SeaWorld has finally announced that the company will cease to breed killer whales and also stop the themed shows that feature them. The official statement was released from WSJ this Thursday.
The scrutiny from the public eye had dramatically decreased the theme park's attendance by 7.9% in 2015. Not only have sales suffered, but the company's reputation as a "family, animal and environment friendly" place has been tarnished.
Chief Executive Joel Manby has expressed the heavy pressure the company has shouldered. "People today and millennials and moms and dads want vacations with meaning, and they are willing to support organizations that have it," he said.
After announcing on the WSJ website that SeaWorld's current generation of orcas would be its last, shares have soared its highest which boasts of positive praises in the theme-park's decision. SeaWorld still has not yet planned on what it will be doing once its final orca dies (which would be decades from now) but they have expressed that they could feature a shark-themed roller coaster in Orlando, FL.
Currently, SeaWorld has 29 killer whales and one of the females is pregnant. Although they have not taken an orca from the wild in the last 35 years, it continued to breed the mammals. What will SeaWorld be doing with its current set of orcas? The theme-park operator has chosen to present the orcas but in a redesigned and natural setting that will purely focus on enrichment, health and exercise which means no more acrobatic tricks.
SeaWorld's decision to change even had "Blackfish" director Gabriela Cowperthwaite in a positive state, "The fact that SeaWorld is doing away with orca breeding marks truly meaningful change," says Cowperthwaite.
Check out the Youtube video below for a featured in depth discussion with SeaWorld Documentary Maker Gabriela Cowperthwaite.
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