For over forty years SeaWorld San Diego has been delighting fans, from their humble beginnings as a small aquarium to the immense theme park you see today, full of endearing wildlife shows, whirlwind rides and a variety of unique ways to get up and close and personal with the marine life that call SeaWorld home.

The California SeaWorld was the original, and still the most popular of the franchise. This is where Shamu grew famous. This is where the first dolphin shows were. And SeaWorld San Diego still entices and bemuses visitors from all over. Where else in America can you swim with dolphins (you can even pay to be a dolphin trainer for a day)? Where else can you slip on a wetsuit and spend an afternoon with beluga whales, and observe lumbering walruses, playful sea lions and stoic polar bears from just footsteps away? Where else can you can you wander through acrylic tubes in an actual shark tank? SeaWorld tickets make all this possible.

What are equally impressive are the relatively small costs for these wonderful experiences. For just over $100 you can swim with chattering dolphins or massive whales. For the same price you can hang out with the arctic creatures as part of the Wild Arctic Interaction program. For animal lovers, SeaWorld San Diego is a dream come true.

Even if these programs are not part of your plans, you can have a great time just buying some SeaWorld tickets and wandering through the park. There are trained animal performances, shimmering coves for flamingos and penguins, roller coasters, haunted houses and an array of other attractions. The penguin encounter is another of the newer features to the California SeaWorld. Endangered manatees also make an appearance throughout the park, their pale skins gliding purposefully beneath the surface.

The aquatic shows are fairly often and often one of the highlights of SeaWorld. Each normally includes orcas, dolphins, sea lions and the surprise hit of the performance: the penguins, which seem completely uninterested in the whole thing and prefer to waddle aimlessly through the show, only occasionally following directions.

And, of course, you can get a variety of packages that offer discount California SeaWorld tickets. The Southern California CityPass includes entry into Disney theme parks and Universal Studios, while you can pick up the SeaWorld Fun Card, which is a year’s pass for only slightly more than a one day entrance fee. For even better deals, you can also get multi-day tickets or group tickets, all part of the way SeaWorld San Diego remains one of the top California tourist destinations.