Spanish Company is Among the World's Largest Entertainment Groups
Parques Reunidos, which is headquartered in Madrid, Spain, has acquired Sea Life Park from Dolphin Discovery, the Cancun, Mexico-based company that has owned the 22-acre attraction since January 2005. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. We are pleased to announce our acquisition of Sea Life Park, a world-renowned marine attraction that is enriched by excellent staff and the cultural traditions and beauty of the Hawaiian Islands, said Richard Golding Executive President of Parques Reunidos Group. We feel honored and privileged to enter the Hawaii community and look forward to making the Sea Life Park experience even more exciting.
There are no personnel changes resulting from the sale. Jesus Bravo, formerly with Dolphin Discovery in Mexico and appointed General Manager of the Park in December 2006, will stay on under the new ownership. Sea Life Park has approximately 200 employees and in 2007 entertained about 300,000 visitors. Parques Reunidos already owns the largest collection of dolphins and marine mammals in Europe. This Spanish Group operates several prestigious zoos and aquariums over the world, including the famous Madrid Zoo, L'Oceanographic Marine Park in Valencia, Spain, and Marineland in Antibes, France, as well as other facilities in Italy, United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Argentina and the United States of America.
According to Jose Diaz, Managing Director of Parques Reunidos, the new owners will invest in the continued improvement of Sea Life Park. Our goal is to refine and elevate Sea Life Park's reputation as a world-class attraction where visitors and residents alike can discover and enjoy the wonders of Hawaii's vibrant marine life, he said.
Commenting on the sale, Eduardo Albor, President and CEO of Dolphin Discovery, said, Parques Reunidos approached us few months ago with the prospect of purchasing Sea Life Park as part of their strategic plan to expand their entertainment venues around the globe. We were finally influenced to sell Sea Life Park to Parques Reunidos because they are one of the most experienced operators of zoos and aquariums in the world and are well placed to further develop the Park's business and brand. On the other hand, this sale will also enable Dolphin Discovery to consolidate and build upon our operations closer to home in Mexico and the Caribbean, where we already have other projects under development, he said. Albor added, We have accomplished many goals in our three years of ownership, especially in the area of interactive experiences, educational programs, and research. Working alongside our great team of employees we have achieved yearly growth and consistent profitability. Sea Life Park and Hawaii have been a wonderful and unparalled experience for Dolphin Discovery.
Dolphin Discoverywas founded in 1994 and is currently ranked among the top dolphinarium companies in the world. The company operates dolphin/marine parks in Cancun, Cozumel, the Mayan Riviera as well as in Puerto Vallarta, all in Mexico, and on the Caribbean islands of Tortola and Anguilla. A new facility is scheduled to open in Grand Cayman later this year.
Parques Reunidos, which has the financial backing of London-based Candover Investments, now operates 62 amusement, water and animal parks in Europe, the United States and South America, and was ready to expand to this side of the world in the Pacific. Its annual revenues exceed USD $700 million and total annual visitors to its facilities in 2007 were approximately 22 million.
Founded in 1961 in Madrid, the company now has operations in Spain, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Argentina and the United States. As part of its global expansion strategy, Parques Reunidos recently acquired Palace Entertainment, the largest owner and operator of water parks and family entertainment centers in the U.S.
Sea Life Park is one of the top aquariums in the United States with 24 dolphins, and a large collection of sea lions, monk seals, penguins, turtles, stingrays and many more fish from Hawaiian waters. It is also home to the famous wholphin Keikamalu, the only known hybrid of dolphin and false killer whale, who is also mother of Kawili Kai, born at the Park three years ago. Sea Life Park offers a variety of marine-life themed shows, exhibits and educational programs for all ages and is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Among its most popular features are the swim-with dolphin programs. The Park is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is a member of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums The Park also hosts an evening luau three times a week.
