SeaWorld has also decided to discontinue its theatrical orca shows. They instead use orcas for presentations known as “Orca Encounter” rather than having them perform as in the past. As of 2023, there are just 55 captive orcas in parks across the globe.
'Shamu' is now used as a stage name for killer whales in performances at SeaWorld parks. Currently, SeaWorld houses 19 killer whales in its three parks. Eight killer whales live at SeaWorld San Diego: Corky, Ulises, Orkid, Ikaika, Kalia, Keet, Shouka, and Makani.
In the year following Blackfish's release, SeaWorld's attendance dropped by one million visitors. In 2014, the company announced an 84% fall in income and saw its share price drop by 33%, although they attributed this to 'the seasonal nature of the business' and not due to the impact of the documentary.
On February 24, 2010, toward the end of a Dine with Shamu show at SeaWorld Orlando, the orca Tilikum pulled down an experienced trainer. Dawn Brancheau, a 40-year-old with extensive training experience, drowned as at least two dozen tourists looked on from above a whale tank and from an underwater viewing area.
SeaWorld San Diego's theatrical Shamu show, One Ocean, will end Sunday and will be replaced this summer with a new Orca Encounter designed to showcase the killer whales' natural behaviors in the wild.
SeaWorld Unveils New 'Orca Encounter' to Replace Shamu Show“Ocean Explorer” features a submarine ride and aquariums, while “Orca Encounter” presents killer whales at a venue with a Pacific Northwest backdrop and 140-foot video screen.
“'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.
“Most of our orcas were born at SeaWorld, and those that were born in the wild have been in our parks for the majority of their lives,” he wrote. “If we release them into the ocean, they will likely die. In fact, no orca or dolphin born under human care has ever survived release into the wild.
Explore the exciting world of bottlenose dolphins in a way you've never experienced before. Smart, playful, and found right off the coast of Florida, bottlenose dolphins are well-known ocean ambassadors here at SeaWorld.
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.
SeaWorld spokeswoman Aimee Jeansonne-Becka said the company does not need the lift floors anymore; trainers no longer perform in the water with killer whales.
SeaWorld Orlando hosts over 30 bottlenose dolphins and over 200 penguins. SeaWorld Orlando exhibits cover a wide diversity of marine life, including animal encounters with penguins, walruses, sharks, dolphins, beluga whales, and many more. Get the SeaWorld Orlando Annual Pass for unlimited access to the park.
The study reports that the average life expectancy for SeaWorld's orca is 41.6 years of age, as compared to studies of two wild whale populations, reported as 29.0 and 42.3 years of age respectively.