SeaWorld Ends Orca Breeding

[Disneyhead]

SEAWORLD ANNOUNCES LAST GENERATION OF ORCAS IN ITS CARE


News 13 breaking - Orlando, Fla. (March 17, 2016) – SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: SEAS), a leading theme park and entertainment company, today announced that the killer whales – or orcas – currently in the company’s care will be the last generation of orcas at SeaWorld. The company will end all orca breeding as of today.

SeaWorld also will introduce new, inspiring, natural orca encounters, rather than theatrical shows, as part of its ongoing commitment to education, marine science research, and rescue of marine animals. These programs will focus on orca enrichment, exercise, and overall health. This change will start in its San Diego park next year, followed by San Antonio and then Orlando in 2019.

 

[IOAGuy]

I'm not against SeaWorld, but I'm glad they're doing this. A marine mammal who's purpose is to roam the ocean and breed does not belong confined to a tank. For years we've all enjoyed the shows, but as I grew up I began to feel there was something wrong about it. (Disclaimer: I've never seen Blackfish). There are still countless ways children can learn about orcas and ways you can see whales in the wild. This will be good for SeaWorld, I think.

 

[Kraken&Manta]

I honestly feel so betrayed and angry. The new show format is great, I hope something similar to what was occurring during renovation of the main pool's floor. But ending breeding and further giving money to HSUS is disgusting, unexcusable, and goes against conservation, education, and everything SeaWorld should stand for.

 

[epcyclopedia]

Wait - you don't like the humane society...?

 

[Brian G.]

Are we confusing PETA with HSUS?

 

[IzzyB]

A lot of the national save the animals organizations are very Corrupt. ASPCA and PETA are two examples. I do not know enough about the Humane Society to say if they are one of them. But our local SPCA that has zero affiliation with ASPCA had to change their name because too many people thought they were and would not help them out because of how corrupt ASPCA.

As for this move. I think it will be overall good. But I am sad to see it happen. I will admit I love the shows and will very much miss the Christmas Shamu show. I also think the kids won't be as into the animals with the shows gone. So I am hoping that the new educational shows really are able to capture the kids. Because one of the reason the kids love the animals and care about them so much is from things like Sea World. So I am hoping the direction they go in still captures the hearts of the kids.

 

[SeaWorldRocks]

I guess I am in the minority on this board. I am disgusted by Seaworld's decision this morning. Caving into activist demands and peta is gut wrenching. I have od with SeaWorld long before the blackfish hype and I stood with them all along. Visiting the park every week, spending lots of money, defending them against the online trolls, contacting news agencies, spreading the truth to friends and the list goes on and on. And SeaWorld's thanks to all us fans is this nightmare. Not what I wanted to wake up to today.

This is the start of the end for SeaWorld now. Its whales today then tomorrow its dolphins, sea lions, penguins and everything else. The activist will not be happy until SeaWorld is gone. SeaWorld might as well change their name now because its no longer going to be about the sea. If you wanted a park of coasters and rides their is plenty in the area for that.

Just think about that poor lonely whale that will be left when everyone else has died. Swimming along in a pool all alone. Its devastating to think about the shamu family being gone forever.

My facebook this morning if full of SeaWorld fans who are saddened and betrayed by the company who is ready to turn in their passes and not renew. They have upset a loyal fan base and the activist they think will be happy with this wont come anyway. So I hope they are happy.

There is talk of starting a movement to fire Manby and I am all for it. THat guy has got to go because he has destroyed SeaWorld. I was excited for what he was going to bring to the table little did I know he was going to kill the company I grew up with and loved.

#FireManby #SaveSeaWorld

 

[Brian G.]

SeaWorld stock up 5% this morning. May not like the decision but that's what matters in the corporate world.

 

[JungleSkip]

1) This is moving up a timetable. With them no longer getting wild orcas, genetic diversity was going to become a problem.

2) SeaWorld was dying way before this. Let's not act like this is the first nail in the coffin

There is talk of starting a movement to fire Manby and I am all for it. THat guy has got to go because he has destroyed SeaWorld. I was excited for what he was going to bring to the table little did I know he was going to kill the company I grew up with and loved.

Manby is basically the only reason I could see SeaWorld even having a shot of surviving moving forward. Like it or not, SeaWorld has been dying long before the recent activist attacks. They've trailed behind Disney and Universal in offering good attractions. Period. Without good attractions, you're not going to get the people. They haven't been offering good, state of the art attractions in a long, long time.

SeaWorld stock up 5% this morning. May not like the decision but that's what matters in the corporate world.

We'll see how long that lasts. It shot up after the tank expansion announcement too before tanking again.

 

[Liam]

While it's not what I wanted I can fully understand why they are doing this, they are right to do it the way they have ( changes in society and not as an immediate response to that awful documentary).

