Have you heard the glorious news? SeaWorld has finally decided to end its orca breeding program.

Right before St. Patrick’s Day, the marine theme park announced that its current generation of orcas will be its last. In a recent LA Times OpEd, Joel Manby, SeaWorld’s CEO, said the change was made because the park wants to help contribute “to the evolving understanding of one of the world’s largest marine mammals [the orca].”

In addition to ending its orca breeding program, SeaWorld will also cease to produce and put on its “theatrical orca whale shows.”

This announcement is great–and long overdue. So overdue that we feel comfortable poking a little fun at the park’s announcement by listing 3 other things–albeit fictional things–that the park will also stop doing now that it’s ending its marine-cruelty program.

1. Lower Ticket Prices

There is not a single theme park in the United States that doesn’t expect a ridiculous amount of money to ride attractions that are over in three minutes, or to look at animals that you typically don’t see every day. Well, now that SeaWorld has decided to stop breeding orcas and training them to put on ridiculous stunts for the masses, the park’s entry price will inevitably drop. After all, everyone knows that orca imprisonment is really expensive.

2. Stop Giving Out Free Marine Pets to Park Guests

It seems only natural that a park that keeps large, magnificent creatures hostage would also be thoughtless enough to give away smaller, but equally wonderful creatures to anyone who enters the park. So, in a groundbreaking move, SeaWorld also will stop giving away precious crabs, fish, and other small types of sea life to the park’s guests. So compassionate…

3. SeaWorld, as a Whole, is Going to Stop Functioning as a Park and Will Become a Marine Sanctuary

Yes, sea sanctuaries can exist and help marine life in need. SeaWorld has finally seen the light, listened to its most adamant critics, and decided to stop profiting off the backs of sea creatures. One of the park’s biggest critics is John Hargrove, author of “Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, SeaWorld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish” and former senior trainer. A year or so ago, he said the following about the brilliance of sea pens and ocean sanctuaries:

“I’ve spoken with some brilliant-minded people, and I believe sea sanctuaries are a viable solution. They [SeaWorld] should follow the example of the Ringling Brothers, who recently acknowledged that their customers had shifted in their thinking about having elephants in captivity. So by 2018, all of Ringling Brothers’ elephants are going to be retired to elephant sanctuaries. SeaWorld wants to make it sound like it’s impossible. But we’ve been doing sea pens or sea sanctuaries since the seventies. The U.S. Navy had an open-ocean killer whale in a sea pen years ago…”

While we’re obviously trying to have a little fun with this list, we do think it would be great if SeaWorld did begin to use sea pens. Because if the park really did care about marine life, it would do all it could to make all marine creatures’ lives better.

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If you don’t think public backlash against an organization can cause change, think again.

SeaWorld announced that it is ending its orca whale shows next year on the heels of California’s decision to ban the captive breeding of killer whales.

This is an incredibly welcome change. As you may already know, SeaWorld was heavily criticized after the release of “Blackfish,” a documentary about SeaWorld and the incredibly dark-side of keeping captive orcas. If you haven’t seen the documentary yet, SeaWorld of Hurt reports that the film “centers on a captive orca named Tilikum. He was torn away from his family and ocean home when he was 2 years old, and out of frustration caused by nearly 20 years of intense confinement, isolation, and lack of emotional and intellectual stimulation, he has killed three humans.”

In addition to ending its ocra shows (and in response to California’s breeding ban), SeaWorld San Diego plans to go ahead with a $100 million expansion to its killer whale tanks.

While we are thrilled that these shows are ending, we have to acknowledge that there are some bad and “eh” bits of news mixed up in this announcement, too.

The only SeaWorld that’s halting its orca show is SeaWorld San Diego. Also: captive orca breeding is still allowed in other states. And although the orca show is coming to an end in San Diego, the park will still hold captive orcas.

