SeaWorld Planning To Upgrade Killer Whale Habitats

SeaWorld has announced that they plan on expanding their killer whale habitats at all three of its locations. This announcement comes just off the heels of reports that state SeaWorld has seen a drop in profits following the release of the Blackfish documentary.

According to a previous report by The Inquisitr, stock shares from the second-quarter of the year for SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. (SEAS) fell on Wednesday, August 13, leading to a “dismal outlook for the rest of the year.” SeaWorld reportedly saw a drop in profits of 33 percent in the second quarter as a result of the Blackfish documentary. According to CNN, the company expects a continued drop of six percent to seven present in revenue.

The Blackfish documentary was released in 2013, according to ABC News, and since then SeaWorld has been seeing nothing but negative press. The documentary suggested that captivity and SeaWorld’s treatment of the whales could provoke violent behaviors, which allegedly lead to the deaths of multiple trainers working for the parks.

SeaWorld has since announced that it plans to expand killer whale habitats by almost double. While many believe that this announcement is because of the negative press and poor profits, according to the Washington Post, the Orlando, Florida, company said that this is not a response to the Blackfish documentary or the criticism that followed its release. SeaWorld claims that they have had this expansion “in the works” for some time now.

SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. says that it is planning to build a tank with 10 million gallons of water at its San Diego park, almost twice the size of the current tank, according to the Washington Post. CNN added that the new habitats will have a maximum depth of 50 feet and simulate underwater currents. The company also stated that it will donate $10 million to study the welfare of killer whales in the wild and start a yet-to-be-disclosed “multi-million partnership focused on protecting the ocean.”

According to the Washington Post, the San Diego facility plans to have the project completed and opened to the public by 2018. After that, SeaWorld said that it plans to make similar changes at its other parks in Orlando, Florida and San Antonio, Texas.

While SeaWorld hopes that these new killer whale habitats will help improve the situation for the company, many animal rights groups believe that it won’t. Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals was not satisfied by SeaWorld’s announcement, pushing instead for the whales’ release to sanctuaries.

“A bigger prison is still a prison,” the group said in a statement.

What do you think of SeaWorld’s new plans for larger killer whale enclosures? Do you believe the new project will have any positive effects for the company?

[Image by Curimedia | P H O T O G R A P H Y via Wikimedia Commons]