How much money did SeaWorld lose after Blackfish?

The 2013 documentary Blackfish sparked public outcry over SeaWorld's treatment of orcas, also known as killer whales, and the theme park has been suffering ever since: The loss of $1.7 billion in market capitalization the year of the film's release, plummeting attendance, and the loss of corporate partnerships.



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After it hit screens, the documentary inspired would-be tourists to boycott marine wildlife captivity and training. It financially devastated SeaWorld. A year following its release, attendance at SeaWorld marine parks dropped by one million visitors, and the company's share price plunged by 33 percent.

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Fourth Quarter 2022 Results In the fourth quarter of 2022, the Company hosted approximately 4.9 million guests, generated record total revenues of $390.5 million, net income of $49.0 million, the second highest for the Company, and record Adjusted EBITDA of $153.7 million.

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In 2022, SeaWorld Entertainment registered 1.73 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in the United States. This figured represented an increase of over 15 percent versus the previous year, when the theme park company recorded a revenue of 1.5 billion U.S. dollars.

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“'Blackfish' is billed as a documentary, but instead of a fair and balanced treatment of a complex subject, the film is inaccurate and misleading and, regrettably, exploits a tragedy that remains a source of deep pain for Dawn Brancheau's family, friends and colleagues,” SeaWorld's statement said.

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After Tilikum killed Dawn, the show was over. Overnight, SeaWorld's impressive bull orca was forced into isolation. Relegated to a back pool, Tili had become SeaWorld's elephant in the room. Meanwhile, a family was irreparably changed.

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SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., a publicly traded company.

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PETA notes that “dolphins [at SeaWorld] are being impregnated, sometimes forcefully after being drugged.” Even moreso, PETA highlights how although orca whales generally stick within their pods their whole lifetime in the wild, “SeaWorld transfers orcas between facilities to regularly 'balance' the genetic pool of ...

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In 2018, SeaWorld and former CEO James Atchison agreed to pay more than $5 million for misleading investors about the damage to its business from Blackfish.

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Since Blackfish's release, what has happened to orcas at SeaWorld? Seven orcas have died at SeaWorld parks since 2013. Unna, Kasatka, Kyara, Kayla, Amaya, Nakai, and Tilikum all died in the abusement park's small tanks.

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