Bermuda Triangle (Sea World)
Encyclopedia
The Bermuda Triangle was a themed indoor flume ride
at the Sea World
amusement park
on the Gold Coast
, Australia
.
located in a small lake
in the centre of the Viking's Revenge Flume Ride. In 1987, these bumper boats were removed to aid in the construction of Lassiter's Lost Mine. Lassiter's Lost Mine was an indoor flume ride where guests would experience the flooding of a mine
. The ride was built for only A$3 million - compared to a Disney estimate of A$20 million. In April 1993, Lassiter's Lost Mine closed. Less than one year later on 31 March 1994, the Bermuda Triangle opened. The ride utilised the same ride system as the original Lassiter's Lost Mine ride. After opening, the Bermuda Triangle is cited as a major contributor to an increase in attendance.
Since the ride's opening in 1994, Bermuda Triangle had several features removed. Bermuda Triangle originally featured a revolving load and unload platform which increased the ride's capacity. This was decommissioned in 2005 due to safety concerns. In 2008, the gas pipeline which allowed the main volcano
to spit out fireballs was removed rendering the volcano dormant. Later, the pre-show was decommissioned and special effects were broken and never fixed.
On 18 October 2010, the Bermuda Triangle closed for routine maintenance until 30 November 2010. In late November, Sea World dropped the reopening date and has instead stated: "Bermuda Triangle is presently closed while we continue to develop new and exciting attractions at Sea World". In early December 2010, the maintenance page was changed for a third time to read "Bermuda Triangle is temporarily closed". A few days later, Sea World stated on their Facebook page that the "Bermuda Triangle ride has been permanently closed to make way an exciting new future attraction".
. A staff member in a Coast Guard uniform would appear at the front of the queue and usher a group of riders up a set of stairs into the pre-show room. This same staff member then gave guests a briefing about their upcoming journey into the mysterious volcanoes. Part of the pre-show occurred on a television monitor to the front of the room. At the end of the pre-show guests were ushered out another door and back down stairs towards the ride's station in the centre of the outdoor portion of the ride.
hill into the volcano. The boat would then descend the hill and splashdown in the main show building
. After flowing around a corner, the boat would rapidly accelerate down a long passage. The water would cause the boat to decelerate with a splash. The ride continued with the boat flowing slowly around several show scenes which include various special effects including Pepper's Ghost
which allowed a spaceship
to seemingly disappear. The boat would come to a halt at what seemed like a dead end with a television screen in front. Through the use of a turntable, the boat was turned away from the screen. A set of doors open behind the boat before it began to travel backwards into another room. Here, several special effects were used to simulate the flooding of a building. The boat was then turned towards the main conveyor lift hill. It would rise towards to the top of the volcano where fireballs were shot. At this point riders experience almost 700°C of heat. The boat would then descend the final drop and exits via the second, larger volcano.
Water ride
Water rides are amusement rides that are set over water. For instance, a log flume travels through a channel of water to move along its course...
at the Sea World
Sea World
Sea World is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, and theme park located on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It includes rides, animal exhibits and other attractions, and promotes conservation through education and through the rescue and rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife. The...
amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
History
In 1980, Sea World opened a set of bumper boatsBumper boats
Bumper boats are an amusement park ride that uses inner tube shaped watercraft that can be steered by the rider. Some are driven by electric motors, some by gasoline engines, and some require the rider to propel the craft by pedaling. Most are equipped with water guns for duels with other riders...
located in a small lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the centre of the Viking's Revenge Flume Ride. In 1987, these bumper boats were removed to aid in the construction of Lassiter's Lost Mine. Lassiter's Lost Mine was an indoor flume ride where guests would experience the flooding of a mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
. The ride was built for only A$3 million - compared to a Disney estimate of A$20 million. In April 1993, Lassiter's Lost Mine closed. Less than one year later on 31 March 1994, the Bermuda Triangle opened. The ride utilised the same ride system as the original Lassiter's Lost Mine ride. After opening, the Bermuda Triangle is cited as a major contributor to an increase in attendance.
Since the ride's opening in 1994, Bermuda Triangle had several features removed. Bermuda Triangle originally featured a revolving load and unload platform which increased the ride's capacity. This was decommissioned in 2005 due to safety concerns. In 2008, the gas pipeline which allowed the main volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
to spit out fireballs was removed rendering the volcano dormant. Later, the pre-show was decommissioned and special effects were broken and never fixed.
On 18 October 2010, the Bermuda Triangle closed for routine maintenance until 30 November 2010. In late November, Sea World dropped the reopening date and has instead stated: "Bermuda Triangle is presently closed while we continue to develop new and exciting attractions at Sea World". In early December 2010, the maintenance page was changed for a third time to read "Bermuda Triangle is temporarily closed". A few days later, Sea World stated on their Facebook page that the "Bermuda Triangle ride has been permanently closed to make way an exciting new future attraction".
Ride
Queue and Pre-show
Riders would join an undercover queue which was located between the final splashdown and Jet RescueJet Rescue (Sea World)
Jet Rescue is a steel launched jet ski roller coaster made by Intamin that opened on 26 December 2008 at Sea World on the Gold Coast, Australia. The ride has a very twisted and banked layout with several fast directional changes. Unlike other family launch roller coasters, Jet Rescue features two...
. A staff member in a Coast Guard uniform would appear at the front of the queue and usher a group of riders up a set of stairs into the pre-show room. This same staff member then gave guests a briefing about their upcoming journey into the mysterious volcanoes. Part of the pre-show occurred on a television monitor to the front of the room. At the end of the pre-show guests were ushered out another door and back down stairs towards the ride's station in the centre of the outdoor portion of the ride.
Ride
Up to 16 guests would board a Research Probe vessel which would begin a slow journey towards the smaller of the two volcanoes. Throughout the ride, pre-recorded audio of the Coast Guard was played through the boat's speakers. At the entry riders would go up a small conveyor beltConveyor belt
A conveyor belt consists of two or more pulleys, with a continuous loop of material - the conveyor belt - that rotates about them. One or both of the pulleys are powered, moving the belt and the material on the belt forward. The powered pulley is called the drive pulley while the unpowered pulley...
hill into the volcano. The boat would then descend the hill and splashdown in the main show building
Show building
Show building is the name often given to various enclosed structures at theme parks that contain attractions such as rides or entertainment shows...
. After flowing around a corner, the boat would rapidly accelerate down a long passage. The water would cause the boat to decelerate with a splash. The ride continued with the boat flowing slowly around several show scenes which include various special effects including Pepper's Ghost
Pepper's ghost
Pepper's ghost is an illusionary technique used in theatre and in some magic tricks. Using a plate glass and special lighting techniques, it can make objects seem to appear or disappear, transparent, or make one object seem to morph into another...
which allowed a spaceship
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
to seemingly disappear. The boat would come to a halt at what seemed like a dead end with a television screen in front. Through the use of a turntable, the boat was turned away from the screen. A set of doors open behind the boat before it began to travel backwards into another room. Here, several special effects were used to simulate the flooding of a building. The boat was then turned towards the main conveyor lift hill. It would rise towards to the top of the volcano where fireballs were shot. At this point riders experience almost 700°C of heat. The boat would then descend the final drop and exits via the second, larger volcano.