What was the SeaWorld controversy?

Scrutiny of SeaWorld reached a crescendo following the release of the 2013 documentary “Blackfish.” The documentary focused on the life of Tilikum, a 12,000-pound orca that killed trainer Dawn Brancheau when he dragged her into a pool at SeaWorld Orlando in 2010.



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SeaWorld Attraction Causes Controversy Ahead of New Event An 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.

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Controversial captivity At facilities like SeaWorld, the roughly seven-meter long, 4,500-kilogram animals are kept in cramped enclosures, often completely alien to their natural habitats. Orcas in captivity often display signs of chronic stress and extreme boredom, such as listlessness, stomach ulcers, and self-injury.

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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 October 2011, PETA filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld in behalf of five wild-captured orcas seeking a declaration that these five orcas are slaves and subjected to involuntary servitude in violation of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

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“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.

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SeaWorld often keeps dolphins, whales, and other animals trapped with incompatible tankmates. The tension leads to fights and even fatal injuries. Staff members drug some animals to try to relieve their endless frustration.

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Tilikum was sold to the United States' SeaWorld theme park chain for performance shows and breeding. The whale's semen was collected and used for artificial insemination to breed a number of captive orcas for SeaWorld's shows and also for its sister park, Loro Parque in Spain.

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In 1971, at just 9 years old, Shamu died at SeaWorld from a uterine infection and blood poisoning. In the ocean, she could have lived for up to 80 years. Even in death, SeaWorld continued exploiting Shamu—the company trademarked her name, using it to sell even more tickets to abusive orca shows.

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5 Things You Can Do to Help Shut Down SeaWorld
  1. Watch Blackfish With Your Friends! ...
  2. Let SeaWorld Know How You Feel. ...
  3. Spread the Word to Everyone You Know—Right Now. ...
  4. Take to the Streets! ...
  5. Rock a 'SeaWorld Kills' or 'SeaWorld Sucks' Tee.


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SeaWorld often keeps dolphins, whales, and other animals trapped with incompatible tankmates. The tension leads to fights and even fatal injuries. Staff members drug some animals to try to relieve their endless frustration.

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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.

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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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As of last December, PETA held 163 shares of SeaWorld stock and has owned at least $2,000 worth of common stock for some time.

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