By Richard Bilbao – Senior staff writer, Orlando Business Journal
Oct 11, 2019
One of the goals SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. announced to the world three years ago is now coming due: The revamping of its killer whale shows.
In 2016, then-SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby went on TV with the Humane Society of the United States to announce the massive decision. “As society’s understanding of orcas continues to change, SeaWorld is changing with it. By making this the last generation of orcas in our care and re-imagining how guests will encounter these beautiful animals, we are fulfilling our mission of providing visitors to our parks with experiences that matter,” Manby said, via a prepared statement released the day of the announcement.
Fast-forward to today and SeaWorld is only two months away from that major change needing to occur. The killer whale show at SeaWorld San Diego was the first to make the transition in 2017 with the debut of Orca Encounter, a more educational-based show that focuses on killer whale behaviors with each other and hunting in the wild.
Despite nothing official being shared yet for both SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Antonio — not to mention a very short timeline — the plan to have those shows revamped by the end of the year are still on.
"We are on track to transition our orca shows to educational presentations — as we did in San Diego — in Orlando and San Antonio by the end of 2019," a SeaWorld spokesperson told Orlando Business Journal.
Executives with the Humane Society of the United States also appear to still be heavily involved with SeaWorld's transitions. “SeaWorld is standing by its commitment to end the breeding of orcas and have begun phasing out theatrical orca shows at the parks. The Humane Society of the United States applauds these corporate reforms and continues to work together with SeaWorld on advocacy issues addressing some of the biggest issues facing marine mammals," Nicole Paquette, chief programs and policy officer for the Humane Society of the United States told Orlando Business Journal.
When OBJ asked SeaWorld about specific details on the successor show, SeaWorld responded that no details have released yet, "but we will let you know when we are ready to share."
Last week, SeaWorld's ability to reach consumers globally took a hit after TripAdvisor unveiled a new policy. The Needham, Massachusetts-based travel platform announced it "will no longer sell tickets to, or generate revenue from, any attraction that continues to contribute to the captivity of future generations of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises)." SeaWorld is one of the well-known marine theme park operators built on animal-based entertainment, despite its efforts in recent years to begin diversifying its offerings.
For example, SeaWorld has maintained a commitment to add new experiences, attractions and shows to its theme parks every year. For example, SeaWorld Orlando currently is building the new Ice Breaker roller coaster. Scheduled to open next spring, it boasts multiple launch sequences, a 93-foot spike — a steep vertical point, as well as other unique features.
Meanwhile, SeaWorld is searching for a longterm CEO. On Sept. 16, CEO Gus Antorcha — who had been with the company less than 7 months — resigned, and Marc Swanson, the company's CFO, took on the role as interim CEO.
On the bright side, attendance at SeaWorld parks showed improvement. Second-quarter attendance was 6.46 million guests, up nearly 1% from 6.41 million for the same time last year. Further, in-park spending by guests rose 6.4% to $27.57 per person, up from $25.90 last year.
SeaWorld Entertainment's three Orlando properties include SeaWorld Orlando, the Aquatica water park and Discovery Cove, an experience where you can interact with bottlenose dolphins, feed tropical birds and more. SeaWorld Orlando is one of Central Florida's main theme parks and helps further boosts Orlando’s $70 billion tourism industry, which last year drew a record 75 million visitors to the region.
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