Seaworld

Reporting from Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey-- Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., has a long and winding roller coaster history that's filled with as many twists and turns as the amusement park's many record-breaking rides. Photos : Top 10 Six Flags Great Adventure roller coasters Great Adventure was a must-see on my road trip across America's coaster belt, in large part because of the park's three world-class rides: El Toro, Kingda Ka and Nitro.

A federal judge appeared dubious Monday about a lawsuit filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that seeks the release of orcas from SeaWorld on anti-slavery grounds. PETA attorney Jeffrey Kerr told U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller that invoking the anti-slavery 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in hopes of freeing the orcas is "the next frontier of civil rights. " But Miller told Kerr that he cannot find a legal precedent for allowing a lawsuit to be filed on behalf of the orcas under the 13th Amendment.

SeaWorld San Diego, home to Shamu the killer whale and other entertaining marine creatures, has a killer deal: Get a two-year annual pass for the price of one. Even if you visit only once a year, you'll save money because the pass costs $109, and regular admission to the San Diego theme park is $69 per day for adults and $59 for kids ages 3 to 9 (free for younger guests). The deal: The "Pay for a Year, Get a 2nd Year Free" offer is just what it says: You pay $109 for an annual SeaWorld San Diego Silver Pass and get a second year free.

The City Council is reviewing the amount of rent SeaWorld pays to the city, with an eye toward raising it because new attractions have made the property more valuable. "There needs to be a rent increase, absolutely," said Councilwoman Donna Frye, whose district includes SeaWorld. The theme park paid $7.15 million in the last fiscal year to lease a 189.9-acre portion of Mission Bay Park from the city. SeaWorld must pay a minimum rent of $5,130,612 regardless of its gross sales.

Winter always gets me thinking about going to theme parks in Southern California, even if I don't have visitors underfoot. The prospect of cooler temperatures and lighter crowds in February and March sends me looking for discounts on the high cost of tickets. I found that the Southern California CityPass -- with a flat rate for admission to Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Universal Studios Hollywood and SeaWorld San Diego -- offers good savings, even when compared with incentives for SoCal residents.

A naked man found dead on the back of a killer whale in a tank at SeaWorld Orlando in Florida was a drifter who apparently drowned after going for a swim, police said. The dead man was identified as Daniel Dukes, 27, who had listed his address as a Hare Krishna Temple in Miami. An autopsy was expected to show he drowned. "There was no foul play or anything sinister on his part," an Orange County sheriff's spokesman said.

New this summer are two-hour, behind-the-scenes tours of SeaWorld in San Diego that let you feed and touch dolphins, sea turtles, penguins and other animals. Spotlight Tours begin at 1 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. They are limited to the first 20 people who sign up, starting at 9 a.m. on the day of the tour; there are no advance reservations. The cost is $22 adults, $18 children 3 to 11, free under 3. This is in addition to the SeaWorld admission price of $35.95 adults and $26.

Shamu plans to soak Wall Street with a greater splash than previously thought. SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. - the company known for its performing killer whale - could raise $540 million in an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. That's $440 million more than its initial filing in December showed, and $40 million larger than a filing Monday. Now, the theme park company said it plans to offer 20 million shares priced between $24 and $27, according to a Tuesday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SeaWorld San Diego plans to unveil a $10 million-plus manta-themed ride and animal exhibit for 2012, according to construction documents. The marine park had been keeping the project under wraps until Web snoops discovered an online bid invitation for a " Sea World Manta Exhibit & Ride Attraction 2012 " posted to the McGraw-Hill Construction website. The bid request seeks a general contractor for a "recreational" construction project built from "structural steel" in San Diego.

SeaWorld marine parks will launch a new killer-whale show in spring 2011 as it attempts to move beyond the death of an animal trainer that forced a complete reworking of the current Shamu show. The as-yet-unnamed Shamu show , according to the Orlando Sentinel, will replace the 5-year-old " Believe " as the signature attraction at SeaWorld parks in San Diego ; Orlando, Fla.; and San Antonio. Thematic details of the new show are expected to be unveiled in the coming weeks.