Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
7
SEA WORLD AND SOUTH
T
HE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW
oceanarium in San Diego, to be called
Sea World, was the dream of four individuals, each with his own unique
strengths. George Millay was the president and enthusiastic driving force
of the project; the others were Milt Shedd, an investment broker and
fishing enthusiast; Dave DeMotte, a creative accountant; and Ken Nor-
ris, the former curator at Marineland of the Pacific. Together they man-
aged to raise enough capital to build and open the new oceanarium in
1964.
Sea World had been open to the public for a year when George Mil-
lay flew to San Francisco to visit Steinhart. He must have been im-
pressed, because a few days later he called and asked if he could fly up
and take me out for breakfast. Getting right to the point, he asked if
I would come to Sea World as their curator of fishes. Although the
present curator had been on the job since the beginning and was tech-
nically competent, and the systems and water quality were good, the
exhibits themselves lacked imagination. George knew little about ma-
rine life, but he knew enough to know that the fish and invertebrate
exhibits could be better than they were, and he wanted Sea World to
have the best.
I'd heard disturbing stories about the hiring and firing of more than
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