Barracuda Strike at SeaWorld San Antonio opens on Saturday, March 7
NEED TO KNOW
- A new ride is making a splash at SeaWorld San Antonio
- The park’s all-new Barracuda Strike roller coaster opens on Saturday, March 7
- The ride features a 90-foot lift hill, 1,800 feet of track, and speeds up to 44 mph
A new thrill ride is making waves at SeaWorld San Antonio.
On Saturday, March 7, the Texas theme park is inviting guests to experience a fresh set of thrills on the park’s newest roller coaster: Barracuda Strike.
This attraction, designed by roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, sets a new record as the tallest inverted family coaster in North America, which means riders hang beneath the track. Not only will it be the tallest in the continent, but it will be the only inverted family coaster in the entire state of Texas.
Credit: SeaWorld San Antonio
Beginning with a 90-foot lift hill, Barracuda Strike sends riders through 1,800 feet of tight turns and sweeping dives at speeds up to 44 mph.
“Barracuda Strike is a game-changer for family thrill rides, and we are excited to bring another great roller coaster to our guests,” Jeff Davis, SeaWorld San Antonio’s park president said in a Oct. 14, 2025, press release announcing the addition.
He adds: “It will be fast, fierce, and fun — bringing guests closer to the ocean’s energy and mystery in a way only SeaWorld can.”
Credit: SeaWorld San Antonio
Named after the large, predatory, ray-finned fish, Barracuda Strike will mimic the speed, power and agility of the vertebrate as it skims the park’s iconic water ski lake.
With a minimum height requirement of 42 inches and zero inversions, this ride is big enough for coaster enthusiasts but accessible enough for the whole family.
Credit: SeaWorld San Antonio
“If you got some small ones, maybe 5- or 6-years-old, and they’re 42 inches, they can ride this with their big brothers, big sisters, and their parents,” SeaWorld San Antonio’s director of public relations, Chuck Cureau, says in an interview with KENS 5.
He adds: “I’m not necessarily an adrenaline junkie, but I like this ride. This is a lot of fun.”
Credit: SeaWorld San Antonio
Barracuda Strike joins the park’s preexisting roster of roller coasters which includes the Texas Stingray wooden coaster, the Steel Eel, Wave Breaker: The Rescue Coaster, Journey to Atlantis, and the Great White.
Similar to Barracuda Strike, the Great White attraction is another inverted coaster, but one that caters to thrill-seeking guests. That attraction has a minimum height requirement of 54 inches and includes five inversions.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Last year, SeaWorld opened up the brand-new Expedition Odyssey attraction at the company’s theme park in Orlando. The attraction combines dynamic motion with state-of-the-art visuals to deliver a flying theater-style experience. It uses environmental elements like sounds, smells and temperature to fully immerse riders into an arctic landscape.
Read the full article here
