SeaWorld

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Here Are the Most Overrated Tourist Spots in the US

Plus, 10 underrated gems, courtesy of HawaiianIslands.com

(Newser) - Looking to book your next getaway and take in the sights? If you've ever been disappointed during past visits to American tourist magnets, you might want to check out HawaiianIsland.com's list . The site analyzed upward of 17,000 Tripadvisor reviews for destinations in all 50 states, searching...

SeaWorld Cuts Back on Dolphin Stunts

PETA declares victory in its campaign

(Newser) - Although it contends the practice isn't harmful, SeaWorld has decided to no longer have trainers ride dolphins' dorsal fins and snouts in its shows. The announcement came in response to a shareholder proposal by PETA and was filed with the SEC, Time reports. SeaWorld said the decision wasn't...

16 Rescued From SeaWorld Ride
16 Trapped for Hours
on SeaWorld Ride

16 Trapped for Hours on SeaWorld Ride

Park says 'unusual gust' caused power outage

(Newser) - SeaWorld blames "an unusual gust of significant wind" for a power outage that left 16 people trapped in gondolas suspended above water for several hours Monday night. Authorities in San Diego say the passengers, including several children and an infant, were brought down by firefighters in stages starting around...

SeaWorld Just Lost Another Orca
SeaWorld Just Lost
Another Orca

SeaWorld Just Lost Another Orca

Kayla, 30, died after a brief illness at the theme park's Orlando location

(Newser) - A 30-year-old orca died Monday at SeaWorld's Orlando park after a brief illness, company officials say. A cause of death won't be known until a post-mortem examination is conducted, per SeaWorld. Kayla began showing signs of discomfort on Saturday, and veterinarians began treating her based on what they...

5 Years Later, SeaWorld Still Paying for Blackfish

$5M settlement resolves fraud claims brought by SEC

(Newser) - SeaWorld will pay $4 million to settle a lawsuit alleging the theme park misled investors by downplaying the impact that the 2013 documentary Blackfish had on its reputation and business. Per the Wall Street Journal , former CEO James Atchison will also pay more than $1 million as part of a...

Last SeaWorld Orca Born in Captivity Dies

The 3-month-old calf was being treated for an infection

(Newser) - The last killer whale born in captivity under SeaWorld's former orca-breeding program died Monday at the company's San Antonio park, SeaWorld said. Veterinarians were treating 3-month-old Kyara for an infection last weekend, but her health continued to decline, the Orlando-based company said in a news release. "Kyara...

Last Orca Born at SeaWorld Park
Last Orca Born
at SeaWorld Park

Last Orca Born at SeaWorld Park

Mother was pregnant before breeding ban

(Newser) - Officials at SeaWorld say the last killer whale has been born in captivity at one of its parks—in San Antonio. The orca's birth Wednesday afternoon comes in the wake of a 2016 decision by the Florida-based company to stop breeding killer whales. SeaWorld didn't immediately name the...

PETA on SeaWorld Polar Bear: 'She Gave Up'

Szenja, 21, died suddenly in San Diego, and PETA says it was from 'broken heart'

(Newser) - The only polar bear resident at SeaWorld San Diego died unexpectedly on Tuesday, and while the marine park says the death of 21-year-old Szenja will be investigated, PETA says it knows what killed her: a "broken heart." The animal rights activists objected strongly in February when SeaWorld separated...

SeaWorld San Diego Ending Shamu Shows Today

But 'Orca Encounter' shows don't sound all that different

(Newser) - SeaWorld San Diego is ending its long-running killer whale show after years of outcry and falling attendance prompted it to renounce theatrical orca displays and its breeding program, the AP reports. The show that featured killer whales cavorting with trainers and leaping high out of the Shamu Stadium pool will...

Blackfish's Tilikum Dies at SeaWorld

36-year-old orca was battling a lung infection

(Newser) - The orca who inspired the documentary Blackfish died Friday at SeaWorld, his home for more than 20 years, reports USA Today . A planned necropsy will give an official cause of death, though Tilikum had been suffering from a bacterial lung infection for some time. SeaWorld says that at an estimated...

