SeaWorld Orlando’s TurtleTrek takes visitors on amazing journey

Thanks to a new Orlando attraction, we now have a better understanding of some Florida wildlife that we got to see in a completely new way. TurtleTrek opened at SeaWorld Orlando just in time for the summer crowds, and we recently joined the tourists to check it out.

TurtleTrek is the first 3D domed 360-degree attraction in the world, and that’s certainly the best part of the experience. Inside the theater, about 200 audience members are immersed in the story of Nyah, following the green sea turtle from hatchling to adult. The computer-generated movie is even from her perspective, which adds to the larger-than-life feeling.

Nyah’s journey from the sand to the water is not without struggle, portraying the real-life dangers hatchlings face. Only about ten of the dozens of eggs laid in each turtle nest will grow into adulthood. Nyah goes up against a shark, a crab and a swooping bird and still comes out alive and moving forward. The special effects during these segments make the audience jump and then laugh at how real they seem. However, it’s not too scary for kids to enjoy.

The seven-minute movie is fast-paced and the turtle’s environment is breathtakingly beautiful. In fact, the audience stands during the presentation, and there definitely are parts where guests will want to hold on to the handrails.

Before the movie, visitors will see real turtles in their SeaWorld tanks. If you’e familiar with The Seas With Nemo & Friends at Walt Disney World, you’ll recognize the vantage point of seeing into the aquariums from below the surface. It’s fun to watch the turtles swim and glide, though I have to confess to thinking they move just as Crush does in Disney’s “Finding Nemo.”

Guests also will see four manatees in a separate tank. (TurtleTrek has taken over the building where the Manatee Rescue attraction was previously based.) These huge gentle sea cows are amazing to watch. The SeaWorld employee who was giving the informative talk in this section of the attraction said they really don’t carry a lot of excess weight. They’re just big-boned. Ha!

The TurtleTrek theater exits onto a deck, where guests get yet another view of the turtles — this time from above. Guests are welcome to stay out here as long as they like, unlike the inside viewing rooms, which are designed to entertain before the movie.

On the day we visited TurtleTrek, the posted wait time was 40 minutes. Although the queue isn’t really themed or interactive, as guests have come to expect at DIsney World, it is in the shade, which is a welcome relief from the hot Florida sun. The time seemed to pass fairly quickly and before we knew it we were entering into Nyah’s world.