But Still Says “No” To Retirement

SeaWorld announced that it will no longer breed orcas, claiming that the current generation of captives will be the last. The company acknowledges the growing public sentiment that keeping orcas captive is morally wrong.

However, it is not all good news. SeaWorld continues to refuse the orcas retirement to a natural sea-pen, despite the fact that doing so has been proven as possible and beneficial for the wellbeing of the captive whales. SeaWorld plans on keeping the orcas on display for the rest of their lives, amounting to another potential 30 years of orca captivity, or more.

SeaWorld claimed that it will no longer capture whales from the wild, however it may still be able to import captive whales from other facilities. And, it may continue to pursue building new facilities in countries where films like Blackfish are not as widely known.

It also does not make any mention of captive bottlenose dolphins, pilot whales, or other cetaceans, suggesting that it may continue breeding these species. Ultimately, the announcement is a step in the right direction, but SeaWorld still has a very long way to go.

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