SeaWorld sees profits plunge 84% as customers desert controversial park

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

SeaWorld sees profits plunge 84% as customers desert controversial park

Rupert Neate in New York
Thursday 6 August 2015 17.04 BST

SeaWorld has suffered a 84% collapse in profits as customers have deserted the controversial aquatic theme park company following claims it mistreated orca whales.

The company, which trains dolphins and killer whales to perform tricks in front of stadiums full of spectators, on Thursday reported declines in attendance, sales and profits because of “continued brand challenges”.

SeaWorld has been in the headlines since the 2013 documentary Blackfish detailed claims that its treatment of orca whales provoked violent behaviour contributing to the deaths of three people. Following the release of the documentary, attendance collapsed and the company lost more than half of its market value on Wall Street and its former CEO was forced out.

The company has since launched a nationwide marketing campaign to combat animal rights activist claims that, among other things, captive orcas die at younger age than their wild counterparts.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/06/seaworld-profits-plunge-customers

[hamsterjill]

1. As an animal rights activist, I am happy to see this.

It's my choice where I spend my consumer dollars, and Sea World will not be one of those places.

[KamaAina]

2. One, two, three, AWWWWWWW!

[Blus4u]

3. Sea World's time had come!

It was time.

[MoonRiver]

4. FREE THE SLAVES!

But it will need to be an incremental release. These poor beings have become so dependent on their human tormentors, that they will have to gradually learn how to function in the wild. Many have never been wild.

[polly7]

5. Good.

Regarding the lifespan of whales in captivity and SeaWorld's claims, this was interesting:

Bad News For SeaWorld: 103-Year-Old Orca Recently Spotted Thriving In The Wild

May 12, 2015 by Amanda Froelich

As you might be aware, the release of controversial documentary BlackFish did nothing to gain the the marine park new supporters, and in the wake of several lawsuits recently filed in the US, a growing number of concerned citizens are joining in the boycotting of SeaWorld until it either closes down, or improves the treatment of its orcas.

Of course, SeaWorld denies mistreating its whales, and is adamant that in captivity the orcas live longer, healthier lives than they might in the wild.

But since a 103-year-old orca was spotted thriving off the western coast of Canada, some of the ‘facts’ SeaWorld has stated to allay public concern no longer hold true – and this is a big problem for the marine park.

Why is this such bad news for SeaWorld?



Quite simply, because SeaWorld has made previous claims that “no one knows for sure how long killer whales live.” With Granny as a living example – albeit a rare one – of how long orcas might be capable of thriving in the wild, the average whale’s life expectancy of only 20 -30 years in captivity (according to SeaWorld) is now being perceived as unacceptable.

According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation project, whales born in captivity only live to 4.5 years old on average. Perhaps it is because the whales are forced to breed continuously and at perilously young ages that they experience such reduced lifespans.

Full article: http://www.trueactivist.com/bad-news-seaworld-103-year-old-orca-spotted-thriving-wild/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TrueActivist+%28True+Activist%29

[bvf]

6. "continued brand challenges”.

Corporatese for "Our visitors found out what assholes we are."

[Daemonaquila]

7. It's a pity that lies are passing for "animal rights" work.

I'm tired of all the Blackfish oo-rah. The "documentary" was about as factual as the anti-Planned Parenthood "sting" that was recently debunked and mocked, and the ethics of the people who made it are the same as the ones who spliced together the fetus-selling video. Shame on all the "animal rights activists" who are taking cheap shots at Sea World rather than doing the hard and less glamorous work it would take to combat so many real abuses in the US and around the globe. But no, it feels gratifying to get cheap-thrill media coverage for vilifying Sea World, because they're such a mediagenic target.

Sea World has a lot of improving to do. There is no debate about that. It needs to become what it claims to be, a venue for much more education and conservation, with less emphasis on pure entertainment. However, even so they do good work where they do their conservation and rehabilitation activities. Even so, the people who work with orcas, belugas, and other species there are truly dedicated to their charges' best interests, within the confines of what they can actually do. Should Sea World reject all new wild acquisitions? Of course. Should they start trying to "free" the animals already there? No. The claim that captive-bred orcas, belugas, etc. can be successfully rehabilitated back to the wild is a myth. Imprinted animals that have never been wild are not magically capable of learning all their natural skills and behaviors, and reintegrating into a free, wild environment.

Fundamentally, Sea World is a zoo that specializes in marine species. It is not worse, and does much, much better than, most zoos that try to conserve and educate about these species. Rather than trying to tear down Sea World, potentially with dire consequences to the many animals they are caring for, people should be pressuring them to up their conservation and education game, and eventually consolidate and close parks except those already on the ocean, where they can continue a more solid education and rehabilitation mission along with their entertainment aspect.

[Rex]

8. LOL! They push 12 dollar beers in dixie cups and shit rides to compete with Six Flags

I have no love for Sea World or the ghastly way they treat wild animals.

[HughBeaumont]

9. I think we went to the Ohio location a year before it closed.

And that was just to take my then-4 year old. He vastly preferred Cedar Point.

With Cedar Point about 35 minutes away, and SeaWorld not having rides, I just didn't see the point of going to SeaWorld. It's like a pricey underwater circus with bad food and you pretty much knew those animals were being mistreated even then.

[Omaha Steve]

10. OOPS