Happening Now: Dying ‘Orcas’ ‘Beached’ at SeaWorld’s Aquatica

PETA Calls On Families to Boycott SeaWorld Until Theme Park Releases Orcas to Coastal Sanctuaries

For Immediate Release:
August 2, 2017

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

What:    Four dying “orcas” in black-and-white wetsuits washed up on Big Surf Shores at SeaWorld’s Aquatica Orlando today, at the height of the summer season. The PETA protesters are “beaching” themselves under a sign proclaiming, “SeaWorld Kills.”

When:    Today, August 2, from now until the protesters are forced to leave

Where:    Aquatica Orlando, Big Surf Shores, 5800 Water Play Way, Orlando

A similar protest held recently at Aquatica San Diego led to five arrests.

“Forty orcas have dropped dead on SeaWorld’s watch, including baby Kyara last week,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “This summer, PETA is calling on everyone to stay away from SeaWorld until the company agrees to retire its surviving orcas to sea sanctuaries.”

While orcas in the wild share complex relationships, work cooperatively to find food, and traverse up to 140 miles of ocean every day, those at SeaWorld are housed in incompatible groups inside tiny tanks, and some 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 seaside sanctuaries for the orcas, where they would be able to enjoy a more natural life.

Photos and video footage will be available later today. For more information, please visit SeaWorldofHurt.com.