They say that good things come to those who wait, and we have certainly been waiting for this day for a very long time! An announcement has been made by SeaWorld San Diego on Monday stating that they are going to stop live orca shows!
The news comes from a document posted by the company online. According to the information in the document, the killer whale performances are going to be phased out as of next year.
Although this is a giant leap forward in the humane treatment of wildlife by SeaWorld, it does not end orcas in captivity. The animals are still going to be kept in captivity, but they are going to be used in other ways as a type of educational experience. According to the company, the intention is to inform and inspire and they don’t plan on using orcas as circus animals.
SeaWorld has certainly seen their share of problems recently. A documentary film known as BlackFish exposed the dark side of the industry. This caused SeaWorld to lose favor with many who at one time were fans of what they were doing. Admittedly, it was argued that the documentary was not accurate but it did stick, and as a result, many people spoke out about the orcas in captivity, obviously with results!
Since SeaWorld is changing the way that they treat the orcas they have in captivity, they have been approved for a $100 million expansion to the killer whale tanks. All the while, they still say they will fight the decision by the California Coastal Commission. In the end, it does appear as if they’re going to invest a large amount of money in this new development. They also plan on developing a resort in conjunction with Evans hotels.
This decision is a huge step in the right direction and you can feel proud of any part that you played in it. The overall fight, however, continues because other states allow the breeding of orcas in captivity. By continuing to speak out on the subject, it makes it likely that sweeping changes will take place across the nation.
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