39 ‘Orcas’ to Hold ‘Die-In’ in Call to Stay Away From SeaWorld

LACMA Will Be the Backdrop for PETA’s Nearly Naked Protest Urging Los Angelenos to Visit Museums, Not Abusement Park

For Immediate Release:
July 6, 2017

Contact:
Brooke Rossi 202-483-7382

What:    Wearing little more than black and white bodypaint, 39 PETA “orcas” will gather in front of the Urban Light installation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) on Friday and, simultaneously, fall “dead.” Each protester will hold a sign with the name of one of the 39 orcas who have died—from pneumonia, infections, and other captivity-induced ailments—on SeaWorld’s watch. The protest comes in response to SeaWorld’s stated focus on Los Angeles as its primary target market.

When:    Friday, July 7, 12 noon

Where:    LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd. (near the intersection with S. Ogden Drive), Los Angeles

“PETA is encouraging families to enjoy LACMA, the La Brea Tar Pits, beaches, and the many other animal-friendly attractions right here in Los Angeles,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “This is a world-class city with some of the best entertainment on the planet, and there’s no reason to go to San Diego to watch suffering animals swim in endless circles.”

While orcas in the wild work cooperatively to find food, share intricate relationships, and traverse up to 100 miles of ocean every day, those at SeaWorld are housed in incompatible groups inside tiny tanks and have even been given the drug diazepam to manage stress-induced aggressive behavior.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—is calling on SeaWorld to develop sea sanctuaries where the orcas could live a more natural life.

For more information, please visit SeaWorldOfHurt.com.