Canada Journal – News of the World Articles and videos to bring you the biggest Canadian news stories from across the country every day
SeaWorld is sinking. The marine mammal theme park has seen a drastic decrease in visitors.
“The killer whale show has long been SeaWorld’s most popular attraction, but so far this year, park attendance has been decreasing, down 13 percent.”
The Guardian says the number of visitors from January through March at SeaWorld’s 12 U.S. locations has dropped from 3.5 million in 2013 to 3.05 million this year.
A spokesman for SeaWorld said yesterday it was “seriously considering” a final legal appeal.
Until then, it said, there would still be “human interactions and performances with killer whales”.
The spokesman stressed the company would comply fully with any new safety laws.
Activists have fought to close the hugely popular orca shows since Ms Brancheau’s death in February 2010 and their crusade was given a huge boost last year by the documentary cinema film Blackfish.
It revealed how Tilikum was known to have behavioural issues and had killed two people before Ms Brancheau after being wrenched from his mother as an infant by hunters and then forced to live in unnatural conditions.
His other victims were Keltie Byrne, 20, a marine biology student, and tourist Daniel Dukes, 27.
Mr Dukes evaded the park’s security after it closed and dived into Tilikum’s tank. He was discovered, dead and naked, draped over the orca’s immense back. It was Ms Brancheau’s killing, however, that sparked international uproar and Naomi Rose, from the Animal Welfare Institute, said: “We welcome this decision. It supports our contention that, from a common sense perspective, it is simply not safe to work in close contact with an intelligent, multi-ton marine predator.”
Agencies/Canadajournal
