SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment announced on Monday that it will end theatrical orca shows at its theme park in San Diego in 2016. The plans to end orca shows is part of a plan to rebuild the brand and combat the parks rapidly declining attendance.
According to a report by the San Diego Union-Tribune, the killer whale shows held in San Diego—in which the dolphins dive, jump and splash guests on demand—will be replaced with a conservation-themed exhibit that displays the orcas in a more “natural” setting. As of yet, the status of the shows at SeaWorld’s other two parks in San Antonio and Orlando has not been mentioned by the company.
SeaWorld’s change in direction is in response to mounting public backlash since the release of Blackfish, a documentary film which investigated the captivity of leading performer, Tilikum, an orca involved in three human deaths induced by the consequences of keeping Orca’s in captivity.
“We are listening to our guests, evolving as a company, we are always changing,” said Joel Manby, SeaWorld’s chief executive. “In 2017 we will launch an all new orca experience focused on natural environment [of whales]. 2016 will be the last year of our theatrical killer whale experience in San Diego.”
Wild orca’s dedicate their lives to their family pods, migrating yearly to available food sources and working together to achieve it. Observing the behaviours of orca’s will show that they are highly social and interactive. Seaworld’s orca’s are generally segregated due to raking and fighting with other individuals, causing detrimental effects to their physical and mental health.
Despite the company’s claims that the documentary is nothing more than animal rights propaganda, since the documentary’s release, the company’s revenues have dropped substantially. According to a report published by CCNN Money, stock shares in SeaWorld declined by 45% between 2014 and 2015.
As reported by the Orlando Sentinel, just days before SeaWorld’s announcement, Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff declared that he would propose federal laws banning the “breeding, wild capture and import or export of killer whales for the purposes of public display.”
“Evidence is very strong that the psychological and physical harm done to these magnificent animals far outweighs any benefits reaped from their display,” Schiff said in a statement .
Back in October, the California Coastal Commission ruled that SeaWorld could no longer breed the 11 captive whales at the location if the company wished to proceed with a $100 million project that would more than triple the size of its orca tanks in San Diego.
Although many have applauded SeaWorld’s decision to end the orca shows in California, many animal rights activists have argued that the step is simply not large enough. As a result, animal right activist are expected to continue working towards ending SeaWorld’s captive orca program.
Image Credit: WikiMedia Commons, Yathin S Krishnappa
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