Orca's Death Sparks Day of Action, Protests at SeaWorld Parks

Dressed in Orca-Colored Outfits, PETA Supporters Gather to Push for Release of Captive Killer Whales

For Immediate Release:
September 10, 2010 

Contact:
Ashley Gonzalez 757-622-7382

Orlando -- Wearing black-and-white clothing to represent orca skin and bearing placards reading, "Another Dead Orca This Week" and "Life in a Concrete Box Is No Life," protesters will gather at SeaWorld Orlando tomorrow as part of a nationwide day of action following the unexplained death this week of a 12-year-old orca named Sumar.

When:   Saturday, September 11, 11 a.m. 

Where:  Main entrance to SeaWorld (intersection of Central Florida Parkway and SeaWorld Drive), Orlando

Demonstrations will also be held at the SeaWorld parks in San Antonio and San Diego. Sumar's parents are Taima, who died while trying to give birth at SeaWorld Orlando in June, and Tilikum, who killed his trainer earlier this year in Orlando.

"Sumar was only 12 years old and would have likely lived to be 50 or 60 in the open sea, his rightful home," says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. "Depriving these intelligent, social animals of everything that is natural and important to them is like confining Olympic swimmers to a bathtub for life."

SeaWorld has not released the cause of Sumar's death, but PETA warns that he will not be the last victim as long as these wild animals remain in captivity. Orcas are intelligent predators who, in the wild, work cooperatively, share intricate relationships, and swim as far as 100 miles every day. Many orcas imprisoned at SeaWorld, including Tilikum, were taken from their ocean homes and natural family pods. Captive orcas are forced to perform circus tricks for food and continually turn in circles in small, barren concrete tanks. They live far short of their 60-year life expectancy. At least 23 orcas have died in U.S. SeaWorld facilities since 1986--and not one died of old age.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.