SeaWorld will be phasing out its controversial orca show in San Diego next year, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on Monday.
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Earlier, SeaWorld faced high criticism brought in by the film, “Blackfish”, which featured an interview with former orca whale trainers who spoke about disturbing conditions at the park, premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.
Chief executive, Joel Manby, announced that the company has initiated production on a new orca presentation for the San Diego park.
“The new experience will engage and inform guests by highlighting more of the species’ natural behaviours”, the company said. SeaWorld owns and operates a total of eleven parks, with two other parks – the ones in San Antonio and Orlando – holding orca shows, which typically involve the whales doing tricks and interacting with humans.
SeaWorld say the documentary is inaccurate and misleading and say they carry out vital research with the mammals.
“It’s going to focus more on the natural setting, natural environment and also the natural behaviors of the whale”, Manby told investors and analysts.
To do this SeaWorld plans to re-allocate a portion of the $100 million designated for their tank expansion, known as the Blue World Project.
On Monday, SeaWorld announced it would finally end its “theatrical killer whale experience” at its flagship theme park in San Diego.
SeaWorld California is to alter public displays by killer whales.
According to The Dodo, Manby called the new attraction a “very marketable attraction that gets a return on investment”, which does make sense, as he is the CEO of a company that exists to make money.
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Friday that he plans to introduce a bill that would prohibit the breeding of captive orcas, end the capture of wild orcas and stop the import and export of the killer whales.
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“The fact still remains that as long as SeaWorld holds orcas in captivity, the physical and psychological problems associated with their captivity will persist”, Schiff said.
