Registration is open now for SeaWorld Orlando’s summer camps

Does your child love animals? Does he or she dream of being a marine biologist (just as my 10-year-old daughter does)? Or perhaps you are looking for a unique camp experience for your child. If you said “yes” to any of these questions, SeaWorld summer camps may be a great fit for your family.

SeaWorld Orlando offers a wide variety of day camps for kids from preschool age through middle school. Sleep-away camps are available for middle- and high-school students. Registration is open now for all of the camps, which are designed to allow children to interact with the marine animals as well as learn about the park’s animal residents. The first camp begins June 8, and the last camp of the summer begins Aug. 3. They all run Monday through Friday.

Day camps are organized by grade level for children going into preschool through eighth grade. Campers will focus on a different animal each day — including whales, dolphins, penguins and sea lions — and learn about them through songs, take-home arts and crafts, as well as by talking with zoological staff. Lunch, snacks, a camp T-shirt and water bottle are included in the price of camp. Participants who meet the height requirements also will have the opportunity to experience rides together.

Children ages 3 and 4 can experience SeaFari from 9 a.m. to noon each day. The price is $250, and this is the only camp planned for a parent and child to experience together. That price is for the pair, a complimentary T-shirt and water bottle for the camper, and a snack each day. The camp offers up-close animal encounters, crafts and select animal shows.

Camps for children in grades 1 through 8 take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day and cost $325 per week. (SeaWorld pass members can save $35 per camp by registering through the website or by calling 1-866-479-2267.) After care is available from 3 to 5 p.m. for an additional $75 per camper per week.

Programs for upcoming kindergarten and first-graders include: Sea Hideaway (learn how animals find the best hiding places and explore animal camouflage); Do You See What I Sea? (find out how your senses compare to sharks, whales, dolphins and much more); and Secrets of the Sea (uncover the secrets of killer whales, polar bears, and other sea critters).

Kids going into second and third grade can pick from these topics: What’s For Lunch? (find out what types of food the animals eat and then help feed dolphins, flamingos and sting rays); Ocean Odyssey (discover why some animals migrate and where they go); and Animal Addresses (learn how killer whales, sea lions, penguins and other animals adapt to their surroundings).

Campers entering fourth and fifth grades in the fall have their choice of Animal Antics (explore the world of animal behavior and training with up-close encounters); Walk on the Wild Side (learn about a variety of animals with hands-on experiences); and Feeding Frenzy (learn how SeaWorld prepares food for over 60,000 animals and feed some of the residents).

The oldest campers, upcoming sixth- to eighth-graders, will focus on careers related to animal care: Wild Careers (go behind the scenes to see what it’s like to work with the animals and help construct toys for them); Marine Biology 101 (discover what it’s like to be a real marine biologist and conduct hands-on experiments); and Animal Sciences (learn how biology, geography and other sciences all play a role in studying marine animals and visit the park’s research facilities). During these three camps, the participants will spend one day at Aquatica, SeaWorld’s nearby water park.

For day camps, a same-day after-camp admission to SeaWorld is available at a discounted rate.

Students going into seventh through twelfth grades can attend resident career “sleep-away”� camps. These campers experience what it takes to train and work with marine animals and have the opportunity to touch a penguin, snorkel in a shark cage, work with the animal care staff and create an enriching environment for our animals. Plus, participants spend a day at Discovery Cove swimming with dolphins, snorkeling with tropical fish and rays and feeding exotic birds in a free-flight aviary. They also will visit Aquatica.

Resident camps cost $1,200, which includes all camp activities, lodging onsite at SeaWorld and at its partner hotel for five nights, plus all meals and snacks. Supervision and guidance is provided 24 hours a day for the entire duration.

SeaWorld camps are accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA), a nationally recognized association focused on health, safety and program quality.

For more information, visit SeaWorldCamps.com/Orlando or call 1-800-406-2244.

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