Since the documentary’s premiere, SeaWorld and its partners have felt pressure from activists – and declines in attendance – to change their orca programs.
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“Whenever they would splash you, that was obviously a big deal”, said Raymond Ramos, SXSW visitor. “The killer whale issue is a growing reason why many people don’t visit SeaWorld and this is about doing the best thing for our orcas, our guests, our ambassadors and our company”. Instead of publicly releasing the entire line-up before a concert series starts, SeaWorld Orlando now announces performers one concert at a time, each about a week before the event. While the orcas who remain at the park could still be living there for decades, the news marks an eventual end to the sad saga of orca captivity in the U.S. The San Antonio and Orlando SeaWorld Parks will end theatrical orca shows by 2019.
The director of Blackfish, Gabriella Cowperthwaite, also celebrated the decision, and noted that SeaWorld’s breeding program sells the animals to worldwide parks, a key aspect of their business model.
The company announced Thursday morning the breeding program will end immediately. FILE – In this Monday, March 7, 2011, file photo, killer whale Tilikum, right, watches as SeaWorld Orlando trainers take a break during a training session at the theme park’s Shamu Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
“First of all”, he said, “in the history of mankind, no orca born under human care has ever been released”.
The theme park came under fire after the film “Blackfish” was released in 2013, which spotlights Tilikum, an orca held by SeaWorld and the controversy over captive killer whales.
The Alliance for Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums said it sympathizes with the decision by SeaWorld, a member of the Virginia-based trade group.
Aside from putting a stop to orca breeding, and ending their theatrical shows, SeaWorld also announced a new partnership with the Humane Society, and have stated their intention to donate $50 million over the next five years to help the fight against illegal whale and seal fishing, and shark finning.
“To do right by them now, SeaWorld must open the tanks to ocean sanctuaries so that these long-suffering animals may have some semblance of a life outside their prison tanks”, wrote PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. The company disputed numerous film’s accusations of animal abuse and neglect.
The Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums says it supports SeaWorld’s decision but cautions that losing public displays of orcas may threaten conservation efforts in the long run. SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. says it will no longer breed killer whales.
The measure also prohibits new Orcas from being brought into the state and only allows transfers between facilities that now house the killer whales.
The theme park on Mission Bay has also been the frequent target of animal rights organizations and was recently criticized after a San Diego employee posed as an animal rights activist to spy on People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
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SeaWorld has operations in Florida, Texas and California.
