SeaWorld
SeaWorld is a chain of marine-themed parks located in the United States, with three primary locations in San Diego, California; Orlando, Florida; and San Antonio, Texas. These parks offer a combination of animal shows featuring marine species such as dolphins, orcas, and sea lions, alongside various rides and family entertainment options. SeaWorld has a long history, beginning in 1964 as a marine zoological park, and has grown to include animal rescue initiatives and marine research programs. However, it has faced significant controversies regarding the treatment of its animals, particularly orcas, leading to public concerns about safety and ethical practices.
Despite its popularity, incidents involving trainer injuries and high-profile documentaries like "Blackfish" have sparked debates about the ethics of keeping marine animals in captivity for entertainment. In response to these controversies, SeaWorld has made changes, including ending its orca breeding program and phasing out orca shows, aiming to improve its image and attendance. The company also continues to engage in conservation efforts and research, contributing to marine life rehabilitation and promoting sustainability practices.
SeaWorld
SeaWorld is a chain of theme parks based around marine animals. There are three US SeaWorld parks, in San Diego, California; Orlando, Florida; and San Antonio, Texas. The parks combine animal shows and attractions with rides and many types of family entertainment. They offer the opportunity to watch closely marine species such as dolphins, orcas, sea lions, seals, sharks, and many others. Although popular with the public, SeaWorld has been involved in serious controversies resulting from the injury and deaths of trainers and accusations of maltreatment of the animals it holds, in particular orcas, the species with which the parks are most closely identified. The franchise has been owned by different corporations, including publishing company Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (HBJ) and Busch Entertainment; it was sold to Blackstone Group in 2009.
Brief History
SeaWorld started as a series of family-oriented water parks and aquariums in the 1960s. The first SeaWorld opened in 1964 in San Diego's Mission Bay as a marine zoological park and aquarium. The next year the orca Shamu, the first of its kind to be captured intentionally in healthy condition, debuted at the park and became a famous attraction. The Shamu name would subsequently be used for whales across the various parks long after the original's death in 1971. SeaWorld quickly proved popular, and after the company went public in 1968 the founders reinvested their earnings and expanded to Aurora, Ohio, in 1970 (the park was sold off in 2001). SeaWorld Orlando followed in 1973.
SeaWorld continued to grow over the years, adding various new attractions and expanding into other ventures. The company was bought by HBJ in 1976 and absorbed many of the animals of rival oceanarium Marineland. That year the Orlando operation first began its animal rescue and rehabilitation efforts, which sought to help injured and orphaned marine animals. SeaWorld also supported marine science, including bioacoustics studies and research on animal migration.
In 1989 HBJ sold the franchise to beverage giant Anheuser-Busch, which combined it with its Busch Gardens theme parks. That same year the Texas park switched to a seasonal schedule. New features at the San Diego park included and Arctic-themed exhibit and ride in 1997, a raft ride in 199, and the Journey to Atlantis roller coaster/flume ride in 2004. Orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows remained staple attractions.
Busch Entertainment was sold to the Blackstone Group, a private equity firm, in 2009. A SeaWorld television show, Sea Rescue, premiered on the ABC network in 2012. In 2013, Blackstone held an initial public offering for SeaWorld that sold 37 percent of the company's shares. In 2016 SeaWorld announced it would open its first international park in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The park officially opened in May 2023.
Controversy and Sustainability Efforts
Despite its sustained popularity, SeaWorld has been involved for decades in serious controversies in regards to safety violations, injuries, and deaths related to human beings and marine animals. In the late 1980s, for example, SeaWorld San Diego experienced three events that resulted in the injury and hospitalization of marine animal trainers, among other accidents. SeaWorld implemented new safety protocols, particularly for trainers working with orcas. Nevertheless, in 2006 another trainer was attacked by an orca named Kasatka. After the Kasatka incident, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a warning that a death was just a matter of time, but was forced to withdraw it after being challenged by SeaWorld. An orca named Tilikum killed a trainer in 2010, making it the third incident in which Tilikum was involved in the death of a human being. SeaWorld was fined a relatively small amount for safety violations. Tilikum returned to performing in 2011.
SeaWorld has also long been criticized by animal rights activists, marine life scientists, and other environmental groups over its treatment of animals. SeaWorld defenders, on the other hand, point out that SeaWorld has contributed abundantly to current research and knowledge of marine biology, such as the previously unknown gestational period of orcas, and to other issues related to veterinary care of marine life and conservation of marine populations at risk. SeaWorld has also participated actively in the rescue of injured, sick, and stranded marine life for over fifty years, and contributes several million dollars annually to conservation organizations. In response to accusations about safety violations, SeaWorld claimed that it provides frequent safety and rescue training for its staff.
A 2009 documentary, The Cove, condemned the industry that provides large marine animals such as dolphins and orcas to parks and zoos, though SeaWorld vigorously denied being a party to the gruesome practice revealed in the documentary. The film nevertheless raised issues about the ethics of keeping marine animals in captivity and the promotion of a form of entertainment that fosters a brutal trade. The documentary Blackfish, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013, exposed issues about the treatment of orcas in SeaWorld's care. The film argues that SeaWorld orcas turn violent in response to the conditions in which they are kept and present a great risk to staff and visitors; it generated much debate over the ethics of keeping animals in captivity for entertainment. SeaWorld responded by engaging in damage control through donations and other public relations activities, but it still suffered a serious blow to both its image and its revenues. After the documentary aired, SeaWorld suffered an estimated $25 million in losses after attendance declined in all of its parks.
In 2014, a shareholder lawsuit was filed against SeaWorld's senior management in the wake of the Blackfish scandal. According to the lawsuit, SeaWorld artificially inflated the value of its stock in order to attract investors. Several class action lawsuits, also spurred by the film, claimed that SeaWorld deceived customers by providing false or misleading statements about its ethical treatment of captive orcas. In a widely publicized 2014 ruling, a federal appeals court upheld the regulatory safety finding against SeaWorld in the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau. That same year, SeaWorld noted that they had seen a decline in attendance but denied that it had suffered a financial impact, declaring it had enjoyed its most profitable year to date, having reached nearly $1.5 billion in revenue. In late 2014, however, SeaWorld's stock fell 33 percent, causing about $800 million in shareholder loss in a single day.
Despite the scandal and lawsuits related to its amusement parks, SeaWorld has continued to engage in research related to marine mammals and to provide research funds by way of grants through its SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund. Other contributions include important breeding programs for dolphins, sea lions, orcas and other marine species, which have proven very successful. SeaWorld's sustainability program for marine ornamental fish, inaugurated in 2009, helps protect coral reefs and promotes the commercial production of ornamental fish for home aquariums as an alternative to damaging reef collection practices.
In March 2016, SeaWorld announced that it would be ending its orca breeding program and phasing out orca shows. The orcas already in the park, however, would remain there for the rest of their lives, the company said, drawing criticism from animal rights groups who believed the animals should be retired to sea pen sanctuaries, an option that would give the animals more space and be more similar to their natural habitat. The ending of the breeding program and orca shows was largely considered a positive move, however, and the company expect it to give a boost to the parks' flagging attendance and profits. Nevertheless, the company continued to face scrutiny and criticism over the health of its animals. In 2020, SeaWorld Orlando made its Orca show public to guests.
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