Tyler Carter Debuts 600-Drones Show at Seaworld San Diego
Seaworld San Diego will debut a nightly drone show and a new Shark Encounter on Friday, May 22, adding two summer attractions at once. Ocean of Dreams uses 600 synchronized drones, while the rebuilt shark exhibit gives visitors a new reason to spend time in the park after more than a year of construction.
Tyler Carter's sky show
Tyler Carter said SeaWorld is bringing its story to the sky and described the park as the first and only California attraction to offer a nightly drone show. Ocean of Dreams runs 12 minutes and depicts sea otters, sharks, dolphins and an orca, a cleaner fit for a summer schedule than the firework shows it replaces.
The show will run nightly from May 22 through August 9, then shift to a weekend-only schedule through Sept. 7. That gives the park a fixed run of nightly programming through the core of the summer, with a lighter cadence after the peak stretch ends.
Shark Encounter's 11 species
The new Shark Encounter is an underwater experience built around 11 different species, including sand tiger sharks, blacktip reef sharks and the endangered Australian leopard shark. Guests can also upgrade their ticket to feed more than 400 sharks in the exhibit, which adds a paid option to a standard visit.
Tyler Carter called the exhibit an all-new Shark Encounter and said it offers above-water viewing, an immersive shark tunnel and a floor-to-ceiling glass wall. The replacement matters because it takes over from the original exhibit constructed in 1992, which had already been under construction for more than a year before opening day arrived.
Danielle Castillo on sharks
Danielle Castillo said sharks play a vital role in maintaining the health and balance of ocean ecosystems, yet many species face growing threats in the wild. SeaWorld is leaning into that message while also selling a more elaborate guest experience, which is the tighter business play here: education, spectacle and an optional premium add-on all land on the same day.
For visitors planning a summer trip, May 22 is the date that changes the park mix. The nightly show and the rebuilt shark exhibit turn Seaworld San Diego into a two-stop evening draw, and the schedule after August 9 makes the drone production something to catch while it is still running every night.
