SeaWorld Orca Shows May be Ending as ORCA Phases Out Captivity of Killer Whales

First Posted: Nov 10, 2015 11:45 AM EST

The curtains may be closing on the orca shows at SeaWorld. The park has announced that it will be phasing out its traditional Shamu show in San Diego and replace it with one that's less about tricks and more about orcas' natural behaviors in the wild.

Of course, this is assuming that SeaWorld will be able to keep their killer whales. Rep. Adam Schiff announced on Friday, Nov. 6, that he is introduced the Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement (ORCA) Act, which would phase out the captivity of orcas so that their display ends with this generation; it would prohibit breeding, wild capture, and the import or export of orcas for the purposes of public display.

Currently, SeaWorld is shelving a $100 million plan to nearly double the killer whale tanks at the San Diego park. Instead, the company will redeploy one-third to one-half of the $100 million for a new attraction.

Animal rights activists applaud SeaWorld's efforts to end its orca shows in the park. However, they also say it's not enough and that the company should phase out its captivity of killer whales altogether.

"The fact still remains that as long as SeaWorld holds orcas in captivity, the physical and psychological problems associated with their captivity will persist," said Schiff.

It remains to be seen whether the whales will continue to persist in SeaWorld. However, this is certainly a step toward phasing out the captivity of the whales at the park.

"There is no justification for the continued captive display and breeding of orcas for entertainment purposes," said Assemblyman Richard Bloom in a press statement. "They belong in their natural habitat where they can travel long distances and feed as predators do. These magnificent creatures are much too large and far too intelligent to be confined in small, concrete tanks for their entire lives. IT is time to end the practice of keeping orcas captive for human amusement."

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TagsKiller Whales, Orca, SeaWorld, Conservation, Biological Conservation, Animals, Animal Behavior, Animal, Mammals, Whale, Whales