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Visitors to 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.
A seamless blend of up-close animal encounters with a head-first, face-down thrill ride,
Manta is an adventure only SeaWorld could create.
Manta takes guests 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 must see.”
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.
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.
Manta Facts
The habitats — Exploring the depths of the sea and roaming among Manta’s freshwater lagoon
and saltwater habitats are just part of the new attraction’s thrill. With 10 stunning and
uniquely configured aquariums, riders and non-riders alike will find themselves surrounded by
the beauty and mystique of Manta’s underwater elements.
Total number of aquariums: 10
Size: nearly 250,000 gallons, more than 2,800 square feet
Water temperature: 45 to 78 degrees
Unique configurations: Pop up aquarium — smaller guests “pop up” in the middle of
this aquarium, surrounding themselves with hundreds of fish.
Overhead aquariums — part of the massive ray habitat, this
220-square-foot viewing panel means guests will find hundreds
of rays schooling over their heads.
Viewing panels: Up to six inches thick acrylic
Total weight of panels: nearly 55,000 pounds
Weight of largest panel: nearly 16,000 (overhead aquarium)
Did you know?
- 71,000 pounds of salt are in the clear water of Manta’s fish habitats. That’s about equal to 586,000 2-
ounce salt shakers you might find on your dinner table.
- The total weight of the water in Manta’s habitats is about 2,125,000 pounds, as much as 150 killer whales
or about as much as an empty space shuttle.
- SeaWorld’s water experts maintain a very special — and secret — recipe for saltwater. Don’t ask, it’s not
for sale.
- The 220-square-foot overhead viewing panel is the single largest, free span acrylic piece ever produced by
its manufacturer, Nippura.
- Manta’s 3,000 fish and rays eat almost 300 pounds of food each day. In comparison, Shamu eats close to
that each day, too.
The marine life — More than 3,000 animals live in Manta’s state-of-the-art aquatic habitats,
creating mesmerizing face-to-fin encounters with hundreds of rays, thousands of exotic fish
and even a giant Pacific octopus.
Rays — Three hundred rays can be found in Manta’s huge all-around-you aquarium, adding to the sense
of total immersion in an underwater world. While there are over 400 species of rays found throughout
the world, eight species are showcased at Manta. They include cownose, spotted eagle, roughtail,
southern, shark ray, giant guitarfish, white blotched river ray and ocellate river rays.
Leafy and weedy sea dragons — These fish are closely related to seahorses and pipefish and
get their name from a mythical sea creature. They can be found in Australia’s gentle,
temperate waters, over sand patches, among kelp reefs and in protected coastal bays. Unique
to sea dragons is their built-in camouflage — “leafies” have long, leaf-like protrusions that cover
their body while “weedies” have less flamboyant appendages and are red with yellow spots.
Sea dragons also have an unusual method of travel, propelling themselves using tiny
pectoral fins on the ridges of their necks and a dorsal fin on their backs.
Seahorses — The seahorse is one of the most beautiful and aptly named of all fish. Found in sheltered,
shallow, warm waters throughout the world, seahorses range in size from an inch long (the dwarf
seahorse) to a foot long or more (the Pacific seahorse). More than 32 species exist worldwide and two
are showcased in Manta — the lined seahorse and the long snout seahorse.
Fish -- More than 2,500 exotic fish dart through crystal-clear waters, creating a whirlpool of color
inside Manta’s immense aquariums. SeaWorld’s fish experts chose species whose natural populations
are healthy and sustained. Manta’s aquariums are teeming with angelfish, cardinalfish, butterflyfish,
clownfish, pipefish and damselfish, to name a few.
Giant Pacific Octopus — A giant Pacific octopus creeps along the interior of Manta’s saltwater
habitat, staking its claim as the ambassador for the largest octopus species in the world.
Pacific octopuses are generally reddish-brown in color, though they can use skin pigment cells
to change color and texture, sometimes quite quickly.
