Joel Manby, the CEO of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, has made the announcement that its San Diego attraction will be stopping the famous orca shows. This week, Rep. Adam Schiff announced that he will introduce a bill that put a ban on captivity of orcas.
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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.
Steve-O, Jason Biggs and Krysten Ritter have praised bosses at SeaWorld for announcing plans to scrap their controversial orca show in San Diego, California.
All of the parks have faced public scrutiny since the release of the 2013 documentary “Blackfish”, which questions SeaWorld’s treatment of the Orcas.
The film involves interviews with former trainers, and shows the dark side of SeaWorld’s work with orcas, alleging that the park separates young calves from their mothers and interferes with the species’ social structure, driving them to antisocial and unsafe behaviours.
Steve-O has dismissed SeaWorld’s plans to phase out its trademark killer whale show as a “PR stunt”, as the animals will remain on show and in captivity.
Trainers have not been allowed back into the water with killer whales during performances at SeaWorld since that incident.
The orcas are expected to remain living at the California park in a new habitat. The reaction has driven down attendance, revenue and the company’s stock value. “Guests want to know that they’re making a difference for the world we share and our parks deliver on that promise”, said Manby.
“But it’s not universal across our properties”, Manby added. This move is like no longer whipping lions in a circus act but keeping them locked inside cages for life or no longer beating dogs but never letting them out of crates.
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Ask the tens of millions of tourists who have visited San Diego over the years and going to Seaworld on Mission Bay is usually a must do. “We’re evolving as a company, we’re always changing”, he says. “So that, right now, is in San Diego based on customer feedback we’re getting there”, he said.
