SeaWorld: The last generation of orcas in your care deserve to live in the largest and most advanced killer whale habitats in the world! Please keep your promise and build Blue World!

 

On August 15, 2015, SeaWorld announced plans to expand their killer whale tanks at all three of its parks. SeaWorld claimed this would be a first-of-its-kind environment; it would nearly double the existing killer whale habitats with a total water volume of 10 million gallons, a maximum depth of 50ft and a surface area of nearly 1.5 acres spanning more than 350ft in length. The new environment would have views exceeding 40ft in height making it the largest underwater viewing experience of killer whales.

The new habitat would provide a state-of-the-art, innovative home for the killer whales including a ‘fast water current’ allowing the whales to swim against moving water and increasing their speed and diversity. The habitat would provide them with new dynamic opportunities to support the whales broad range of behaviours and challenge the whales physically and mentally.

The environment would enhance the educational experience for guests, foster deeper knowledge of killer whales and their ocean environment and inspire them to celebrate and conserve the natural world.

The San Diego environment was expected to open to the public in 2018 with new killer whale homes to follow at SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Antonio [1].

SeaWorld needed to seek approval by the Coastal Commission to build the first of these environments in San Diego.

 

However,

 

In October 2015, the Coastal Commission approved the permit for SeaWorld to build Blue World with one condition: SeaWorld must end its breeding program.

SeaWorld put Blue World on hold to pursue legal action against the Coastal Commission for overreaching its authority and planned to fight the Coastal Commission so they may build the new killer whale habitat without the condition attached [2].

 When SeaWorld was fighting for Blue World, they listed 6 things people needed to know about the project here: https://seaworldcares.com/2015/10/6-things-experts-want-know-seaworlds-blue-world-project/

5 of them are relevant.

#1 “Blue World will first and foremost provide a better living environment for our family of killer whales

#2 with the approval of Blue World we are set to transform the habitat of our 11 orcas into a dramatically better, larger, more naturalistic, more dynamic and more enriching home. How could anyone who only has the whales’ best interest in mind possibly claim that this is a bad thing?

#3 Blue World will offer more spaces, length, depths and opportunities for all these activities. We’ve been working hand-in-hand with the engineers, designers and veterinarians to help develop the most state-of-the-art habitat possible.

#4 Groups that have spent years criticizing the size of SeaWorld’s habitats and the welfare of their animals are now ironically opposing a project that would significantly increase habitat size and further improve animal welfare.

#5 “SeaWorld’s intent is to provide a larger, better habitat for our existing whales as a natural development and progression from our ongoing learning as this is the 5th expansion in our history.

 

On March 18, 2016, SeaWorld announced it would end its killer whale breeding program ‘as of today’ and stated the current generation of orcas at SeaWorld, would be the last. This meant that SeaWorld could go ahead with the construction of the Blue World project in San Diego even with the Coastal Commissions conditions attached.

But when asked about the Blue World project after the shock announcement, a SeaWorld spokesperson on their official facebook page stated, 

“Blue World, as originally designed and planned, will not move forward. Our plans are to update our existing killer whale facilities and transform them into more natural environments. Learn more: https://seaworldcares.com/2016/03/You-Will-Not-Believe-These-New-Inspiring-Natural-Orca-Encount .”

The link states,

“Our existing show pools and viewing areas will be redesigned into a more naturalistic setting”

They intend to simply redesign the same small tanks they currently have, with some faux rocks and landscaping, that seem to be mostly above the water surface where the animals will receive little benefit.

 

This is not good enough!

 

These killer whales deserve to live out the rest of their lives in the habitat expansion SeaWorld originally promised. Not only did SeaWorld make this promise to their guests and supporters, to the animal care teams and trainers that love these animals and work with them every day, but also to the killer whales as well. SeaWorld should keep this promise!

Killer whales in the wild have an average life expectancy of 30 years for males and 50 years for females. According to a peer reviewed study in the Journal of Mammalogy (a study that SeaWorld frequently refer to when discussing the lifespan of the killer whales in their care), killer whales born in captivity at SeaWorld have an average life expectancy of 47.7 years [3]. One killer whale named Corky, living at San Diego, is currently 50 years old! Individuals in the wild have been estimated to reach maximum ages of 80-100 years old. While these ages are a maximum and occur rarely, and not an average, there is every chance killer whales in Seaworld could live just as long as those amazing individuals.

It is expected SeaWorld will be looking after the young generation of killer whales currently under their care, (including 25 year old female Takara’s unborn calf) for at least 40+ more years.

They deserve to live those years in the Blue World habitat, which must be constructed NOW! While so many of the current generation of orcas can enjoy it. The longer SeaWorld put off construction, the less likely they will expand their killer whales habitat as the population dwindles and SeaWorld have less incentive to do so.

Currently 8 killer whales, (Corky, Katina, Kasatka, Ulises, Tilikum, Ky, Keet and Keto) have already exceeded, or will exceed in the next 10 years, the average lifespan of killer whales in the wild (30 years for males, 50 years for females). That is 27% of SeaWorlds current population of killer whales that could be gone within 10 years.

 

 Now is the time to fight for these killer whales!

 

 SeaWorld will not allow these whales to live in natural seapens for health and safety reasons, so they should do the next best thing. Give these killer whales a larger habitat! The habitat that was promised to them! A 'redesign' of the current tank is not good enough!

Once the last of the killer whales are gone, the large habitats can be used for SeaWorlds growing dolphin population and Blue World will become the largest dolphin habitat in the world. It is a great investment for SeaWorld!

 

SeaWorld: The last generation of orcas in your care deserve to live in the largest and most advanced killer whale habitats in the world! Please keep your promise and build Blue World!

 

Please sign the petition!

 

[1] https://seaworldentertainment.com/en/media/company-news/blue-world-project/

[2] https://seaworldcares.com/2015/10/seaworld-next-steps/

[3] http://jmammal.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/07/09/jmammal.gyv113