SeaWorld to stop breeding orcas after years of pressure

After bad publicity hurt attendance, park says it will stop breeding orca whales and making them perform tricks.

Attendance at SeaWorld dropped after the release of "Blackfish", a film critical of the orca programme

SeaWorld has said it will immediately stop breeding killer whales, also known as orcas, essentially phasing out the iconic animals from its theme parks in the United States after years of public pressure.

Attendance at SeaWorld, a top tourist destination, dropped after the 2013 release of a documentary "Blackfish," which was highly critical of the orca programme. SeaWorld reported a fourth-quarter loss of $11 million in February.


The company on Thursday appeared to acknowledge that the criticism had helped drive the decision to end the breeding programme. It also announced it would stop using the orcas in theatrical shows in the parks, instead introducing "new, inspiring natural orca encounters".

"As society's understanding of orcas continues to change, SeaWorld is changing with it," said Joel Manby, president and chief executive officer of SeaWorld Entertainment.

"By making this the last generation of orcas in our care and reimagining how guests will encounter these beautiful animals, we are fulfilling our mission of providing visitors to our parks with experiences that matter."

Blackfish effect

The new shows will begin next year at the company's San Diego park, before expanding to its San Antonio park and then to an Orlando, Florida, park in 2019. Orcas have long been a centrepiece of the SeaWorld parks, with shows at the Shamu stadium in San Diego becoming the park's main draw in the 1970s. The San Diego show was the original home of Shamu, SeaWorld's first orca.