Happening Now: Dozens of ‘Dead Orcas’ Haunt L.A. Freeway in SeaWorld Protest

After Company’s Marketing Campaign Targets City, PETA Launches Fierce Retaliation

For Immediate Release:
May 19, 2017

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

What:    Moments from now, PETA members will turn out in full force at eight exits along I-5 holding dozens of inflatable “dead orcas,” representing those who have died at SeaWorld. Each will feature a respective orca’s name and proclaim, “I died at SeaWorld.” The miles-long demonstration comes in response to a recent SeaWorld marketing campaign targeting Los Angeles residents and will conclude with the unfurling of a large banner urging drivers to boycott the abusement park.

When:    Friday, May 19, 3 p.m.

Where:    Members of the media should meet at the freeway off-ramp on S. Ditman Avenue near its intersection with Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles. Banners will be hung along I-5 from Exit 131B to Exit 126A.

“SeaWorld continues to exploit and kill animals for entertainment, and its latest PR ploy won’t change that,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling on L.A. families to stay away until the company releases the orcas it holds captive into seaside sanctuaries.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—notes that, in the wild, orcas work cooperatively to find food, forge intricate relationships, and traverse up to 100 miles of ocean every day. At SeaWorld, they’re housed in incompatible groups inside tiny tanks and drugged to manage their stress-induced aggressive behavior. Nearly 40 orcas have died on SeaWorld’s watch, and not one died of old age.