1 September 2000
Kieran E. Burke, CEO
Premier Parks, Inc.
11501 Northeast Expressway
Oklahoma City, OK 73131

Dear Mr. Burke:

We are writing in the wake of the death of Vigga, Six Flag's Marine World's lone orca, to urge Premier Parks to permanently close the "killer whale stadium" at the Vallejo, California amusement park. In addition, we urge your company to pledge never to "replace" Vigga with another orca, and to phase out all remaining marine mammal shows at Marine World. In this manner, the Six Flags name can return to the environmentally progressive policy of 1994, when all Six Flags parks (there were seven at that time) were free of marine mammal captivity and shows (see enclosed).

Since Premier Parks has taken over management of Marine World, both of the park's orcas have died, both prematurely. Their deaths demonstrate that orcas and dolphins are magnificent, intelligent and free-ranging creatures who do not belong in captivity. Years of loneliness, deprivation and confinement in an unnatural environment cut short the lives of both Yaka and Vigga. The same fate awaits the park's dolphins. Surely it is bad public relations for your company to just stand back and allow more animals to die.

When Marine World featured only animal exhibits, the park's attendance was at an all time low. It is the new roller coasters and rides that your company has installed -- not animal shows - that have drawn record numbers of visitors to Marine World and reversed the park's economic fortunes. Marine World's dolphin and whale shows are clearly not essential to the park's success.

Recently, the Vancouver Aquarium pledged to permanently close its orca exhibit, and new aquariums across the country have been developed without displays of dolphins and whales. On behalf of the 300,000 members that our organizations represent, we urge you to join this humane and ecologically friendly trend by pledging never to acquire another orca at Marine World and to phase out all marine mammals shows at this amusement park over the coming years.

Included is some information about Vigga, her death and the issue of orca captivity, including documentation of the widely accepted facts about orca longevity. We urge you to read these materials carefully and stand ready to answer any questions that you may have.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Suzanne Roy
Program Director
In Defense of Animals

On behalf of:

Cathy O'Brien
Founder
Observe Respect and Compassion for Animals
Pacifica, CA

Mark Berman
Program Associate
Earth Island Institute
Program Assistant
San Francisco, CA

Monica Engebretson
Program Assistant
Animal Protection Institute
Sacramento, CA

More information about IDA's Marine Mammal campaign