SEA LIFE’s Pirate Halloween

Halloween and pirates go together like jam and peanut butter, an all-American flavour that owes much of its style and substance to the original Pirates of the Caribbean film in 2003 and is now a regular part of the Halloween season in Orlando.

So, step forward the SEA LIFE Orlando aquarium and the Pirates Dinner Adventure show to combine and create an all-new attraction for 2025 that is sure to appeal to both Halloween fans and those who enjoy the more gentle thrills of the autumn season.

Pirates of the Haunted Seas is the result, a unique mash-up of undersea wonders and piratical pranks that offer a totally family-friendly programme of fun and mild thrills, including the headline appearance of Captain Sebastian himself.

Get with the SEA LIFE

For those unfamiliar with this International Drive attraction, SEA LIFE Orlando is one of the 50 worldwide aquariums under the banner of UK company Merlin Entertainments, and it has been a cornerstone of the ICON Park entertainment complex since it first opened in 2015 (not to be confused with the new SEA LIFE Florida attraction at Legoland in nearby Winter Haven).

It boasts a 13-stage maritime journey featuring sea life from a variety of different places and habitats, all with a strong accent on conservation and being environmentally friendly. There are several thousand animals, representing more than 250 species, including sea horses, jellyfish, turtles, stingrays and sharks, while there are additional behind-the-scenes tours that offer even more insight into the aquarium’s care for their animals, plus feeding opportunities with the sharks and rescued sea turtle, Chely.

This impressive indoor facility forms one third of the main ICON Park building, alongside the 400ft Orlando Eye observation wheel and the Madam Tussauds wax museum. Open from 10am to 6pm daily (until 7pm at weekends), it amounts to an all-day attraction that offers various ticket combinations with the other attractions, which include the Museum of Illusions, In The Game arcade and Pearl Express train ride.

Captain Sebastian’s Haunted Sea Quest

When it comes to this year’s Halloween high-jinks, the main feature is this clever undersea scavenger hunt that challenges visitors to follow Captain Sebastian’s amazing maritime discoveries that build into a treasure trove of conservation bulletin points. Children (and their parents) are invited to visit each one of nine education stations to earn their stripes and become a true Captain of Conservation.

While navigating the mysterious nautical path and treasures of the deep blue, visitors can collect a stamp at each education station, concluding in the Gift Shop, where there is a special prize for everyone who completes their “treasure hunt,” providing a nice trick-or-treat finale to their conservation awareness trail.

There are, of course, numerous Halloween touches along the way, including projection effects, skeletons and pumpkins, as well as moody lighting and even skeleton inserts in some of the exhibits, so have your cameras ready! Along the way, children are likely to learn a whole variety of fun facts about the various sea life on display – like, did you know that sea turtles can live to be more than 80 years old? – and can also be let loose to expend some energy in the Sub Aqua Play Area, with its slides and climbs.

Meet Captain Sebastian!

For the icing on this particular Halloween cake, the weekends provide a wonderfully photo-friendly opportunity to meet Captain Sebastian himself. Now, regular Orlando visitors – especially those who have sampled the dramatic Pirates Dinner Adventure – will know that Captain Sebastian the Black is the star of the show, hence he makes for the ideal meet-and-greet character at SEA LIFE.

And, while the Haunted Sea Quest is open to visitors all week, the Captain is only in the house each Saturday and Sunday at a specially designed station just before the 180-degree Pacific Ocean tunnel (No. 9 on the Sea Life map). Here, the Cap’n will pose for photographs and pirate banter of the finest kind, making for a unique takeaway from the whole aquarium experience.

The Captain’s appearances will be on Sept 27 and 28, Oct 4 and 5, 11 and 12, 18 and 19, and 25 and 26, as well as October 31 and November 1 and 2. On each date, he will appear for half an hour at regular intervals, from 10.30-11am, 11.30am-noon, 1-1.30pm, 2-2.30, 3-3.30, 4-4.30 and 5-5.30.

It all makes for a fresh and entertaining take on the Halloween theme, with plenty of piratical pizzazz, and it makes the ICON Park combination tickets even better value at this time of year. Or, to put it in the words of Captain Sebastian: “Ahoy mateys! I have discovered that there is great treasure in the seas, but it is all the animals that make their home here. So come on in and see them!”

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