- SeaWorld said on Thursday that it will stop breeding whales and those currently at its parks would be the last
- SeaWorld lost 11 percent of their shares for the last years due to a backlash brought by the release of the 2013 documentary “Blackfish”
- SeaWorld will introduce natural orca shows in place of theatrical performances, and will now focus on exercise and the animals’ health
CALIFORNIA, USA – After years of pressure coming from animal rights activists, SeaWorld announced that it will stop breeding killer whales.
Amber Jamieson mentioned in her article for The Guardian published on March 17 that the U.S theme park operator SeaWorld said on Thursday that it will stop breeding whales and those currently at its parks would be the last.
Last November, SeaWorld Entertainment Inc, said it would replace the “Shamu” killer whale shows in San Diego Park with displays that will focus on conservation.
SeaWorld, which has parks in San Diego, Orlando and San Antonio, had been under criticism about its treatment of the captive marine mammals.
As with the criticism, Orlando-based SeaWorld has faced a drastic attendance decrease, while some activists had called for the end of public exhibition of killer whales, or orcas, altogether.
The government took action and had agreed to allow SeaWorld to expand its orca habitat at SeaWorld San Diego, however, the theme park should cease captive breeding and the transfer of new killer whales to the park.
Despite the ruling, animal rights advocates had called for SeaWorld to release its orcas into coastal sanctuaries, which was contradicted by SeaWorld saying the whales raised or born in captivity would likely die in the wild.
An article by BBC News published on March 17 said that SeaWorld lost 11 percent of their shares for the last years due to a backlash brought by the release of the 2013 documentary “Blackfish.”
Photo Credit: SeaWorld
Blackfish depicted the captivity and public exhibition of killer whales as inherently cruel. SeaWorld tried to counter the negative publicity brought by “Blackfish” by public relations ads and programs aimed at drawing attention to SeaWorld’s role in marine mammal research and its rescue and rehabilitation of animals in the wild.
Marine biologist of the Animal Welfare Institute Dr. Naomi Rose, who was also an adviser for Blackfish, said that SeaWorld’s decision to stop breeding killer whale is a “monumental and important first step forward in achieving a more humane business model for the company.”
Reports said that SeaWorld has not collected any orcas at sea for almost 40 years now, but still has 29 of the marine mammals under its care, including six which was lent to third parties. In 1985, the first killer whale was born in a SeaWorld Park, then after that, 30 more have been born in the parks.
Ramkumar Iyer said in his article for Reuters published on March 17 that SeaWorld will introduce natural orca shows in place of theatrical performances, and will now focus on exercise and the animals’ health.
These changes will be implemented in San Diego next year and in its other parks by 2019, in hoped to maintain the 20 million visitors it’s having every year.
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