ORLANDO, Fla. – SeaWorld announced Wednesday that it is building Orlando's tallest, fastest, longest roller coaster.
Scheduled to open in summer 2016, Mako will rise 200 feet and travel 73 mph over 4,760 feet of steel track -- nearly a mile long.
Mako sharks -- also called "blue pointers" -- are known for their top speed, making extreme jumps and the ability to quickly change course as they pursue their prey, SeaWorld said.
The new coaster will become one of the world's few true hypercoasters, a group of roller coasters known for high speeds and steep drops and hills that create a feeling of weightlessness or "air time." As the coaster cars crest each hill, riders float, nearly weightless, the park said.
"On Mako, you'll experience what it's like to be this apex predator, surging through the water at top speed and chasing prey throughout a massive reef," said Brian Morrow, SeaWorld's attraction creative director. "It will be a wild mix of fear, thrills and fun."