San Diego SeaWorld to make orca shows 'more natural,' CEO says

SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. announced Monday it will phase out its signature orca shows at its San Diego park next year, amid long-running criticism of its treatment of the captive marine mammals.

• SeaWorld stock sinks 30% on poor attendance and sales
• New killer whale environments planned amid backlash
• SeaWorld accused of infiltrating PETA's California chapter

The move comes after visitors at the California aquatic park made it clear they would prefer to see the orcas in a more natural environment rather than performing tricks, the firm's chief executive officer told investors Monday.

CEO Joel Manby told investors the San Diego theme park will instead create a different kind of orca experience in 2017, one that will focus on the whale's natural setting and behaviours.

Marketing gimmick, activists say

But animal rights activists called the move a marketing gimmick — and say they want to see the company phase out holding whales in captivity.

"An end to SeaWorld's tawdry circus-style shows is inevitable and necessary, but it's captivity that denies these far-ranging orcas everything that is natural and important to them," Jared Goodman of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said. "This move is like no longer whipping lions in a circus act but keeping them locked inside cages for life."

The Florida-based company has faced heated criticism — and declining admissions and revenue — since the 2013 release of the documentary Blackfish, which depicted captivity of killer whales as inherently cruel.

The film, which SeaWorld has criticized as inaccurate and misleading, chronicled the case of Tilikum, a killer whale that caused the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010 by pulling her into a pool at SeaWorld Orlando.

After Brancheau's death, trainers stopped going in the water during the shows, but they continue to swim with the killer whales while training them.

Blackfish director Gabriela Cowperthwaite weighed in on the decision in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

"I'm cautiously optimistic but unfortunately my understanding is that SeaWorld may not be stopping the orca 'show' at all. They may simply be repackaging it so that orcas will perform more natural looking tricks in new choreographed acts," she said.

"I hope I'm wrong and that this is not simply a slick rebranding. If they are truly stopping the orca shows and the breeding, then this has been one helluva day."

Jackass star Steve-O, recently charged with 30 days in jail for a crane-climbing stunt aimed at raising awareness about the treatment of animals at SeaWorld, added: 'It's a step in the right direction. 

"I hope they will issue a specific and concrete timeline for when we can expect these long-overdue changes to take place."

Shamu shows continue in Florida, Texas

Orca shows will continue at that Orlando, Fla., park and in San Antonio, Texas..  

Attendance has dropped the most at the San Diego location and the decision to end the traditional orca shows will be limited for now to that park.

Manby told investors Monday that California customers want to see less theatrical production, so the new attraction will have a strong conservation message.

"They want the orca experience to be activities the whales do in the wild," Manby said. "Things they perceive as tricks, they don't like as well."

However, that's not "universal across our properties," he added.

The news came days after SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. reported that its third-quarter earnings had missed Wall Street expectations.

Breeding banned

SeaWorld announced plans earlier this year announced plans for a $100-million expansion of the killer whale tanks in San Diego to boost attendance — but the California coastal commission made approval of the project contingent on the park agreeing not to breed, transfer or sell any of its captive orcas.

SeaWorld plans to fight the ruling in court, with Manby calling it a dangerous precedent for all zoos and aquariums.

He announced that the company is considering adding hotels at its parks, starting with San Diego, to attract overnight visitors.

SeaWorld has reached an agreement with a hotel developer to embark on the exploratory phase.