SeaWorld San Antonio opened on May 27, 1988, in the Westover Hills District of San Antonio, Texas, and quickly established itself as North America’s largest marine-life theme park across 416 acres. Built for $170 million by Harcourt, Brace and Jovanovich, the park drew 75,000 visitors on opening day and recorded 3.3 million guests in its first year, landing among the Top 10 attractions in Texas.
Today, operated by United Parks & Resorts and accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the park blends white-knuckle thrill rides with active conservation. Its animal collection includes four orcas, ten beluga whales participating in one of the largest beluga breeding programs at any U.S. zoo, around 250 penguins across four species, and rescued sea turtles and other marine mammals cared for on site.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Westover Hills District, San Antonio, Texas
- Opened: May 27, 1988
- Size: 416 acres (168 ha)
- Operator: United Parks & Resorts
- Roller Coasters: 6
- World Record Ride: Catapult Falls — world’s first launched flume ride (2024)
- Accreditation: Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)
Coasters and Thrill Rides
SeaWorld San Antonio’s ride lineup mixes marine-themed excitement with genuine engineering milestones. Steel Eel, a 150-foot hypercoaster that opened in 1999, reaches 65 mph over 3,700 feet of track and remains one of the park’s signature speed machines. Texas Stingray, built by Great Coasters International and opened February 29, 2020, claims the title of tallest, fastest, and longest wooden coaster in Texas — hitting 55 mph along 3,379 feet of timber track.
In March 2024 the park debuted Catapult Falls, manufactured by Intamin and certified as the world’s first launched flume ride. Boats are propelled by a magnetic launch before cresting a 55-foot vertical lift and plunging down a 53-degree drop at 37 mph — the steepest drop ever built on a flume ride. The park’s newest coaster, Barracuda Strike, opened in March 2026 as a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted family coaster billed as the tallest of its type in North America.
Conservation and Animal Encounters
Beneath the thrill rides, SeaWorld San Antonio’s core identity is conservation and education. The park houses four orcas and operates one of the largest beluga whale breeding programs in the United States, with ten belugas on site. Its collection of around 250 penguins from four species is among the most diverse in the country, and the park is one of only two U.S. facilities caring for Pacific white-sided dolphins.
All animal programs run under AZA accreditation, and the park actively participates in the rescue and rehabilitation of injured sea turtles, sea lions, and other marine wildlife. The 2025 opening of the SeaWorld Rescue Jr. area reinforces this educational mission, giving younger guests hands-on encounters themed around real marine-animal rescue work.
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SeaWorld San Antonio FAQs
When did SeaWorld San Antonio open?
SeaWorld San Antonio opened on May 27, 1988. Built for $170 million, it drew 75,000 visitors on its first day and recorded 3.3 million guests within its first year of operation.
How big is SeaWorld San Antonio?
The park covers 416 acres (168 hectares) in San Antonio’s Westover Hills District, making it the largest of the SeaWorld-branded parks and North America’s largest marine-life theme park.
What is Catapult Falls?
Catapult Falls, which opened March 2, 2024, is the world’s first launched flume ride. Built by Intamin, it uses a magnetic launch, a 55-foot vertical lift, and a 53-degree drop — the steepest ever on a flume ride — reaching 37 mph before splashing down.
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Photo by Soly Moses on Pexels.