Poll: Move Orcas From SeaWorld to Sanctuaries and See Attendance Rise

PETA Calls On Abusement Park to Listen to Public Opinion and Let Marine Mammals out of Concrete Cells

For Immediate Release:
March 31, 2017

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

As SeaWorld faces a steady decline in visitors, stock prices, and ticket sales, a new poll conducted by market-research firm Lincoln Park Strategies reveals how the company could stay afloat: According to the PETA-commissioned poll, which questioned 1,000 adults nationwide, 68 percent of parents—the park’s key demographic—said that they would be “more likely” to visit SeaWorld if the orcas were moved to seaside sanctuaries.

“The overwhelming majority of people know that orcas belong in the ocean, not trapped for life in tiny concrete tanks of chemically treated water,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “SeaWorld should use the survey as a blueprint for success and move the orcas to sea sanctuaries as soon as possible. It would be a win-win situation for all but especially the animals who have suffered for decades.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—notes that SeaWorld’s ticket sales have been steadily falling since the 2013 release of the documentary Blackfish, which revealed that orcas in its tanks float listlessly, break their teeth by gnawing on steel gates and concrete walls, and lash out at trainers and other orcas imprisoned with them inside the same tiny enclosures. The theme park company posted a net loss of $12.5 million last year.

In addition to the majority of parents, 62 percent of previous visitors said they would be more likely to visit SeaWorld if the orcas were moved to sanctuaries.

The survey is available upon request.

For more information, please visit PETA’s website SeaWorldOfHurt.com.