Guests of Zoombezi Bay, a water park owned by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio, were recently introduced to 16 life-sized baboons and a sprawling octopus when the venue revealed its new, custom-themed AquaPlay RainFortress™ called the Baboon Lagoon.
The $4.5 million interactive water play structure, designed by WhiteWater West, a manufacturer and installer of water park attractions in Richmond, B.C., is surrounded by a heated pool and has more than 90 interactive water elements, nine waterslides, and a 3785 L (1000 gal) tipping bucket.
“We are thrilled to introduce central Ohio to the most exciting multi-level play structure the area has ever seen,” said John P. Gannon, general manager of Zoombezi Bay and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. “WhiteWater was able to theme the structure to our unique requests. Zoombezi Bay is owned by The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium; therefore, we wanted a structure that was full of animal surprises.”
In completing the project, all 16 realistic baboons and the giant, life-like blue-ringed octopus started as giant blocks of Styrofoam. Once they were shaped and hand-carved, each piece was treated and painted, by hand, to ensure the highest level of detail.
“WhiteWater has been dedicating resources to improving theming capabilities to allow us to meet unique requirements such as those put forth by Zoombezi Bay,” said the company’s theming and production manager, Chris Biancofiore, who also heads up the strategic changes that are made within the theming department. “We have made considerable improvements over the years in design and pushing the boundaries on what we can do.”
