SeaWorld San Antonio to add $18 million roller coaster in 2017

Shown is a rendering of SeaWorld Entertainment Inc.s Wave Breaker: The Rescue Coaster. The roller coaster, intended to simulate animal rescue operations, is slated to open at the theme park chains San Antonio park in summer 2017. less Shown is a rendering of SeaWorld Entertainment Inc.s Wave Breaker: The Rescue Coaster. The roller coaster, intended to simulate animal rescue operations, is slated to open at the theme park chains San ... more Photo: SeaWorld / Photo: SeaWorld / Image 1 of / 38 Caption Close SeaWorld San Antonio to add $18 million roller coaster in 2017 1 / 38 Back to Gallery

SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. announced plans Monday to build an $18 million roller coaster at its San Antonio park as the company attempts to chart a new course following years of public backlash.

The Orlando, Fla.-based theme park chain is trying to repair its public image — damaged by the 2013 documentary film “Blackfish” that criticized the company’s treatment of killer whales — by investing in new rides and attractions, retooling its mammal shows with a more educational bent and emphasizing its animal rescue efforts.

The theme park operator plans to spend about $175 million a year on rides, festivals and other attractions at its parks, said spokeswoman Aimée Jeansonne Becka.

“Wave Breaker: The Rescue Coaster,” slated to open in early summer 2017, constitutes a combination of those ends, SeaWorld San Antonio President Carl Lum said in a phone interview Monday. The roller coaster is intended to simulate what SeaWorld’s veterinary staff experience when they are called out to assist with animal rescues, Lum said. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation records show construction on the project is expected to finish by June 1 and cost $18 million.

The ride looks like individual jet skis on the coaster’s 2,600-foot-long track, most of which will be built over the park’s Ski Lake. The ride will have heights of 61 feet and feature interactive components about animal rescue efforts conducted by the park and other organizations, Lum said.

“Anybody can design and build a coaster. That’s not that uncommon,” Lum said. “I think it’s more important you design a coaster with a message.”

For more details, go to ExpressNews.com or read Tuesday’s edition of the San Antonio Express-News.