Get a sneak peek at SeaWorld Orlando’s ‘Clyde & Seamore’s Sea Lion High’

This weekend, SeaWorld Orlando gave its pass members and some members of the media a sneak peek of its new show, “Clyde & Seamore’s Sea Lion High,” which is expected to debut in April. Although we did not see the show in its entirety, we did get a glimpse into what all visitors can expect in a couple months.

When we entered Sea Lion & Otter Theater, we could see the new finished set, which is designed to look like various rooms in a typical high school. It’s just as colorful and richly detailed as the pirate ship that used to sit squarely on the stage.

Audience members had fun speculating on what different aspects of the set would be used for. The moat remains, and there is a large slide, what looks like water tanks, and various lifts and steps. It will be fun to see where all the animals pop up and exit on the different platforms. The curtains that allow the larger animals access backstage are now cleverly designed as school lockers.

The cafeteria even has its own quirky menu, featuring dishes such as Holy Mackerel Pot Roast that is “so good it will make you say its name!” Water and Sardine Smoothies are sold by the gallon, of course.

Kelly Flaherty Clark, SeaWorld’s curator of animal training, described the story line of “Clyde & Seamore’s Sea Lion High” this way:

“The show opens on graduation day at Sea Lion High, and Clyde and Seamore have each been nominated for one of two scholarships at a university. One of the scholarships is in mathematics and one is in athletics. And they both are being awarded the scholarships – until we find out that, even though it’s the last day of school and everyone is getting ready for graduation, they find out they have not completed all their classes and they only have one day to finish them. The high school’s self-proclaimed pompous athlete, Tripp, tries to get in the way, but Clyde and Seamore use their education to come along and save the day.”

The show starts with peppy music, and that continues to be a theme during the show. One of the classes at Sea Lion High that students must take is dance. We saw the sea lions and their trainers attempt the conga, the tango, the salsa and the “high-low,” which prompted some chuckles in the audience.

After dance class, the sea lions must head to gym, if they are physically fit. Of course, no one wants to go to gym class, even the sea lions, so Seamore feigns an injury. He is sent to see the school nurse, where more hilarity ensues.

Flaherty Clark described what it took for the sea lion to learn the “Feigned Flipper” behavior, and you can see that in the video below. As with all animal training at SeaWorld, she said, this was accomplished through a combination of positive reinforcement with behavior modification.

“In training the animals, we try to focus on things that highlight their natural abilities,” Flaherty Clark said. “These guys are amazingly agile.”

SeaWorld visitors who saw “Clyde & Seamore Take Pirate Island” will recognize some of the animal behaviors that have been reworked in the context of a new story and will no doubt be amazed by the new tricks. Look for the show to debut in April, though no official date has been announced yet.

TRAINING TECHNIQUE

SNEAK PEEK

DISCLAIMER: I was a guest of SeaWorld Orlando for the preview of “Clyde & Seamore’s Sea Lion High.” This did not affect my story; my opinions are my own.

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