SeaWorld is getting rid of one of its most famous animal attractions: its habitat of orcas. NPR reports that the theme parkâs parent company, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Inc., announced today that they will stop breeding captive killer whales at the SeaWorld parks in San Diego, San Antonio, Texas, and Orlando, Florida. They also plan to discontinue their popular theatrical orca show.
The decision to end the orca program arose from an agreement between the Humane Society of the United States and SeaWorld. For years, animal rights activists have protested the animalsâ living conditions and treatment. In 2013, the documentary Blackfish drew additional attention to the animalsâ plight. According to The Washington Post , the ensuing controversy caused the parks' CEO to resign and its stock prices to drop.
The company explained the move in an online statement . âWhy the big news? SeaWorld has been listening and weâre changing,â they wrote. âSociety is changing and weâre changing with it. SeaWorld is finding new ways to continue to deliver on our purpose to inspire all our guests to take action to protect wild animals and wild places.â
These changes werenât made overnight. Last year, SeaWorld discontinued theatrical orca shows at its San Diego outpost, and the California Coastal Commission ruled that the park discontinue its orca breeding program. Now, these policies officially apply to all of SeaWorldâs parks.
USA Today writes that the San Diego SeaWorld will hold its last orca show in 2017, while the San Antonio and Orlando locations will end them by 2019. In the meantime, SeaWorld plans to focus its energyâand moneyâon rescuing animals and fighting commercial fishing.
The park wonât get rid of its current generation of orcas, but they will be the last of their species to remain at SeaWorld, SeaWorldâs new CEO, Joe Manby, wrote in an editorial for The Los Angeles Times . Since these orcas have remained in human care for years, they would âlikely dieâ if they were released into the ocean, Manby wrote, so they will live the remainder of their years in tanks, where they will be fed and provided with veterinary care. Park visitors will be able to view them through ânew, inspiring, natural orca encounters,â according to the companyâs website .
So far, SeaWorldâs shift in priorities is good for orcasâand good for business. According to The Orlando Sentinel , the companyâs stock was up more than 4 percent this morning.
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