SeaWorld parks also feature a variety of thrill rides, including roller coasters like Kraken and Manta at SeaWorld Orlando and Steel Eel and The Great White at SeaWorld San Antonio. Journey to Atlantis, a combination roller coaster and splashdown ride, can be found at all three US parks. The parks were owned by Busch Entertainment Corp., the family entertainment division of Anheuser-Busch, which is best known for brewing beer. In November 2009, Busch Entertainment was sold to the Blackstone Group and subsequently renamed SeaWorld Entertainment. On April 19, 2013 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment had an initial public offering of stock. Blackstone sold 19.9 million SeaWorld shares at $27 apiece in the offering. After accounting for underwriting fees, Blackstone saw proceeds of about $505 million. After the IPO Blackstone retained a 63% stake in SeaWorld.[2]
In 2003 SeaWorld created the non-profit SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund. SeaWorld is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), meaning they have met and or exceeded the standards the AZA has set forth in their accreditation standards for Education, Conservation and Research.
