrills rather than loops or rolls.
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Photo: Coldbolt / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.