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Finally the San Diego park is beginning to play catch-up with providing some coasters. Coming next year will be Manta, a launching sit-down coaster by Mack Rides.

From Screamscape: http://www.screamscape.com/html/seaworld_california.htm

2012 - Manta - Confirmed - (2/10/11) SeaWorld California announced earlier today, Manta, their new launched roller coaster ride for 2012. While I’m disappointed that they chose to copy the same name of the great Flying coaster in the Florida park, this new Manta is nothing at all like the East coast version.
It was confirmed to be a Mack Rides creation, based on their successful Blue Fire style launched coaster system and trains, and while the ride will only be 30 feet tall, it will include at least one 54 foot plunge as it dives into an underground track section.
According to the SeaWorld Blog, the ride will start off with a “launch tunnel” where the riders view larger than life projections of rays on a 270º enveloping screen as they are launched. The existing Forbidden Reef attraction area (featuring rays and eels) will be incorporated into the overall Manta experience. (I’m hoping they run the queue for Manta through the underground tunnels for Manta myself…) And like the Florida version of the ride, the new Manta ride will also feature some fun and special water effects.
Now for the details…
Manta will have a maximum launch speed of 43mph, using an LSM style launch system and a track length of 2,835 feet, taking just under 2 minutes. Manta will have four trains, each one able to hold 20 riders, for a maximum capacity of 1,400 riders for hour. And the height limit will be 48 inches.

(2/14/11) In case anyone was wondering, SeaWorld California was given final permission to build the new Manta coaster late last week from the California Coastal Comission, so everything is full steam ahead from this point on.

(2/18/11) I’ve been sent an update map showing off the location and ride layout of the new Manta coaster project. It’s a bit dark, so I tried to lighten it up to show off the details better. We can see now that the ride will extender closer towards the Rocky Point exhibit and Shipwreck Rapids, as well as all the way up into the empty ‘bowl’ are across from the Skyride. Enjoy the new layout and the overlay of it over an aerial photo of the park.

(4/18/11) Thanks to a local area reader for sending in some early construction site pictures for SeaWorld’s 2012 Manta coaster. Looks like they’ve already begun working to clear out some of the ride site and put up construction walls.

(4/21/11) A Screamscape reader went by SeaWorld the other day to check on the status of Manta and sent in a great shot taken from the Skytower showing off what a huge construction site they’ve cleared out for this project. For the most part, it looks like they have already demolished the majority of the oldest surviving structures that were still in the park from the old days… back when there was nothing but a parking lot where the current Shamu Stadium is and the old entrance used to cross over a turtle pond about where the bottom of the Shipwreck Rapids lift hill now sits. (Ok… I’m showing my age I guess.)

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