Behind the Scene Technical Tour of Sea World

Ever wonder what engineering is required to operate Sea World?  Find out by joining us in this tour .
Date: January 17, 2004, Saturday 
Time: 1:00 pm
Where: Sea World in Mission Bay 
What:
 The tour will focus on water quality, temperature control, ozonation, chlorination, water intake and disposal, filtration, environmental issues, pool dynamics, animal training, and husbandry techniques.  The tour will start off with a presentation on water quality issues, and then continue to a walk-around tour.
Cost:
 $285 for 25 people, so price per person will depend on participation. Participants do not need to purchase a day pass unless they plan on visiting the park before or after the tour.  We have 50 slots reserved (two tours).
RSVP: Email Mike Woodmansee or contact him at 858-720-4125 by January 5, 2004.  Please include your contact information (name, address, phone, and email address.  Thank you.

 EVENT REPORT:
    This tour was a great success. At the outset, the tour was conceived as a family-friendly event which would be enjoyable for all age groups. Fifty two ASME members, friends and family attended the event which included a technical overview of the water purification systems followed by a tour of areas of the park which are normally off limits to visitors. The 30-minute technical presentation was given by water quality specialists Gerald Kor and Michael Tucker. After the presentation, we were shown the actual water filtration and treatment systems and an informal question and answer session was held. The group then broke into two tours led by guides Mark Martinez and Justin Brackett which visited other areas of the park. Some of the topics covered in the walking tour included training of the killer whales, care and behavior of sea turtles, and treatment of young, sick or rescued animals in the veterinary facility. We were allowed free time in the park to do as we chose up until the Shamu show at the end of the day, for which special VIP reserved seating was made available to tour attendees. We extend our sincere thanks to Kate Shannon in the SeaWorld education department for actively coordinating this excellent event. Feedback from the tour attendees has been overwhelmingly positive. We were glad to a lot of new faces at this event and hope to have a similar family-friendly event in the near future.