Birt Family Focus

Epcot, The Living Seas Pavilion -- 7/01/02
Photo by Jen

Listen to the sound of waves crashing into the shoreline....

Just on the other side of Innoventions East., in the right-hand corner you will find the source - The Living Seas Pavilion.

The Living Seas Entrance Sign

As you enter, you get a calming feeling of being one with the water. The walls are soft blues and greens. The lighting subdued, the music soft, and the floors gently undulate in a simulated wave pattern as you pass along the open corridor to the theater. All along the path are historical artifacts and photos of great undersea explorations. Watch for Alexander the Great's glass diving barrel and Sir Edmund Hilary's first diving bell as well as models and sketches of the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Once through the path, you can choose to go to the "pre-descent" briefing room for a 7 minute movie about how the oceans were formed, or go directly to the hydrolaters. If you haven't seen the movie - watch it at least once, otherwise give it a miss and go directly to the hydrolaters.

The Hydrolaters are a cool special effect. They give you the impression that you are descending down into the depths of the ocean to the floor and Sea Base Alpha. It is very cool. It is also very fake. Once, as the story goes (this is probably an urban legend, but I heard it from a CM) a woman tried to sue Disney for ruining her sinuses or equilibrium or some such from not properly pressurizing the hydrolater! Apparently, she believed she went under the sea to the bottom of the ocean in the middle of Orlando-NOT! Rest assured it is merely a special effect- a neat one- and only actually takes you "down" about the depth of a single stair riser- 4 or 5 inches.

There once was a little ride called the Sea Cabs that you got on when you got off the hydrolater that took you on a mini tour of the aquarium, but it is now closed.

There are 2 floors to Sea Base Alpha. Each has viewing areas into the aquarium. It is 27 feet deep and holds 5.7 million gallons of water. The aquarium is actually large enough to place Space Ship Earth within it and have room to spare. There are over 70 varieties of fish, including sharks, to see at Sea Base Alpha. There are also dolphins, sea turtles, and manatee. Be sure and check out the small tanks where littles can get a close up view of starfish and other tidal pool animals.

Take your time and explore. You will find exhibits detailing the latest technologies for undersea exploration including life support systems, undersea robotics, and communications. Jacques Cousteau would have loved this place! Several exhibits are hands-on. My DD loves the robotic suit.

Dive crews come out several times a day to feed and interact with the fish and dolphins. Sometimes they conduct experiments. You can watch this from a television screen or directly through the glass, depending in which viewing area you are at the time. There once were 2 special tours you could take- Dolphins in Depth and Dive Quest. I understand Dolphins in Depths has been discontinued for an unspecified amount of time. I don't know about Dive Quest.

We love this pavilion. It is very calming and soothing. Cranky littles will soon settle and fall asleep here. I could sit here all day and watch the fish if my family would let me but they never do. Be sure to visit the manatee- most non-Floridians don't get a chance to see these sweet creatures up close. They are so ugly they're cute! It's hard to believe they were once mistaken for mermaids- those poor sailors had obviously been out to sea WAY too long!

Until next week when we dry off and visit the land…