SeaWorld attendance is down. Is Blackfish to blame?
Getty Images
Is it the Blackfish backlash? SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. just reported a 13 percent drop in attendance in the first quarter of 2014, falling to 3.05 million visitors January through March, from 3.5 million in the same quarter of 2013.
SeaWorld has been pushing back against claims made in the 2013 documentary film Blackfish that the company mistreats its killer whales. The Los Angeles Times could not reach the company for comment, but notes that during a conference call in March, SeaWorld officials rejected the notion that the movie had anything to do with declining attendance.
So what does SeaWorld believe is the reason behind the drop in visitors? An increase in ticket prices last year, and the calendar: Holidays like Easter and spring break fell earlier in 2013.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
LeBron, Bronny James make dad-son NBA debut
Speed Read Basketball star LeBron James and his son LeBron Jr. made history by playing together in the Lakers' preseason game
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel marks Oct. 7 attack, hits Lebanon, Gaza
Speed Read It has been one year since Hamas attacked Israel festival goers, sparking an escalating conflict in the Middle East
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Florida braces for Milton as FEMA tackles Helene, lies
Speed Read A flurry of misinformation has been spread about the federal response to Hurricane Helene
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published