SAN Diego – SeaWorld Entertainment Inc announced plans on Monday to phase out the signature “Shamu” killer whale show at its San Diego park next year, after long-running criticism of its treatment of the captive marine mammals.
The move, which follows a vote by the California Coastal Commission last month barring the park from continuing to breed killer whales, or orcas, in captivity, was announced during a webcast company presentation to investors and the media.
In place of its centerpiece orca performances, the park plans to open a new killer whale exhibition in 2017 staged in a “more natural setting” with a more conservation-oriented theme, SeaWorld Chief Executive Officer Joel Manby said during the presentation.
SeaWorld executives did not immediately elaborate on how the new attraction would differ from the old shows. And it was not clear whether the same changes would be undertaken at the company’s two other aquatic theme parks, in Orlando, Florida, and San Antonio, Texas.
