November 10, 2015
A report Monday that claimed SeaWorld would phase out its killer whale shows at its San Diego park has been widely misinterpreted as a decision to discontinue orca acts, according to Slate.
In case you didn't hear Sea World announced that it Will End Its Killer Whale Shows! YAY!!!!
— Natalia11 (@Natalia11) November 10, 2015
Slate reports that SeaWorld simply plans to revamp its orca shows with a renewed focus on mimicking the whales' "natural environment."
What that means, according to the park's CEO Joel Manby, is there will be less of trainers standing on the whales' muzzles but just as much audience-soaking belly flops.
"Guests 'say that they want the orca experience to be activities that the whales tend to do in the wild,' Manby told Slate. 'So they jump in the wild. They splash in the wild. But some of the other things that are perceived as trained tricks' (and less appreciated by guests) are probably going to be eliminated."
SeaWorld's decision to change up its San Diego orca acts comes at a time when the company, particularly its San Diego location, is suffering a big financial setback, spurred partly due to negative publicity from the documentary "Blackfish."
Read the full Slate report here.
