'Flying' Coaster Soars At SeaWorld

Visitors at SeaWorld Orlando can find out what it's like to spin, glide, skim and soar like a giant ray as they experience the only flying roller coaster of its kind in the world.

SeaWorld Orlando Manta - Artist's Rendering - Ride Car Swoosh - SS SeaWorld Orlando's Manta A seamless blend of up-close animal encounters with a head-first, face-down thrill ride, Manta is an adventure only SeaWorld could create.

From seeing…

Right from the start, Manta provides a glimpse into the incredible underwater worlds of tropical fish and rays. Floor-to-ceiling aquariums showcase rare leafy sea dragons and thousands of schooling fish. Kids get a unique 360-degree underwater view by climbing into a pop-up aquarium and coming face-to-face with nearly 300 colorful clownfish and mysterious sea anemones. A massive Pacific octopus slinks back and forth between habitats through an underwater tube. Three hundred rays — their group known as a "fever" — swim/fly past guests and even over their heads. There's a sense of being immersed and surrounded by thousands of mysterious creatures. And that's just the queue line.

…To being

Turning a corner, guests peer through a waterfall then feel the punch of air as something huge zooms by, just inches away. It's a giant manta ray. On steel rails. A manta ray roller coaster, ride flying, soaring, gliding and spinning at highway speeds. And secured to the manta's belly are 32 riders, each one lying prone, going for a ride on the biggest and grandest ray of all.

"Manta takes what SeaWorld does best — animal encounters and thrill rides — and blends them to create something you can't find anywhere else in the world," says Dan Brown, SeaWorld Orlando's general manager. "Manta's actually the next generation of what makes Orlando so much fun. Orlando is the must-do vacation this summer, and Manta is the mustsee." Manta's excitement is for everyone SeaWorld ride and animal experts designed Manta to have thrills for the whole family, at every age level. For guests too young to ride roller coasters — or those who like their adventures a little less extreme — the Manta experience includes incredible views into 10 stunning and all-new aquariums, which are home to 100 species of fish, hundreds of rays and other sea life, more than 3,000 creatures in all. Never before has SeaWorld had such a diverse display of ocean animals. And never before have non-riders been so much a part of a thrill ride's experience.

IMAGES : 'Manta' - SeaWorld's 'Flying' Coaster

Those who take their excitement flying head first at 56 mph will crown Manta as one of the world's top coasters. A track-twisting pretzel loop, in-line spins, a waterfall close call and a wing dip just inches from the water add up to a flying roller coaster ride never before seen, let alone experienced.

There are only a handful of "flying coasters" in the world. Climbing into what look like traditional seats and harnesses, riders soon notice what makes this kind of coaster so special: The entire seating assembly rotates forward, positioning riders horizontally, or face down in a prone position. It's like flying. Or even better, it's like riding on the belly of a massive 12- foot-wide manta ray as it glides and twists and soars above the ocean.

For thrill ride fans, Manta is sure to be the final notch on their coaster belt. For lovers of upclose encounters with the mysteries of the sea, it's what they love about SeaWorld.

For more information on multi-park tickets and vacation planning tips, guests may visit www.seaworld.com or call (800) 327-2424. Worlds of Discovery, based in Orlando, Fla., employs more than 21,000 people nationwide. On the Web at www.WorldsofDiscovery.com.