In a vain attempt to appease animal rights extremists and pursue a theoretical profit, SeaWorld has chosen to abandon its landmark killer whale breeding program and partner with the radical Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).  In doing so, SeaWorld has abandoned its core mission of wildlife conservation and education, given credence to lies and false propaganda, and put the entire zoological community at greater risk of attacks from animal rights activists.  These changes signify a betrayal of SeaWorld's employees, supporters, and legacy.  At the same time, SeaWorld has embarked on a bold new advertising campaign to attract more customers.  Allowing this campaign time to work before ending the breeding program, which condemns their killer whale population to slowly die off, is a more practical and responsible approach that is also in keeping with the company's values and history.

By partnering with the HSUS and cancelling the killer whale breeding program, SeaWorld has in fact endorsed the lies used by animal rights groups to mislead the public into believing SeaWorld mistreats its whales and that the whales are suffering under human care.  This move will only embolden the HSUS and other radical groups like PETA and the ASPCA to broaden their smear campaigns against the keeping of other animal species at accredited zoological institutions, placing all of our nation's zoos and aquariums in jeopardy of being protested and boycotted when they have done nothing wrong.

In addition to being fervently opposed to zoos and aquariums, the HSUS is a corrupt organization that uses unethical and illegal actions to advance a radical animal rights agenda.  In May 2014, the HSUS paid out $15.75 million to Feld Entertainment for paying a witness to lie in court regarding the treatment of elephants by Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.  And as recently as a blog dated November 9th, 2015, after dialogue between SeaWorld and the HSUS began, HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle stated “Tilikum, killed trainer Dawn Brancheau in front of a packed house at Shamu Stadium,” a deliberate misrepresentation of the events surround the death of Dawn Brancheau.  There can be no justification for partnering with an organization that lies about animal welfare issues and exploits the death of a beloved SeaWorld employee.

As to the breeding program, SeaWorld, as part of the zoological community and an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, has made a commitment to wildlife conservation and education, of which the killer whale breeding program was an integral part.  There are 39 species of animals that only exist in captivity or other managed collections, and many scientists believe we are entering or already in the midst of a mass extinction event.  Eliminating any species from captivity, even an animal with wild populations as relatively strong as killer whales, is short sighted and counterproductive to conservation goals.

Suppose after the last killer whale at SeaWorld dies, wild killer whale populations drop to the point of threatened or endangered status, due to depletion of prey species, pollution, climate change, or increased human activity at sea.  SeaWorld's breeding program could have provided a key element towards perpetuating the species.  SeaWorld turning its back to killer whales and forcing them to live an unnatural existence of a lifetime of contraception treatments as they die off one by one is the opposite of animal welfare and conservation.

Additionally, scientists, legitimate academics who do actual research as opposed to merely being puppets of the animal rights extremists, have expressed concern over the lost opportunity to study killer whales up close in a controlled environment at every stage of life.  SeaWorld's killer whales allow complex examinations and long term studies to take place that are impossible in the wild.  As new medical tests and techniques are developed, and new inquiries are made about killer whale health, anatomy, and physiology, it is vital that researchers have access to killer whales trained in husbandry behaviors to advance our knowledge of these animals and their wild counterparts, but none of this will come to pass unless the breeding program is reinstated.

We understand Seaworld faces intense pressure from radicals, a sensationalist media, pandering politicians, and a misinformed public, but all of these critical elements have one thing in common: lies.  SeaWorld must continue fighting for the truth, and the truth is killer whales are not suffering at SeaWorld and receive the highest possible level of care.  SeaWorld should focus on defending its employees and practices, for which no apology is owed, and combine that with the new emphasis on animal rescue and the "experiences that matter" and "real. amazing." advertising campaigns.  The effects of these new promotional angles should be fully measured before any decision is made regarding phasing out killer whales at your parks.  A failure to exhaust every available avenue before resorting to such drastic changes will doom every animal in SeaWorld's care and in the care of zoos and aquariums everywhere to the same fate as SeaWorld's killer whales currently are: cast out of the public eye, leaving their wild counterparts to humanity's unscrupulous disregard for the enviroment.

For these reasons we ask that the killer whale breeding program be reinstated, the partnership with the Humane Society of the United States be immediately terminated, and that SeaWorld continue educating the public, politicians, and media regarding the truth about all animals, including killer whales, in human care.  For the future of not only SeaWorld but all zoos and aquariums, SeaWorld's corporate leadership must reverse these misguided decisions before permanent damage is done to a great national treasure.