Sea World Begins Multimillion-Dollar Improvement Plan

SAN DIEGO —  Sea World has begun a multimillion-dollar improvement project that park officials Wednesday described as the single largest capital improvement program in the 27-year history of the aquatic park.

The project includes a state-of-the-art shark exhibit, an Italian restaurant, a bird show and several other attractions.

C. Michael Cross, the park’s general manager, declined to state the dollar value of the improvements. However, the capital outlay will exceed the $25 million that Sea World spent during the late 1980s on a major renovation that included a new park entrance and the massive 5,000-seat Shamu Stadium.

Cross said the improvements announced Wednesday will help the Mission Bay aquatic park to “retain the market share we already have, and, if possible, allow us to steal (market share) from someone else.”