SeaWorld To End Orca Breeding

Disneyhead'71

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
SEAWORLD ANNOUNCES LAST GENERATION OF ORCAS IN ITS CARE


News 13 breaking - Orlando, Fla. (March 17, 2016) – SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: SEAS), a leading theme park and entertainment company, today announced that the killer whales – or orcas – currently in the company’s care will be the last generation of orcas at SeaWorld. The company will end all orca breeding as of today.

SeaWorld also will introduce new, inspiring, natural orca encounters, rather than theatrical shows, as part of its ongoing commitment to education, marine science research, and rescue of marine animals. These programs will focus on orca enrichment, exercise, and overall health. This change will start in its San Diego park next year, followed by San Antonio and then Orlando in 2019.
 
michmousefan

michmousefan

Well-Known Member
Disneyhead'71 said:
SEAWORLD ANNOUNCES LAST GENERATION OF ORCAS IN ITS CARE


News 13 breaking - Orlando, Fla. (March 17, 2016) – SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: SEAS), a leading theme park and entertainment company, today announced that the killer whales – or orcas – currently in the company’s care will be the last generation of orcas at SeaWorld. The company will end all orca breeding as of today.

SeaWorld also will introduce new, inspiring, natural orca encounters, rather than theatrical shows, as part of its ongoing commitment to education, marine science research, and rescue of marine animals. These programs will focus on orca enrichment, exercise, and overall health. This change will start in its San Diego park next year, followed by San Antonio and then Orlando in 2019.
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Victory. For those as-yet unborn Orcas who won't have to live a life of captivity, for the company, who has proven under new leadership that it can and will change with public and scientific sentiment, and for park guests who won't be saddled with shows that demean such incredible creatures. Kudos to Sea World.
 
andysol

andysol

Well-Known Member
They should have stopped shows years ago and had enrichment programs with much larger, natural environments for the orcas like the Blue World Project.
Continue the breeding. Push the education. Not only is that beneficial for the Orcas in the wild, as we are all better educated, but the inspiration those magnificent creatures provide to us and our children (who several grow up to be marine biologists due to their first-hand love of the creatures) is something that cannot be mimicked on YouTube videos.

I'd also like to mention that HSUS is not the most intelligent of organizations to partner with. Didn't they essentially kill the last orca in their care by allowing it to starve in the wild?

This is a bad day for aquariums and zoos around the US- where care of animals at the large majority of those institutions are top notch and extremely humane.

Can't say I'm happy about this.
 
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CJR

CJR

Well-Known Member
I think this is for the better and you have to give Joel Manby some credit. Since he moved to Sea World as CEO, they have been making one good decision after another. I don't think anyone was expecting an overnight turnaround, but he's doing a heck of a job guiding the company into the future.

After the current killer whales are gone, I suspect that Sea World will keep the spirit of Shamu alive in the park through interactive rides and attractions, which is how it really should be. Animatronics today can provide the sensation of seeing these creatures up close without actually requiring animals/fish to be held captive. I know it won't be as cool as seeing the real thing, but ultimately, it's a theme park. If Sea World moves more toward providing such experiences with quality rides, I think they'll be just fine.

Sea World will still have animal encounters with penguins, dolphins, turtles, and sharks. Activists might try to go after those encounters now, but that'll be a much more difficult fight since a lot of places have similar encounters, including Disney with sharks and dolphins in Epcot. Sea World's a weaker target, but I don't see them bending there unless these other companies do as well. The shows could go away, but I doubt the animal experiences (aquariums) will go in my lifetime.
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Well-Known Member
This is not a good thing. It concedes that the extreme animal rights people are correct. It will put zoos and aquariums everywhere on the defensive because they'll be subject to the same vitriol and outright lies presented in Blackfish. This decision tells the extremists "go ahead and lie about us because we're going to cave under the pressure and give you exactly what you want."

CJR said:
Sea World's a weaker target, but I don't see them bending there unless these other companies do as well. The shows could go away, but I doubt the animal experiences (aquariums) will go in my lifetime.
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The concern is not Sea World and Disney, the concern is local zoos and aquariums. Lots of those facilities operate on shoestring budgets and rely on a combination of meager gate receipts, public funds, donations, and volunteer labor to keep their doors open. Zoos and aquariums not named "Disney" or "Sea World" don't have even the slightest amount of extra money for legal or PR defense. This is going to be a huge detriment to the conservation and education mission of zoos and aquariums.
 
Disneyhead'71

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
CaptainAmerica said:
This is not a good thing. It concedes that the extreme animal rights people are correct. It will put zoos and aquariums everywhere on the defensive because they'll be subject to the same vitriol and outright lies presented in Blackfish. This decision tells the extremists "go ahead and lie about us because we're going to cave under the pressure and give you exactly what you want."
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Another victory for the loud and ill informed.

Dolphins, then large breed mammals are next.
 
CJR

CJR

Well-Known Member
CaptainAmerica said:
The concern is not Sea World and Disney, the concern is local zoos and aquariums. Lots of those facilities operate on shoestring budgets and rely on a combination of meager gate receipts, public funds, donations, and volunteer labor to keep their doors open. Zoos and aquariums not named "Disney" or "Sea World" don't have even the slightest amount of extra money for legal or PR defense.
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Nor do they actually listen to such nonsense, because in most cases, they don't have to. Sea World responded because it's a publicly traded company that was hurting for good press and under pressure from investors. Most zoos will not be in the same situation.
 
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culturenthrills

culturenthrills

Well-Known Member
I understand SW decision but it isn't going to stop the more extreme groups from still going after them. But it is a business decision even though I think there attendance has been hurt in Orlando more by Universal upping there game and going from a one day experience to a 2-3 day in many peoples plans and also the addition of Legoland going after the 10 and under demo. They have been squeezed on both sides. BGT hasn't been hurt as much because they are Tampa's local park.
 
michmousefan

michmousefan

Well-Known Member
This has been a good day for SW... after a relatively flat day elsewhere on the stock market, Sea World shares are up over 9%. Some will say it had nowhere else to go but up, and how the stock behaves in the next month or two will bear watching, but overall, very good news.
 
Bairstow

Bairstow

Well-Known Member
michmousefan said:
This has been a good day for SW... after a relatively flat day elsewhere on the stock market, Sea World shares are up over 9%. Some will say it had nowhere else to go but up, and how the stock behaves in the next month or two will bear watching, but overall, very good news.
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Encouraging, but I doubt this is anything more than a very temporary uptick ( though it certainly is a big one!). I would have actually expected the opposite reaction.

If this turns out to be a trend, though, all the better.
 
Bairstow

Bairstow

Well-Known Member
WildernessLodge said:
-Does this put an end to the Blue World Project?
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That's what I've been wondering.
Considering the lifespan of these animals, they would still likely get a decent return on investment with the new facilities, and if anything the fact that they've essentially put a "sunset" clause on their whale attractions might actually drive attendance as the years go on.

Still, I've got to wonder whether they're going to go forward with some of the massively expensive new facilities. In the short term, they're probably going to do a lot of re-purposing of their existing "stadium" tanks and facilities to a more aesthetically-pleasing and relaxed exhibit style.
 

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