San Diego Sea World To Shut Down, Stop Captive Breeding Of ‘Orcas’

The San Diego Union-Tribune adds that Joel Manby, the CEO of SeaWorld, said during the event that company’s planned overhaul was not because it wants to please its critics.

Manby explained that the new orca show will focus on more natural whale movements. Now everyone is talking about the park’s Monday announcement that it plans to phase out its longstanding Shamu show in San Diego after 2016.

SeaWorld plans to replace the theatrical show with a more informative one that shows the natural behavior of the orca by 2017.

“The decision by SeaWorld to phase out killer whale shows in San Diego is a welcome step along the path towards ending the captivity of these magnificent creatures”, said Rep. Adam Schiff about SeaWorld’s decision.

The move, unveiled in a company presentation to investors, followed a vote by California regulators last month barring SeaWorld San Diego from continuing to breed the killer whales, or orcas, if it proceeds with a planned expansion of their artificial habitat.

Animal rights activists, pressing to end public exhibition of killer whales altogether, branded the SeaWorld announcement as little more than window dressing created to make continued display of the animals more palatable to the public. Killer whales at SeaWorld tend to die a far younger ages than those in the wild, and it takes a battery of medications (including antibiotics and even, at times antidepressants) to keep them alive. “They jump in the wild, they splash in the wild”.

SeaWorld said in a press release that the new show will highlight more of the orca’s natural behaviors to engage and inform guests.

However, he emphasized that much needs to be done, and that includes barring the company from breeding orcas inside its fences.

There was no mention of any changes in the works for orca attractions at the company’s two other American aquatic theme parks, in Orlando, Florida, and San Antonio, Texas. “We are always changing”, Manby added. Since the release of the 2013 documentary Blackfish, which criticized SeaWorld’s treatment of its orcas, the company has lost half its market value.

After Brancheau’s death, trainers stopped going in the water during the shows, but they continue to swim with the killer whales while training them.

The news came days after SeaWorld reported third-quarter earnings that missed Wall Street expectations.

Animal rights activists see the act as a form of retaliation of the killer whale.

The company, which has said it would challenge the commission’s ruling, gave no indication yesterday that it was ready to give up its orca breeding programme.

“I think that more into what their environment and not make them perform like a circus animal”, said Vince. To replace their traditional Shamu show, SeaWorld will be reinventing their Orca experience.