SeaWorld has announced that it will end its theatrical killer whale shows starting next year.
The decision by the company was made a month after the California Coastal Commission issued a ruling that prevents the amusement park from breeding captive orcas, according to the Washington Post.
According to the company, the shows will be replaced by a new attraction geared towards showing the killer whales in a more natural setting. This will be unveiled in 2017 and will aim to be more information than its theatrical shows. SeaWorld also noted that the new orca experience will also carry messages of conservation to inspire viewers to support the protection of the killer whales.
Currently, the decision to stop the theatrical shows only applies to the San Diego park of SeaWorld. It is not yet clear if the company's other parks in the country, some of which also feature killer whale shows, will follow in the same direction as the San Diego facility in the future.
According to SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby, the decision was made in response to the feedback of guests regarding the park's attractions.
"We start everything by listening to our guests and evolving our shows to what we're hearing, and so far that's what we've been hearing in California, they want experiences that are more natural and experiences that look more natural in the environment," the executive said according to the San Diego Tribune.
"But it's not universal across our properties," Manby added.
For years now, SeaWorld has been facing criticism mainly from environmental groups regarding its treatment of killer whales. The documentary film "Blackfish," which came out in 2013, further highlighted the controversy surrounding SeaWorld by focusing on Tilikum, one of the park's captive orcas. The film showed how the living condition of Tilikum as a captive animal led to serious consequences including the deaths of three individuals.
Then, earlier in October, the California Coastal Commission approved the company's plans to expand its orca habitat under the condition that it will no longer breed captive killer whales.
Critics and animal rights groups, particularly PETA, applauded the agency's decision but said that the ruling is not enough to fully protect the welfare of the whales.
"SeaWorld is a sea circus, and the orcas are its abused elephants," Ben Williamson, the spokesperson of PETA said according to CNN. "PETA wants SeaWorld to stop building tanks and start emptying the ones they've got by sending the orcas to coastal sanctuaries, where they'd finally have some semblance of a natural life."