Bubbles the Pilot Whale Dies After 30 Years at SeaWorld

She was in her mid-50s and had spent nearly her entire life in captivity

(Newser) - Bubbles, a short-finned pilot whale that lived at SeaWorld San Diego for nearly 30 years, has died, the AP reports. Bubbles was in her mid-50s when she died Thursday. A necropsy will be performed to determine the cause of her death. Female pilot whales generally live to be about 60...

SeaWorld Ending Orca Shows, Breeding

Whales now in captivity will be 'the last generation'

(Newser) - Months after the California Coastal Commission imposed a breeding ban on its San Diego park, SeaWorld says it will end its orca breeding program for good. Breeding will end at all three US parks this year, meaning the killer whales now in captivity will be "the last generation,"...

SeaWorld: Blackfish Whale Has Potentially Deadly Illness

Tilikum, who's killed 3 people, has a lung infection

(Newser) - Tilikum, the killer whale at the heart of the SeaWorld-damning documentary Blackfish, has a lung infection that could possibly kill him, the Orlando Sentinel reports. SeaWorld announced the 35-year-old whale's illness Tuesday. "I wish I could say I was tremendously optimistic about Tilikum and his future, but he...

SeaWorld: Yes, Our Workers Spied as 'Animal Activists'

But company promises it's not going to do it anymore

(Newser) - SeaWorld has told "management to end the practice in which certain employees posed as animal rights activists," company CEO Joel Manby said Thursday morning, per the Orlando Sentinel . He told an earnings call that the practice was ostensibly "to maintain the safety and security of employees, customers...

SeaWorld's Dead Killer Whale Is 3rd in 6 Months

Activists fear stress led to 18-year-old killer whale's death

(Newser) - SeaWorld San Antonio has seen its third whale death in six months with the passing of Unna, an 18-year-old killer whale suffering from a fungal infection. The whale, who died Monday, had been undergoing treatment for a pathogen, Candida, in her bladder for months and was under "constant care,...

Major Theme Parks Around US Are Beefing Up Security

You'll have to pass a metal detector to enter the happiest place on Earth

(Newser) - With the Department of Homeland Security publicly worrying about potential attacks on crowded places, the three major theme parks in Orlando—Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal Orlando—added metal detectors on Thursday, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The security devices are also being installed at Disneyland and Universal Studios in Los...

SeaWorld Ending Orca Shows at San Diego Park

Next year will be the final year

(Newser) - Big news from SeaWorld: CEO Joel Manby announced Monday that next year will be the final year featuring killer whale shows at the San Diego park. Starting in 2017, a "new orca experience" with a "strong conservation message" will debut, he said, per CNN . As the AP puts...

SeaWorld Has Just Been Dealt a Killer Blow

Commission says San Diego park can no longer breed killer whales

(Newser) - SeaWorld San Diego's top attraction may be on its last legs, er, fins. In approving a $100 million project that will see a larger holding facility for the park's orcas, the California Coastal Commission imposed some conditions: bans on captive whale breeding and bringing in wild-caught orcas—changes...

Jackass' Steve-O Headed to Jail for SeaWorld Stunt

He also has to stay 100 yards away from Hollywood

(Newser) - Jackass star Steve-O was sentenced to 30 days in jail Wednesday for an August stunt in which he climbed to the top of a 100-foot-tall construction crane in Hollywood, lit off fireworks, and dropped an inflatable killer whale with "SeaWorld Sucks" written on it, KTLA reports. According to TMZ...

SeaWorld Gets Blessing to Expand Orca Tanks

Activists outraged at government's recommendation

(Newser) - The government recommends allowing SeaWorld to expand the killer whale facility at its San Diego park, outraging environmentalists who say the tanks could be used to breed more orcas to be kept in captivity. The staff of the California Coastal Commission made the recommendations today ahead of the regulatory board'...

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