SeaWorld San Diego has been told it can only expand its facility if it stops breeding orcas. The California Coastal Commission unanimously approved the sea park’s $100-million Blue World project conditional on new terms that would not only ban captive whale breeding at the facility but also restrict the movement of whales in and out of the park.
The conditions were set after SeaWorld had proposed the plan to expand the existing holding facility to three times its size.
However, SeaWorld officials opposed the breeding restriction, saying that it would mean that the San Diego park’s 11 whales would be the last orcas held in the park and that imposing breeding limits would be cruel to the whales.
The park said in a statement after the vote on October 8, 2015 that they were disappointed with the conditions that the commission imposed and that they “will carefully review and consider our options.” They added, “Breeding is a natural, fundamental and important part of an animal’s life, and depriving a social animal of the right to reproduce is inhumane.”
The orca shows at SeaWorld are the top attraction at the park, which has seen a drop in attendance numbers and a drop in company stock price since the release of the 2013 documentary “Blackfish,” which suggests SeaWorld’s treatment of captive orcas provokes violent behavior.
For animal rights groups, the commissions terms are being haled as a victory. John Hargrove, a former orca trainer from SeaWorld, wrote on Twitter, “We won!!! Thank you to the California Coastal Commission! Incredible.”
It seems that the only point that most people agree upon is that increasing the size of the whale’s current habitat from the existing one would be better for the captive whales than what they have.
It’s unclear whether or not SeaWorld will abandon the project, take legal action to try and have the decision overturned or if they will proceed with the expansion.
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