The thrills -- Manta hits the thrill-seeking mark with a spinning, flying roller coaster inspired
by the biggest ray of all. In a flying coaster, the seats rotate horizontally, putting riders in a
soaring, face-down position. Manta combines the best of sea and steel with innovative thrills
that only SeaWorld can create. Four inversions and spins and several close-call thrills put
Manta on top of the world’s must-ride coasters.
Inversions In four sweeping inversions – including two in-line spins, one flat spin
and one pretzel loop – riders experience a dynamic shift in equilibrium,
as if they’re on the back of the graceful manta ray throughout its
unpredictable ocean voyage.
Close calls In a sure-to-be-remembered moment, Manta’s speeding train and
guests in the queue line are separated only by a waterfall -- Manta on
one side, and waiting guests on the other. In line, visitors will feel the
punch of air as the train flies past at highway speeds. On the ride,
guests will gasp as they dart within two-and-a-half feet of the gushing
water.
Approaching the end of the ride, but with a few twists and spins still to
be had, Manta’s train seems to skim the surface of the lagoon,
throwing out a 14-foot high, 60-foot long spray of water.
Did you know?
- It’s a known fact that roller coasters cause the brain to release endorphins, creating a “that was so cool”
feeling. What follows is usually a desire to ride again. And sometimes again.
- On a flying coaster, objects and ride elements seem closer than they are. Manta is different. Ride
elements, like Manta’s waterfall and the wing skim, ARE close.
- Manta’s loading platform was designed to hide the boarding process from riders. SeaWorld’s experts
wanted the head-first, face-down launch to be a surprise.
- Manta’s height requirement is 54 inches. In comparison, the biggest manta ray ever seen measured nearly
20 feet across.
The trains -- At the front of each coaster train, a massive, hand-crafted manta ray leads the way.
Comfortable straps and cushioned bars safely secure riders from chest to ankle. Powerful motors
rotate each seat to a flying position. Held tight, safe, comfortable and face down, riders feel as
though they’re flying with a huge gliding/spinning/twisting/soaring ray.
Vehicle wing span: 12 feet
Length of train: 72 feet, 2 inches
Weight per train: 33,100 pounds when empty
Wiring per train: 2,524 feet
Did you know?
- The trains on flying coasters are the most complicated and technically advanced trains of any type of
roller coaster.
- Manta’s trains are very efficient and built to extremely high standards. In fact, if Manta’s track were flat
-- with no loops, twists, turns or brakes -- a single train would probably coast for nearly two miles after
its initial 113-foot drop.
The track -- Seeing Manta’s track for the first time, riders might be confused. Is the track above or
below the coaster’s trains? The loops … are riders on their backs or bellies? That twisted, tangled-up
section of track that goes every which way but straight … exactly how do riders get through that?
Track length: 3,350 feet
Maximum height: 140 feet
Maximum drop: 113 feet
Top speed: 56 miles per hour
Weight of steel used: 2,772,600 pounds
Number of bolts used: 12,186
Did you know?
- Manta’s rails are filled with sand to make a quieter, smoother ride. SeaWorld designers did this so riders
can focus more attention on the overall experience (and they succeeded).
- Manta’s first drop provides all the power the flying coaster needs to speed for the next 3,000-plus feet,
even through multiple loops, inversions and twists.
- All of Manta’s track was forged and created in Ohio and trucked to SeaWorld on 18-wheelers.
- The final piece of track put into place was numbered #72, and according to SeaWorld’s team, it “fit like a
glove.”
Manufacturer -- SeaWorld’s experts sought the expertise of Bolliger & Mabillard of Monthey,
Switzerland, to help them create the Manta experience. Known as the best coaster crafters in the
world, B&M also have helped to create several other Worlds of Discovery coasters: Kraken at
SeaWorld; SheikRa, Montu and Kumba at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and Griffon at Busch Gardens
Williamsburg. B&M pioneered the stand-up roller coaster, the inverted roller coaster and the floorless
roller coaster (Kraken).
Company founded 1988
Employees 30+
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