PETA Statement: SeaWorld Scales Back the Fireworks—But Is Still Bursting with Cruelty
For Immediate Release:
April 15, 2026
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Today, the California Coastal Commission approved SeaWorld San Diego’s request to conduct drone shows in place of fireworks displays—a change the ever-recalcitrant company pursued only when faced with a lawsuit and intense public pressure over the danger its frequent fireworks displays pose to animals and the environment. Below, please find a statement from PETA President Tracy Reiman:
After years of subjecting captive marine mammals and surrounding communities to deafening fireworks displays that terrify animals, have reportedly killed local wildlife, and dump chemical pollutants into the air and water, SeaWorld has finally agreed to opt for drone shows—a move it should swiftly extend across all of its facilities. PETA is calling on SeaWorld to go one step further and stop terrorizing animals in all other ways by ending its cruel breeding program and sending the dolphins and whales trapped in its miserable concrete tanks to seaside sanctuaries, where they could finally have some semblance of a natural life.
A recent poll commissioned by PETA and conducted by Embold Research found that 77 percent of registered voters in California would support a ban on breeding dolphins after learning that these intelligent marine mammals are confined to crowded, shallow tanks and are sexually abused and sometimes drugged so they can’t fight back in SeaWorld’s breeding program. Additionally, 74 percent of voters want dolphins in marine parks to be moved to seaside sanctuaries.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
