SeaWorld announced on Thursday that they will stop breeding orcas (a.k.a. killer whales) in their theme parks and will eliminate the theatrical shows starring the imprisoned whales.
“SeaWorld has been listening and we’re changing,” the company said in a statement. “Society is changing and we’re changing with it. SeaWorld is finding new ways to continue to deliver on our purpose to inspire all our guests to take action to protect wild animals and wild places.”
Joel Manby, president and CEO of SeaWorld, wrote in an op-ed article in the LA Times that its existing whales would remain in captivity at the theme parks because setting them free in the wild was “not a wise option.”
The current shows will be replaced with “new, inspiring, natural orca encounters … as part of its ongoing commitment to education, marine science research, and rescue of marine animals,” wrote Manby.
SeaWorld has seen its business go into the shitter since the documentary “Blackfish” hit theaters in 2013. The Facebook page for the film celebrated the move:
They heard your voice!
Posted by Blackfish on Thursday, March 17, 2016
In a statement, “Blackfish” director Gabriela Cowperthwaite called SeaWorld’s policy change “a defining moment” of “truly meaningful change.”
