38 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM HISTORY marine world’s big splash astounding stunts on water skis, flying off ramps and stacking into six-person pyramids. Among their ranks: Mrs. Fields, the cookie lady. Another aquatic star, Judy the elephant, soared on skis the size of pontoons—though she left the flying leaps to the other ladies. Elsewhere in the park, dolphins and seals planted kisses on visitors, while Kianu, the two-ton orca, made waves during the Harbor Patrol Killer Whale Show. While these performances are perceived differently these days, the park prided itself on its “conservationist” stance at the time and educated visitors about wildlife and endangered species at the Ecology Theater. Near the Port of Redwood City, in Redwood Shores, loom the sleek glass towers of the former Oracle campus— pillars of progress befitting the tech empire of the Silicon Valley. In their shadow, a solitary goose glides across a serene lake. It’s quiet today, but not so long ago this site teemed with waterslides and seals. Orca whales burst from the briny deep, soaking astounded audiences. Aquatic acrobats performed gravity-defying stunts. A trainer walked a tiger around on a leash. And Lancelot, a goat with a single, 10-inch horn, enjoyed acclaim as a “living unicorn.” This was the wonderfully weird era of Marine World, a brief and astonishing moment in Bay Area history. Before orcas and Oracle, the land had humble beginnings. Once a stretch of sloughs, the area later became a network of salt evaporation ponds. Then in the 1960s, 66 acres were filled in for a highly anticipated amusement park. Originally, the quiet, respectable town of Mill Valley had been considered for this marine-themed venture, but their city council pronounced it “incompatible with the community’s residential character.” Redwood Shores had no such qualms. After a flurry of construction, the park opened to great fanfare in the hot summer of 1968. The project was helmed by longtime showman Michael B. Demetrios, whose résumé already included SeaWorld and the Ice Follies. Marine World boasted elements of both. Similar to the Follies, it offered dazzling shows. The lovely Aqua Belles performed words by JOHANNA HARLOW PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: ED BIERMAN {punchline}
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