April 16, 2010

SIX FLAGS DISCOVERY KINGDOM ANNOUNCES THE YEAR OF THE DOLPHIN AND PARTNERSHIP WITH HAWAIIAN AIRLINES

Kick-Off of Party for the Planet to celebrate Earth Day

Dolphin fever is evident at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom this year as the park designates 2010 as the Year of the Dolphin and welcomes Hawaiian Airlines, the new presenting sponsor of Merlin’s Island Party dolphin show. The Year of the Dolphin is a celebration of all things dolphin with special emphasis on the park’s Dolphin Discovery, an educational dolphin swim program that offers guests the unique opportunity to see dolphins up close and personal.

“The Year of the Dolphin umbrella allows us to communicate the splendor of these amazing marine mammals,” said Park President Eric Gilbert. “We’re proud to be the only facility in Northern California with a dolphin swim program and we’re excited to join forces with Hawaiian Airlines to spread the message of wildlife conservation and education.”

To kick-off this year’s theme, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom joins more than 100 AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums across the country to celebrate the annual Party for the Planet™, an event that takes place on or around Earth Day each year. Guests will be eligible for a discounted admission from Friday-Sunday,
April 16-18 and 23-25 by bringing in any recyclable Coca-Cola can, bottle in exchange for a coupon good for a $29.99 admission price. Empty recyclable containers will be collected at the main gate entrance and later recycled, with proceeds from the effort benefiting the park’s animal enrichment fund.

“Earth Day is about reflecting on our planet and the wild things around us. This year, we focus on one species – Atlantic bottlenose dolphins – but the message we impart is just how important every species and subspecies is to our planet,” said Gilbert.

As part of the Year of the Dolphin, the park this year will highlight:

• Dolphin Discovery – This fee-based two-hour educational program offers insight about dolphin behavior, anatomy and physiology, as well as husbandry and training techniques. Guests take away important information about dolphins and the importance of wildlife conservation. A 45-minute classroom session is combined with an in-water interaction and learning session with dolphins. In May, a new 2,600-square foot education classroom facility with new locker room/shower facility will open.
  
  
• Dolphin Wine and Dine – An all new experience combines the Dolphin Discovery swim program and a gourmet lunch and wine pairing prepared by the park’s resident chef. Participants will dine and be served poolside in this elegant offering.
  
  
• Merlin’s Island Party Presented by Hawaiian Airlines – Audience members are transported to the island paradise as they’re treated to a showcase of leaps and bounds by talented Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.
  
  
• Trainer for a Day – Participants spend a full-day shadowing marine mammal trainers in this seven-hour interactive program. During their experience, participants will prepare diets, perform basic animal husbandry and learn training techniques alongside dolphin and sea lion trainers.
  
  
• Daily Dolphin Feeding – At Ocean Discovery, daily guests are able to touch, feed and even kiss a dolphin at the Dolphin Encounter pool. Dolphin trainers are available to answer questions and show how the dolphins will perform a learned behavior with just a hand signal.

“We are excited to be a part of Discovery Kingdom’s Year of the Dolphin,” said Leimomi Hall, director of sales for Hawaiian Airlines. “The timing is actually ideal for us as we get ready to launch on June 5 our first-ever Oakland to Maui non-stop route. We hope that as visitors to the dolphin show experience a little taste of the islands, they’ll want to travel to the real thing.”

Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are found in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean, closer to the equator in places like Florida, Mexico and South America. Of the 13 individuals at the park, Terry, a 50-year-old female, is one of the oldest in North American facilities, Cupid, a 9-year-old male, is a rehabilitated rescued dolphin that could not be returned to the wild; and five were born at the park.

Guests to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom can view dolphins all season long at the public viewing windows at Dolphin Harbor and Shouka Stadium, during the Merlin’s Island Party Presented by Hawaiian Airlines show (see daily entertainment guide for show times), and at the Dolphin Encounter pool at Ocean Discovery. For more information and to purchase admission tickets and the 2010 Season Pass online, visit www.sixflags.com/discoverykingdom.

About Six Flags:
Six Flags, Inc., is a publicly-traded corporation headquartered in New York City and is the world’s largest regional theme park company with 19 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

About Hawaiian Airlines:
Hawaiian is the nation’s highest-ranked carrier for service quality and performance in 2009 in the 20th annual Airline Quality Rating study, having earned that distinction in three of the past four years. Hawaiian is Hawaii’s largest and longest-serving airline, offering nonstop service from more U.S. gateway cities (10) than any other airline, as well as service to the Philippines, Australia, American Samoa, and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides more than 150 daily jet flights between the Hawaiian Islands.