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SEAWORLD SAN DIEGO’S NEW ‘MANTA’ COASTER, engineered by MACK, to launch in 2012

SAN DIEGO, USA — SeaWorld San Diego announced that in 2012, the park will unveil its new launch coaster, Manta — a new mega-attraction that will seamlessly transition guests from the awe of watching rays in underwater flight … into the sensation of actually being one. SeaWorld is scheduled to break ground for Manta within a month and the ride is slated to open to the public in 2012.

Swooping over sea and sky, Manta will not only inspire riders with amazing underwater animal habitats, but take them on an exhilarating ride on a coaster shaped like a giant manta ray.

“We are delighted to bring energizing new attractions to our guests year after year,” said SeaWorld park president, John Reilly, “and Manta does just that, combining the thrill and excitement of a coaster, with the educational and entertaining value of an incredible marine-life exhibit.”

Gliding, flying and diving through more than a dozen twists and turns, riders will feel as if they are a ray, taking flight from sky to sea — so close at times that the Manta’s wings skim the waves. 

Manta also will feature a unique “launch station” where the passengers will start the ride enclosed in a launch tunnel with larger-than-life images of rays projected on a 270-degree enveloping screen. This stunning introduction to the world of the rays also will visually enhance the physical acceleration as the ride launches down the track. This state-of-the-art projection system will be the first of its kind in the United States. 


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Riders and non-riders alike will enjoy the graceful beauty of bat rays and fishes.  Forbidden Reef, an existing SeaWorld attraction where guests can feed and touch bat rays, will be incorporated and enhanced as part of Manta.

“With Manta, our guests will be able to see and interact with 65 bat rays, 10 guitar fish, and hundreds of fishes,” said SeaWorld San Diego curator of fishes, Thad Dirksen.  “The below-water viewing area will include eight acrylic windows and a reef design.  The above-water interaction area will allow our guests more opportunities to touch and feed the rays.”

Manta will be located just north of Rocky Point Preserve. SeaWorld is working with German ride design company MACK Rides, which also engineered the marine-life park’s popular ride, Journey To Atlantis.  Guests at SeaWorld’s sister park in Orlando have been enjoying a similar version of Manta since it opened in 2009.  

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a portfolio company of The Blackstone Group (NYSE:BX), operates 10 parks across the U.S., including SeaWorld parks in San Diego, San Antonio and Orlando, Fla.; Busch Gardens parks in Tampa, Fla. and Williamsburg, Va.; Discovery Cove and Aquatica in Orlando; Sesame Place near Philadelphia, Pa.; and water parks Adventure Island in Tampa and Water Country USA in Williamsburg. 

 Manta Fact Sheet  

TYPE OF RIDE:                                           Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM)
                                                              Launch Coaster
 
MAXIMUM LAUNCH ACCELERATION:           .7 to .8 G  

MAXIMUM SPEED:                                     43 mph  

MAXIMUM VERTICAL G FORCE:                   3 to 4 G
                    
MAXIMUM HEIGHT:                                   30 feet  

MAXIMUM DROP:                                      54 feet  

TRACK LENGTH:                                        2,835 feet

RIDE DURATION:                                       One minute, 56 seconds  

SEATS/TRAIN:                                         20 seats per train/four trains  

GUEST CAPACITY:                                    1,400 passengers per hour  

LOCATION:                                              Just north of Rocky Point Preserve

MANUFACTURER:                                     German ride engineer, MACK  

RIDER HEIGHT RESTRICTION:                     48 inches  

OTHER ELEMENTS:                                   100,000 gallon marine-life exhibit:
                                                             65 California bat rays
                                                             10 guitar fish
                                                             more than 400 fishes  

Judith Rubin
Judith Rubin
Judith Rubin ([email protected]) is a leading journalist, content marketing specialist and connector in the international attractions industry. She reports on design and technical design, production and project management, industry trends and company culture. From 2005-2020 she ran communications and publications for the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA). In 2013, she was honored with the TEA Service Award. She was development director of IMERSA and publicist for the Large Format Cinema Association, and has contributed to the publications of PLASA, IAAPA and the International Planetarium Society. Judith joined World’s Fair magazine in 1987, which introduced her to the attractions industry. She joined InPark in 2010. Judith earned a BFA from Pratt Institute. She has lived in Detroit, New York, Oakland, and now Saint Louis, where she is active in the local arts community.

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