Paranormal expert Brocarde has taken an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the new I Know What You Did Last Summer: The Final Catch maze at SeaWorld San Diego, uncovering how the attraction combines mannequins, animatronics, and scare actors to terrify guests.
A first for Howl O Scream
Howl O Scream at SeaWorld San Diego is now in its sixth year. However, 2026 marks the first year that the brand has turned to a Hollywood blockbuster for inspiration. This year, its hottest attraction is the new I Know What You Did Last Summer: The Final Catch maze, which feels like a fitting choice given its references to the sea and its vengeful fisherman.
Brocarde visited the maze during the day, when the silent, still animatronics and empty spaces where no scare actors are hiding are visible. She described the lights-on experience as a spoiler but felt "positively spoilt" to see what really goes into bringing the maze to life.
The vengeful fisherman's lair
The maze takes guests back to a fateful 4th of July, when a group of teenagers dump a man's body into the sea. He returns exactly one year later from his watery grave. The maze centres around the vengeful fisherman, who stalks guests throughout, constantly reminding them that he knows what they did last summer.
The fisherman's role is played by both mannequins in hooded trench coats and scare actors wielding fish hooks. During the daytime walkthrough, Brocarde could see exactly where the mannequins were placed behind fabric seascapes, giving the illusion of him waiting in the shadows.
Multi-sensory scares
The maze uses a combination of mannequins, animatronics and scare actors. Typically, a scare actor will jump out while guests are distracted by a possessed animatronic, or while wondering whether a mannequin is actually plastic or human. The nature of the concept is not about giving the fright of your life but reminding guests of the fisherman's constant presence, with appearances that are slow but menacing.
Brocarde highlighted the multi-sensory approach as her favourite aspect. In the cooler, or fish locker, the air turns cold and guests can smell fish. The scene includes bodies severed and laid out on ice, with the penultimate scene featuring an animatronic seagull feasting on the flesh of a dead policeman, a decoy prop that illuminates before another scare actor appears.
Before leaving, Brocarde disappeared into a few of the scare actors' hiding places, eagerly waiting to pounce, but no unsuspecting guests arrived. On exiting the maze, she was hit with yet another reminder that the fisherman still knows what she did last summer.
