SeaWorld San Diego starts a new program, which will entertain as well as educate its visitors. The park’s killer whales will no longer be in Shamu-style shows.
This new show serves the purpose of educating the younger generation about the orcas. With, Granny, the oldest female orca’s death last year, and the death of another orca earlier this week, it is necessary to spread awareness about these species.
The “All Day Orca Play” will introduce guests to each whale and their unique personalities. This show will also provide live chats with orca behaviorists and educators. It will run for two more months. The “Orca Encounter”, the park’s new show will open soon after the closing of this program.
Marilyn Hannes, SeaWorld San Diego President, said, “We are thrilled to offer guests this unmatched and uninterrupted experience with killer whales”. She also hopes that this hour-by-hour encounters will inspire the guests to protect wildlife.
This move was well appreciated. SeaWorld had also announced last year, that it would discontinue the Shamu-style shows. It also announced that it will stop the breeding of captive orcas.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, a Los Angeles-area congressman re-introduced a federal legislation. This will phase out the display of captive orcas. He also said that his bill would reverse federal law that still allows for the capture or import of killer whales for display purposes.
He also said, “The ORCA Act would ensure that this is the last generation of orcas who live in captivity, and we will appreciate these incredible creatures where they belong — in the wild.”
In a statement, SeaWorld said, “The ORCA act would serve no purpose and is an unnecessary distraction from the important work we need to do to protect killer whales and our oceans.