IFL Science reports that SeaWorld San Diego plans to add an “educational experience” that involves the killer whales. The exhibit is supposed to be in a more true-to-life setting and SeaWorld “claims that the intention is to inform and inspire, not treat the intelligent mammals as circus animals.”

We’ll see about that… There are plenty of lawmakers and activists who are underwhelmed with the change and are doubtful it will do much good.

“This is incremental. It’s never going to get them to the end goal of truly improving the situation for the orcas there,” Naomi Rose, a marine scientist at the Animal Welfare Institute, says.

We’ve got to agree with Rose. This seems more like a PR move than a real move that could improve the situation of orcas. We hope we’re wrong.

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After immense pressure from animal rights groups, Southwest Airlines has agreed to break ties with its long-standing corporate partner, SeaWorld.

For the last 25 years, Southwest Airlines has been in a partnership with SeaWorld, the controversial marine animal theme park criticized for keeping captive orcas. Southwest planes have been painted to look like SeaWorld’s orcas, which is kind of endearing if you’re a 7-year-old on your first flight. But not so pleasant if you happen to have seen the film “Blackfish” and know that those intelligent animals kept by SeaWorld live in pools so small it’s equal to humans spending their entire lives in bathtubs.

According to Mashable, “Officials at both companies said Thursday that the partnership wouldn’t be renewed at the end of the year when the current contract expires.”

But the airline was under pressure after “Blackfish” caused a swell of support for Tilikum, the male orca featured in the film. Animal rights groups held rallies at Southwest’s headquarters and provided a petition urging the airline to trade its SeaWorld partnership for something less cruel.

SeaWorld is suggesting that the decision wasn’t one-sided and that the park wanted to end the relationship as well. And according to Southwest, the company is refocusing its efforts on “international service.”

But there’s no question that Southwest was feeling the pressure to end its relationship with the theme park. Even if it’s not going to credit animal cruelty for its decision, it’s a victory for animal lovers and another blow to SeaWorld, which has been hit by petitions, protests and decreased sales as a result of “Blackfish.” The first quarter of 2014 hit SeaWorld with a revenue loss of 11 percent.

“Champagne corks were popping at PETA today when we heard that Southwest will no longer support SeaWorld and will repaint its planes,” Ingrid Newkirk, President of PETA said in a statement. “The second I heard the good news, I knew that I’d be booking my next trip on Southwest.”

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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This week’s Link Love, we catch up with supermodel street style, PETA’s generous offer to Detroit and Southwest’s big announcement to SeaWorld.

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This week’s Link Love: Vegans get their own Google, Rony Vardi dishes on her beauty faves, baby puffins are in jeopardy, SeaWorld hopes you won’t watch these videos, and eco-fashion is the new black.

The Great Vegan Search Engine: A Custom Google Search Tool for Vegans [via Eat Drink Better]

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Hey, SeaWorld, how much clearer can it get? That’s the question million of American are asking the aquatic theme park under fire for its mistreatment of captive orcas. Now, with support from Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica), California may soon make it illegal to keep orcas in captivity for use as entertainment. This. Is. Huge. Not just for the the whales (but mostly), but also for other captive animals including dolphins and circus animals. Once the treatment of orcas comes correct, it’s only a matter of time before it happens for other animals forced into the entertainment business.

According to a statement released by Bloom’s office, the Orca Welfare and Safety Act (AB 2140) would eliminate the use of orcas in performance-based entertainment, and it would also do away with captive breeding programs—the goal being to phase out all orca captivity in California.

“There is no justification for the continued captive display of orcas for entertainment purposes,” Bloom said in the release. “These beautiful 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.”

Bloom added, “In their natural habitat orcas are family-oriented, highly adaptable, socially-complex with cultural traditions and trail only humans as the most intelligent creatures on this planet. However, in captivity, they have shorter lifespans, show increased health problems, live in swimming pool sized habitat that are approximately one ten-thousandth the required size and demonstrate aggressive behavior towards one another and towards humans that has never been documented in the wild. They simply do not belong in captivity.”

