“Times have changed, and we are changing with them.”
SeaWorld has confirmed that it will no longer breed Orca whales after recent protesting. They confirmed the news on their website stating that their current breed of 29 Orcas will be the last generation in the theme parks.
SeaWorlds has been heavily criticised in recent years for having Orca whales and other sea life creatures in captivity. They gained even more negative press following a documentary, Blackfish, which highlighted the dangers of keeping the animals out of their natural environments.
It centred around one particular Orca whale, Tilikum, who was captured in Iceland at the age of 2 and spent the rest of his life in SeaWorld. The documentary highlighted his treatment in SeaWorld which ultimately resulted in the deaths of members of staff.
They have released this statement about the decision to stop breeding:
“Times have changed, and we are changing with them. The killer whales currently in our care will be the last generation of killer whales at SeaWorld. The company will end all orca breeding as of today.
We always put the health and well-being of the whales first. We have the leading veterinary and scientific experts in the country to advise us on how to do this in a way that puts the health and well-being of the whales first.
We love our whales and so do many of our visitors and this is about doing the best thing for our whales, our guests, our employees and SeaWorld.
We’ve helped make orcas among the most beloved marine mammals on the planet. As society’s understanding of orcas continues to change, SeaWorld is changing with it.
By making this the last generation of orcas in our care and reimagining how guests will experience these beautiful animals, we are fulfilling our mission of providing visitors to our parks with experiences that matter.
SeaWorld has committed $50 million over the next five years to be the world’s leading marine animal rescue organisation, to advocate for an end to the commercial killing of whales and seals and an end to shark finning.”
