Protest at Coastal Commission as SeaWorld’s Plan to Redecorate Mocks Orca Confinement

Zero Benefit to Orcas in Park’s Proposed Plaster-and-Paint ‘Face-Lift’

For Immediate Release:
November 3, 2016

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

What:    PETA members and “orcas” bearing signs that read, “Fake Scenery, Real Misery,” will gather on Friday as the California Coastal Commission considers SeaWorld’s permit application for purely cosmetic changes to its orca tank. The protesters will point out that SeaWorld’s proposed above-water decorations, including artificial trees and a false coastal backdrop, are shallow marketing ploys that are designed to impress visitors—but do nothing for orcas.

When:    Friday, November 4, 12 noon

Where:    280 Capistrano Rd., Half Moon Bay

“SeaWorld’s bid to decorate its tiny concrete tanks with a fake ocean backdrop makes a mockery of the orcas’ desperate desire to swim free, feel the ocean currents, and answer their families’ calls,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “SeaWorld needs to stop with the smoke and mirrors and focus on retiring these long-suffering orcas to seaside sanctuaries.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—notes that in the wild, orcas share intricate social relationships, work cooperatively to find food, and can traverse up to 100 miles of ocean every day. Orcas in captivity are separated from their families—including babies who are torn away from their mothers—swim in endless circles, and often lash out violently in frustration at each other and humans.

For more information, please visit SeaWorldOfHurt.com.