SeaWorld once again rebuffed the accusations that it mistreats its animals, criticizing Bloom for associating with “extreme animal rights activists, many of whom regularly campaign against SeaWorld and other accredited marine mammal parks and institutions.” Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Director of “Blackfish” joined Bloom at his office for the press conference. SeaWorld called out PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) for a “meritless claim that animals in human care should be considered slaves under the 13th amendment of the US Constitution.”

But people aren’t buying it; SeaWorld’s reputation may only recover with a complete makeover. Jared Goodman, Director of Animal Law at the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said the only humane solution for the theme park was to fund coastal sanctuaries–a move that could happen if the theme park’s stock continue to drop.

“We engage in business practices that are responsible, sustainable and reflective of the balanced values all Americans share,” SeaWorld spokesman David Koontz said about the theme park.

The news comes on the heels of leaked documents that allege SeaWorld drugs its orcas with benzodiazepines—drugs found in Valium and Xanax— to keep the intelligent, emotional animals complacent in captivity.

[Editor’s note: Sacramento Fox News 40 reports that on April 8, Committee members voted that AB 2140 will be tabled until at least next year.]

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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SeaWorld has been in hot water ever since the documentary “Blackfish” came out last summer. And now, the marine park is being accused of drugging its killer whales.

An affidavit filed in Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and leaked to BuzzFeed, claims that SeaWorld routinely gives benzodiazepines—drugs found in Valium and Xanax—to orcas suffering from mental health issues as a direct result of being in captivity.

Jared Goodman, Director of Animal Law at the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), told BuzzFeed that the veterinary records show that “orcas at SeaWorld are given psychotropic drugs to stop them from acting aggressively towards each other in the stressful, frustrating conditions in which they’re confined instead of funding the development of coastal sanctuaries – the only humane solution. ”

According to BuzzFeed, SeaWorld spokesperson Fred Jacobs defended the medication in an emailed statement: “Benzodiazepines are sometimes used in veterinary medicine for the care and treatment of animals, both domestic and in a zoological setting,” Jacobs said. “These medications can be used for sedation for medical procedures, premedication prior to general anesthesia, and for the control of seizures. The use of benzodiazepines is regulated, and these medications are only prescribed to animals by a veterinarian. Their use for cetacean healthcare, including killer whales, is limited, infrequent, and only as clinically indicated based on the assessment of the attending veterinarian. There is no higher priority for SeaWorld than the health and well-being of the animals in its care.”

But critics of SeaWorld say the drugs are only necessary because the highly intelligent animals aren’t able to deal with spending years—decades in some cases—in captivity. It’s the reason Tilikum, the orca at the center of the “Blackfish” documentary, has killed humans, his former trainers state in the film. Tilikum has spent more than 30 years in captivity and been linked to the deaths of three humans.

Orca Research Trust founder, Ingrid Visser, told BuzzFeed the drugs are likely treating a condition “caused by captivity,” and that their violence stems directly from stress as opposed to an inherent animal trait. “They do not cope with being kept in these tanks. They survive to some degree, but they don’t thrive to any degree,” Visser said. “They show stereotypical behaviors that are abnormal, repetitive behaviors like head bobbing, chewing on concrete, and self mutilation by banging the side of their heads on the side of the tank, and there isn’t a single orca living in captivity where you cannot see one of these behaviors, and in many of them you see multiple examples of these behaviors.”

Activists and animal rights groups are calling on supporters to use the hashtag #EndSeaWorld on Twitter and Instagram to help bring awareness to the plight of captive marine mammals.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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This week’s Link Love exposes our Diet Coke obsession, how have a healthy clean kitchen, the best way to quit a job, what California might do for orcas and Neil Young’s new digital music service.

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When Smith first tuned in to the film, he wrote, ”Finally watching @BlackFishMovie. Holy. S**t. This is depressing. I’m never going to a zoo or aquarium again.”

