Why is OSHA suing SeaWorld?

OSHA has issued one willful citation to SeaWorld for exposing its employees to struck-by and drowning hazards when interacting with killer whales. The agency defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.



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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.

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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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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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The city of San Diego sued SeaWorld Thursday for allegedly failing to pay more than $12.2 million in rent, late fees, and interest.

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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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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.

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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.

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The city of San Diego sued SeaWorld Thursday for allegedly failing to pay more than $12.2 million in rent, late fees, and interest. The lawsuit follows a pledge to move forward with litigation if SeaWorld did not pay back rent and other penalties by Wednesday.

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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.

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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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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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Yes, despite years of controversy, SeaWorld still has its orcas.

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After the incident, SeaWorld halted its iconic “waterwork” with its killer whales. It went even further and aligned itself with the animal activist organization the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and ended its killer-whale breeding program. Valerie Greene is a former animal trainer at SeaWorld Orlando.

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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.

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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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