Animal magic

For a fee, visitors can Dine with Shamu - enjoy a buffet meal in a poolside restaurant alongside a magnificent and playful killer whale; interact in the water with bottlenose dolphins; or even become a marine trainer for a day.

Today we are backstage on one of the most popular tours, Wild Arctic - home to Obie the affectionate walrus, Charlie the three-metre, 500kg polar bear, and a pod of stunning white beluca whales.

We meet baby Bocce, an 11-month-old, 180kg orphaned walrus with a penchant for "walrus formula", each day sucking down seven litres of dry milk formula mixed with fish and vitamins.

"It's cute when they come in at 50kg and they can sit on your lap," animal keeper Mike Price quips.

"It doesn't last long."

When Obie is called up in the pen next door, he quickly heaves his massive silky brown frame and metre-long tusks towards the gate of his enclosure.

"He can move faster than most humans can run," Price says proudly.

He explains how trainers can work with animals for up to four years, building their relationship before getting too close.

Every animal has their own personality and quirks, he said.

"He (Obie) doesn't like to fail a lot," Price said.

"If he's learning something new and doesn't get it, you might want to move onto something else."

He's also quite an eater.

I feel like an awe-struck child, delighting as Obie sucks up an entire fish I have held before him without blinking. And another.

At the polar bear enclosure, we learn about 11-year-old Charlie's dislike of the smell of oranges.

He may appear cuddly, but evidence of his sheer strength is in his shattered toys - a sturdy plastic barrel lies nearby in pieces.

The trainers are preparing to give Charlie a new toy - a sizeable, round piece of blue plastic passed over by the whales.

"They just smash them, claw it, they work on those barrels and break them in half," trainer Eric Otjen says.

By the time we move onto the lovely, gentle beluca whales, I wonder if it too late in my career to become a marine biologist.

Four whales swim gracefully towards us as we enter the concrete outdoor enclosure.

They seriously look like they are smiling at us, and with only the smallest encouragement, we all lean down and pat their smooth heads.

Any thoughts of work, or other problems, have dissolved into the cool waters, and my soul feels lighter.

It's a feeling I have enjoyed often during a whirlwind two-day visit to San Diego, in the southwest pocket of California beside the Mexican border.

From the invigorating two and a half hour drive south from Los Angeles (in a red Mustang convertible mind you) to an evening cocktail at the enchanting beachside Hotel Del Coronado, I have soaked up every minute of my San Diego adventure.

The San Diego Trolley, with its charismatic tour guides, provides an opportunity to experience different aspects of the United States' seventh largest city in one day - from the world famous San Diego Zoo with its 4000 animals and 6000 plants in the lush 1200-acre Balboa Park, to the historic "old town" and its Mexican boutique stores and restaurants.

There are museums galore - about 90 - including 15 in Balboa Park such as the Museum of Photographic Arts and the San Diego Museum of Art.

And at night, a visit to the PETCO ball park provides a chance to experience the electric atmosphere of another form of American "culture" - baseball.

But there is just one more unmissible stop before we leave SeaWorld, and San Diego.

We join thousands of others and pack into the Shamu Stadium for what has been hyped as the "most ambitious killer whale show" in the park's history.

Believe is a dazzling high-tech choreographed show involving some of the park's seven killer whales and their trainers, backed by large panoramic screens showing the underwater action.

While the music is a little corny, you can't help but gasp at the grace of the huge creatures as they speed through the water and throw themselves magnificently into the air. And you can't help but smile.

If YOU GO:

San Diego is located in the south-west corner of California, 193km south of Los Angeles.

United Airlines flies daily between Sydney and Los Angeles.

Once you arrive in LA, you can fly, train, bus or drive to San Diego. It is a two and half hour drive from downtown LA via Interstate freeway 5.

For a romantic getaway or a taste of luxury stay at the historic beachside Hotel Del Coronado; prices start at $241 per night for twin share and can be booked through a travel agent.

SeaWorld One Day Pass - adult $81, child $66; Dine With Shamu adult $147, child $105 (includes park admission). Tickets are available from travel agents.

You can receive a free travel advice on California, or a free travel guide, by calling California Tourism on (02) 9959-4356 or emailing california@integra-tm.com.au.

*The writer travelled to San Diego as a guest of California Tourism, flying United Airlines.

AAP