SeaWorld opening first theme park without killer whales

See ya, Shamu — when a new SeaWorld opens up in Abu Dhabi, it will be without the company's famous orcas.

The company, facing mounting criticism over keeping killer whales in captivity, previously announced it would no longer use the animals in their entertainment shows or mate them. The new SeaWorld is a licensing deal between the company and the Abu Dhabi-government-backed Miral Asset Management, with SeaWorld only lending its expertise on marine science and medicine and how to design and build the park, Bloomberg reports.

The theme park — SeaWorld's first outside the U.S. — is set to open in 2022 on the man-made Yas Island, already home to a water park and Ferrari World. Its focus will be on educating visitors about marine conservation, and will house the first facility in the United Arab Emirates dedicated to animal rescue and rehabilitation and research.

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