SEA LIFE Orlando is bringing back its pirate-themed Halloween event for a third straight year, with Pirates of the Haunted Seas set to take over the aquarium on weekends from Sept. 19 through Nov. 1. Families visiting the ICON Park attraction can search for hidden loot, complete pirate-themed activities, and meet a costumed pirate captain, all included with regular aquarium admission.
The seasonal event, first reported by WFTV, gives guests a treasure map to guide them through an underwater quest featuring encounters with sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, seahorses, and axolotls. Kids who complete the quest walk away with a commemorative gold coin and a pirate-themed candy bag filled with Haribo treats. The lineup also includes a shark-matching game, rope-knot tying, coloring activities, coral education stations, Florida wildlife talks, and Tales of the Deep storytelling sessions.
SEA LIFE Orlando general manager Paul Gould said the event reflects the aquarium's approach to blending fun with education, noting that Pirates of the Haunted Seas “brings together imaginative play, hands-on learning and unforgettable marine encounters in a way that's uniquely SEA LIFE Orlando,” per the outlet's report.
Sharks, Shipwrecks, and Add-On Adventures
Guests looking for extra thrills can pay $8 per person for the Legend of Lusca virtual reality experience, which takes participants through coral reefs and shipwrecks in the Bahamas, according to the same report. There's also a 30-minute behind-the-scenes tour available for an additional $10 per person, giving visitors a look at how aquarium staff monitor habitats, care for the animals, and prepare their meals.
Sea Dogs Shark Talks take place near the aquarium's 360-degree ocean tunnel, one of the facility's signature features. The tunnel is part of a 350,000-gallon ocean tank and weighs roughly 18,000 pounds, displaying more than 5,000 sea creatures across the aquarium's 25,000-square-foot footprint, according to Attractions Magazine.
Rescue Animals Anchor the Aquarium's Story
Among the thousands of marine animals guests may encounter during the quest are two long-term rescue residents with their own backstories. Ted, a loggerhead sea turtle who helped test early Turtle Excluder Devices in commercial fishing nets, has lived at SEA LIFE Orlando since 2016 after being deemed unreleasable to the wild, and was later named Orlando's “Most Loved Animal” before appearing on a Frontier Airlines plane tail in 2022, per PR Newswire.
The aquarium also permanently houses Chely, a green sea turtle rescued after a boat strike cracked his shell and caused buoyancy issues. Aquarists trained him with target feeding at the bottom of his tank to help rebuild his diving strength, according to SEA LIFE Orlando, which notes that green sea turtles can hold their breath for up to five hours during diving exercises.
An Established Fall Tradition at ICON Park
Pirates of the Haunted Seas isn't new. SEA LIFE Orlando first introduced the Captain Sebastian-themed Halloween experience in October 2024, making this fall's run the event's third consecutive year, as originally reported by WKMG. The aquarium opened in Spring 2015 alongside Madame Tussauds Orlando and the observation wheel as anchor attractions for what was then called I-Drive 360, later rebranded ICON Park.
The venue's parent company, Merlin Entertainments, operates 50 SEA LIFE aquariums and six marine wildlife sanctuaries worldwide, drawing more than 20 million visitors annually across its aquatic properties, according to LEGOLAND Florida Resort. SEA LIFE Orlando is also accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums and participates in its Reciprocity Program, which offers a 50% walk-up admission discount to members of other participating zoos and aquariums.
Beyond the Kid-Friendly Fall Lineup
The pirate quest arrives as SEA LIFE Orlando continues expanding programming beyond family daytime crowds. Earlier this month, the aquarium debuted adults-only Beer Bashes pairing local craft brewery tastings with after-hours access to the exhibits.
Families planning a broader ICON Park visit can also bundle SEA LIFE Orlando admission with nearby Merlin properties, including Madame Tussauds Orlando and The Orlando Eye, for savings of up to 50% compared to buying tickets separately, per Madame Tussauds. That kind of cross-promotion has become common along the International Drive corridor, where the SEA LIFE complex sits amid a cluster of tourist attractions that has also drawn added law enforcement attention this year, after an unsanctioned gathering of more than 1,000 teenagers at ICON Park in April led to fights, nine arrests, and injuries to two Orange County sheriff's deputies.
