SeaWorld Gets Desperate: Sues State of California to Breed Orcas in Captivity

A California commission was overreaching when it banned the breeding of captive killer whales at a $100 million planned exhibit at San Diego’s SeaWorld, the park claimed in a lawsuit.

Eight of the 11 orcas were bred in captivity, the lawsuit says. But the lawsuit contends that the commission’s authority does not extend to regulating the care of marine animals at the coastal theme park, which the lawsuit says is governed by federal law.

SeaWorld San Diego will phase out its iconic killer whale show as early as next year.

Public support for the whales has been strong and the general feeling is that Sea World is shortening the lives of these majestic creatures and causing them intense emotional and psychological distress through their breeding, captivation, and training.

Coastal Commission spokeswoman Noaki Schwartz said Tuesday that the commission has not had a chance to review the lawsuit and could not comment on it.

SeaWorld announced last month they would end their whales shows at the park in San Diego after the majority of their visitors said they prefer seeing the orcas acting naturally instead of doing learned tricks.

While the CCC permit conditions could have eventually accomplished this goal, SeaWorld’s challenge of the CCC’s decision makes clear that the only way to consistently and reliably protect the welfare of orcas in California is to do so by law.

While the Coastal Commission approved the habitat expansion in October, they said it could only be done under the condition that SeaWorld no longer breed captive killer whales. The Blue World project is a development that would greatly expand the killer whale habitats.

Back in October, the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously to give SeaWorld permission to double the size of its orca pools after a contentious seven-hour hearing where critics questioned SeaWorld’s treatment of animals in captivity and demanded the park’s population of 11 orcas be released into the wild.

“Animal rights activists appeared at the Coastal Commission hearing and vilified SeaWorld in their ‘testimony, ‘ says the suit”.

The complaint asks the Superior Court judge to either order the the restrictions be removed or order a new hearing of the development proposal, called “Blue World”, without the restrictions on breeding and transfer, and for the cost of SeaWorld’s attorney fees.