 

[WAJAS]

Manby is basically the only reason I could see SeaWorld even having a shot of surviving moving forward. Like it or not, SeaWorld has been dying long before the recent activist attacks. They've trailed behind Disney and Universal in offering good attractions. Period. Without good attractions, you're not going to get the people.

I would agree with you, but before Blacksfish SeaWorld was on the rise in most respects. Not to the level of Disney or Universal but rising nonetheless.

 

[JungleSkip]

I would agree with you, but before Blacksfish SeaWorld was on the rise in most respects. Not to the level of Disney or Universal but rising nonetheless.

No, they certainly were not. At least not in Orlando. WWOHP hit them the hardest.

 

[WAJAS]

No, they certainly were not. At least not in Orlando. WWOHP hit them the hardest.

The company wide profit and attendance was the highest it had ever been. I don't know specifics about Orlando but I would guess it at the least slightly went up. WWoHP raised all boats.

 

[USO92]

This is a prime example of not being able to please everyone. SeaWorld has decided to end one of the programs that made them in to who they are based off of perceived pressure from those against it. In doing so they've outcasted their most loyal fanbase. However, had they stuck with the Orca program they would have continued to propagate themselves to pressure, protests, and problems. It's a lose-lose situation no matter what way they slice it.

I'm a firm believer in education, awareness, and conservation IF done right. I've been to zoos before and walked away feeling so sad and depressed for the animals. I've also been to zoos (or Busch Gardens and SeaWorld) where I've walked away having learned something and felt like the animals were being taken care of. The NC Zoo was amazing. The animals had tons of space, they weren't overcrowded, and they seemed happy (as much as I can tell). The Cincy Zoo on the other hand was depressing as all get out. Animals had no space, wandered back and forth aimlessly, and conditions were not good. It really all depends on how you treat the animals in my book...


If the s***storm that's happened with SeaWorld doesn't translate over to Busch Gardens I'll be shocked. This is sad news to hear but at the same time, SeaWorld doesn't have a choice.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Just think about that poor lonely whale that will be left when everyone else has died. Swimming along in a pool all alone.
[HASHTAG]#FireManby[/HASHTAG] [HASHTAG]#SaveSeaWorld[/HASHTAG]

Do you support SeaWorld or do you support the idea of fighting back against animal rights activists?

 

[JungleSkip]

The company wide profit and attendance was the highest it had ever been. I don't know specifics about Orlando but I would guess it at the least slightly went up. WWoHP raised all boats.

The company wide profit and attendance was the highest it had ever been. I don't know specifics about Orlando but I would guess it at the least slightly went up. WWoHP raised all boats.

Dang, I'm wrong. I thought their attendance started to dip in 2011, it wasn't till 13

 

[Donald Razorduck]

This is an Orlando centric board and not all things SeaWorld is Orlando. I see it like this, they'll invest in the expanded plusses up tanks and turn the orcas into nothing more than an Aquarium attraction. Sea Lion and dolphin shows outside of SeaWorld are much more numerous and harder to target just SeaWorld alone. How many zoos in just the US have a seanlion show of some sort. Oh, they will go for those next because the underlining issue is captivity in general but SeaWorld is less of White Whale for targeting. I don't like the HSUS part. Didn't need them. What is jot spoken is Seaworld is saying this is their last generation of whales that they had breed. It was going to have to happen due to inbreeding issues anyway but I'll place a small 6 park wager that "Opportunities" arise for SeaWorld to take in more Killer Whales in the future from around the world, other countries like Russia and China will plow ahead with little regard of what brainwashed soccer moms in SoCal think. You don't invest the money that they will invest in these structures without some kind on backstop in mind, you just don't announce it.

The end game I have always saw with Manby going to SEAS was for him to stabilize SEAS and then buy Herschend.

If theycan pull off aquarium rooms at their resorts, They'll print money on those. It'll be the Seaworld equivalent of a savanna view room at AKL. Imagine the Polynesian style huts like the new ones at Disney's with actual clear water and fish under a glass floor like the real ones in south Pacific.

 

[Teebin]

Do you support SeaWorld or do you support the idea of fighting back against animal rights activists?

The way you have phrased this doesn't make sense. It's like you are asking if people like a blue sky or a sky that is blue.

 

[JungleSkip]

The way you have phrased this doesn't make sense. It's like you are asking if people like a blue sky or a sky that is blue.

There's a difference between "I like SeaWorld" and "Screw those social justice warriors!"

 

[Donald Razorduck]

Dang, I'm wrong. I thought their attendance started to dip in 2011, it wasn't till 13

Don't forget that San Antonio was impacted by two major rain/flood events in the region last year.

I bought a good amount of SEAS stock when it was at it's worst last year, took profit when it went over 20 and have added more while it's been in the 17 range while caught in the general down market of the past couple months. All I see in the future is the same type of returns that you have seen in the last five years wit Six Flags, Cedar, Village, Disney, and Comcast once the new rides come on line and the hotels start to book.

If one bought 50,000 of Six Flags in 2009, they'd be a happy camper.