The film clearly stuck with the director, who took to the Twittersphere again the next day, writing:

“15 hrs since watching @BlackFishMovie and the mother orca screaming for her child still haunts me. Please, @SeaWorld: time to #EmptyTheTanks.”

The Blackfish Effect plows on! – Amanda Just

This article appears courtesy of Ecorazzi

Ecorazzi covers news and gossip on celebrities and notables in support of the environment and humanitarian causes. You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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The critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated documentary “Blackfish” is making huge waves in the case against SeaWorld.

Willie Nelson. Trisha Yearwood. Heart. REO Speedwagon. These are just some of the musicians who’ve recently cancelled performances at SeaWorld, the aquatic marine park targeted in the film “Blackfish.” The musicians reportedly asked to sever ties with SeaWorld because of the negligence highlighted in the film. A viral petition on Change.org asked the musicians to cancel their appearances.

Pulin Modi of Change.org told CBS that “It’s this larger snowball effect where, in pop culture, SeaWorld has become a prime target for people who are concerned about cruelty to animals.” And it’s snowing icebergs at the theme park these days.

It’s not just musicians cancelling their performances. Soon after the film was released, Pixar announced it was rewriting the ending of the forthcoming follow-up to “Finding Nemo.” The original ending for “Finding Dory” has the characters going to live at a marine park. But the tragedies at SeaWorld illustrated in “Blackfish” changed all that, and the ending has a new direction, reports the Los Angeles Times. After meeting with “Blackfish” director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Pixar executives said they “didn’t want to look back on this film in 50 years and have it be their ‘Song of the South,’ a reference to the 1946 Disney musical that was widely viewed to be racist.”

Even schools are reneging on planned field trips to the theme park, reports the Malibu Times, “Administrators at Point Dume Marine Science Elementary School cancelled an annual spring field trip to SeaWorld last week after students and parents complained of unethical treatment of orca whales alleged at the park in the controversial new documentary ‘Blackfish’.”

And the latest blow came earlier this week when Blackstone Holdings sold 19.5 million shares of its SeaWorld stock for more than $500 million.

Still, despite the rippling backlash, SeaWorld holds firm to its practices, saying in an email the film “paints a distorted picture,” reports CBS.  “This is a coordinated campaign of digital harassment and does not in any sense represent the opinions of the American public. A far better measure is the number of people actually coming to SeaWorld,” the company wrote in an email.

It’s impossible to know how many families have changed their vacation plans as a result of the film, but it’s sure to have an impact, despite SeaWorld’s claims. And if the film—which is on the Academy Awards “short list”—makes it to a final nominee or takes home an Oscar next February, there’s bound to be even more buzz about the film, and activists hope, fewer visitors to the park.

“Blackfish” tells the tragic story of Tilikum—the largest orca in captivity—linked to the deaths of three people. Released in July in select cities, the documentary also aired on CNN in October. Former SeaWorld trainers featured in the film believe the animal has suffered psychological and emotional damage as a result of living in captivity for three decades and killed as a result of the traumas suffered. In the film, his plight is summed up by Jane Velasquez Mitchell: “If you were in a bathtub for 25 years, don’t you think you’d get a little psychotic?”

If SeaWorld wants to mitigate the “Blackfish backlash”, it can take cues from the film’s director. In a recent interview with the LA Times, Cowperthwaite acknowledged that releasing these animals back into the wild might not be a realistic option, “You can’t just dump these mammals back into the ocean. They don’t know how to hunt; their teeth are broken from biting on steel gates, so they wouldn’t last very long,” she said. But SeaWorld and other marine theme parks could redefine their business model and help support healthy orca populations by ceasing captive breeding first and foremost. And, she adds, “you can return [the orcas] to the ocean and have a controlled environment like a cordoned-off cove with a net as a sanctuary, and they could feel for the first time the natural rhythm of the ocean and have infinite environmental stimulation and be able to be killer whales for the first time.”

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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