park-paradise:

Discovery Cove - Grand Reef Construction

SeaWorld Orlando’s Discovery Cove water park has confirmed that its brand new Grand Reef area will open on June 10th 2011.

The latest addition to the park will span 2.5 acres, and will be built around a 1.2 million gallon saltwater aquarium packed with 125 species of fish, rays and sharks. The tropically-themed area will include white sandy beaches, an island lined with palm trees and hidden underwater grottoes.

Among the 7,000 fish in the Grand Reef’s aquarium will be angelfish, sardines, tangs and groupers. Guests will be able to swim freely with these, while the area will also feature a separate tank filled housing reef sharks and venomous lionfish. Only a sheet of glass will separate the two tanks, enabling guests to experience swimming alongside the more dangerous fish without coming into contact with them.

To complete the tropical theme, more than 5 million pounds of sand will be used to create extensive beaches. Fake resin coral will be used in place of live coral inside the aquarium, while an island lined with palm trees and hidden underwater grottoes will be a central feature.

This is very exciting news, I loved my visit to Discovery Cove earlier this year and the Grand Reef will be a very welcomed addition!