Property and Equipment, Net

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Property Plant And Equipment [Abstract]

8. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET

The components of property and equipment, net as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, consisted of the following:

	2017			2016
Land	$	286,200		$	286,200
Land improvements		354,544			316,774
Buildings		670,121			645,013
Rides, attractions and equipment		1,433,246			1,368,018
Animals		142,147			158,199
Construction in process		65,816			54,242
Less accumulated depreciation		(1,276,833	)		(1,161,631	)
Total property and equipment, net	$	1,675,241		$	1,666,815

Depreciation expense was approximately $155,200, $191,500 and $174,700 for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

During the third quarter of 2017, following a contractual dispute, the Company amended an existing agreement relating to the use of certain animals. As a result of this amendment, which reduced the expected future cash flows related to the agreement, the Company recognized an impairment loss of approximately $7,800 which is included in operating expenses in the accompanying consolidated statement of comprehensive loss for the year ended December 31, 2017.

In January 2016, the Company made a decision to remove deep-water lifting floors from the orca habitats at each of its three SeaWorld theme parks. As a result, during the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company recorded approximately $33,700 of accelerated depreciation related to the disposal of these lifting floors. Also during 2016, the Company recorded approximately $6,400 in asset write-offs associated with the canceled Blue World Project, which is included in operating expenses in the accompanying consolidated statement of comprehensive loss for the year ended December 31, 2016.