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Orlando-based
SeaWorld has faced sagging attendance and years of criticism
over its treatment of the captive marine mammals as well as
pressure from animal rights activists to end public exhibition
of killer whales altogether.
SeaWorld, which operates parks in San Diego, Orlando and San
Antonio, said in November it would replace its signature "Shamu"
killer whale shows in San Diego with displays focused on
conservation.
California regulators had said earlier that they would bar
SeaWorld San Diego from continuing to breed killer whales, or
orcas, if it went ahead with a planned expansion of their
artificial habitat.
SeaWorld has 29 killer whales under its care, including six on
loan to third parties, according to its website.
(http://bit.ly/1pvSG0o)
The first killer whale was born in a SeaWorld park in 1985.
Since then, 30 have been born in the parks, including the
first-ever births through artificial insemination.
The company also faced a backlash after the release of the 2013
documentary "Blackfish," which depicted the captivity and public
exhibition of killer whales as inherently cruel.
The film, which SeaWorld has criticized as inaccurate and
misleading, also explored the circumstances leading to the 2010
death of a top SeaWorld trainer, who was pulled underwater and
drowned by an orca she had performed with in Florida.
The company has sought to counter negative publicity surrounding
"Blackfish" with a public relations blitz aimed at drawing
attention to SeaWorld's role in marine mammal research and its
rescue and rehabilitation of animals in the wild.
SeaWorld's shares, which have fallen about 11 percent in the
past year, closed at $17.12 on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Ramkumar Iyer in Bengaluru; Editing by Ted Kerr)
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