The 2-1 decision by a panel of three judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejects SeaWorld of Florida LLC's challenge of a general duty clause violation following the death of killer whale trainer Dawn Brancheau in February 2010.
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After her death, OSHA cited SeaWorld and restricted how humans interact with killer whales during performances. Those restrictions include a mandate that humans stay out of the water with killer whales unless there are physical barriers to reduce the risk of injury or death.
In 2010, following an investigation into the death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) slapped SeaWorld with safety citations and $75,000 in fines.
SeaWorld appealed but the judges, in a 2-1 decision, agreed with OSHA's measures. “The administrative record establishes that SeaWorld did not lack fair notice because the hazard arising from trainers' close contact with killer whales in performance is preventable,” judges wrote.
SeaWorld Attraction Causes Controversy Ahead of New EventAn independent review refers to a trio of whales involved in the death of trainer Keltie Byrne. It continues to reference other deaths of the staff working with these beautiful creatures, citing the death of Daniel Dukes.
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 ...
In an attempt to save face—and after California refused to allow it to build new orca tanks, SeaWorld agreed to stop breeding the animals. It began to distance itself from the controversy by moving away from using the “Shamu” name.
Wikimedia CommonsTilikum was taken captive from the wild in 1983 and died at SeaWorld in 2017. The 2013 documentary Blackfish presented a scathing portrayal of SeaWorld in the wake of the infamous death of one of its employees, Dawn Brancheau, in 2010.
ORLANDO, Fla. - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited SeaWorld of Florida LLC for three safety violations, including one classified as willful, following the death of an animal trainer in February. The total penalty is $75,000.
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.
Taking action for animals trapped at SeaWorld has never been easier. Dozens of businesses—including JetBlue, Mattel, Mott's, Southwest Airlines, STA Travel, and Taco Bell—have severed ties with SeaWorld, yet companies such as AAA and Adventure Student Travel have refused to do the right thing.
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.
Eckis—who needed more than 100 stitches—sued, and Shamu was retired from shows. Shamu died that year at SeaWorld of pyometra (a uterine infection) and septicemia (blood poisoning).
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.
As of September 20, 2023 there are:At least 176 orcas have died in captivity, not including 30 miscarried or still-born calves. SeaWorld holds 18 orcas in its three parks in the United States.
The decline in attendance at SeaWorld led to a 1.7% drop in quarterly revenue, from $504.8 million in 2022 to $496 million this year, according to the report.