The current generation of orcas at SeaWorld will be the last, according to a statement made by the embattled company on Thursday. "SeaWorld has been listening and we're changing. Society is changing and we're changing with it," the statement said.
SeaWorld faced harsh criticism for its killer whale program following the 2013 documentary Blackfish. The film featured the whale Tilikum, who was involved in the deaths of three people. Recently, Tilikum has reportedly fallen ill and is likely dying.
SeaWorld said that all the orcas currently living at SeaWorld will continue to do so, "inspiring guests in new and natural ways." While SeaWorld hasn't captured a whale from the wild in nearly 40 years, the announcement effectively brings an end to their captive whale breeding program. Going forward, SeaWorld will introduce "natural orca encounters" to replace its popular orca shows.
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.
"Customers visit our marine parks, in part, to watch orcas," SeaWorld's president and CEO Joel Manby told The Los Angeles Times. "But a growing number of people don't think orcas belong in human care."
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
