Thousands of employees have walked through the gates of SeaWorld San Diego over the last six decades.
But only one can say she's been there since the very beginning. And that's Charline "Charli" Manzano.
She's been the friendly receptionist greeting employees at the administration building, but her SeaWorld story started long before that.
She began working at SeaWorld San Diego 62 years ago, a week before the park officially opened.
And when she wants to take a trip down memory lane, all she has to do is open one of the many binders filled with photographs from her life at the park, something she finds herself doing often.
At 28 years old, Manzano's first job at SeaWorld San Diego was as a server at the Hawaiian Punch Village, one of the park's original attractions.
“Hawaiian Punch was basically my second home,” Manzano said.
For 13 years, she welcomed guests there, always wearing a smile and a fresh hibiscus flower in her hair.
“That was my signature,” Manzano said.
A signature look that's never gone away. She still wears a flower on her hair every day to work.
Over the years, Manzano's career took her all across the park. She started in food service before moving into entertainment, where she performed with dolphins in the lagoon show.
Eventually, she found her spot behind the front desk.
“I had to get out of food!” Manzano said with a grin.
This week, she celebrated her 90th birthday. And according to her, retirement can wait a little longer.
“I might work for two more years because that’s when SeaWorld will be 64,” Manzano said, showing her commitment to the place she's called her second home for the last 6 decades.
The attractions at Seaworld San Diego may look different after 62 years and the crowds may be bigger, but her smile and flower in her hair remain a constant.
