SeaWorld today announced that it would be phasing out its killer whale shows in San Diego, with a new "orca experience" taking their place in 2017.
The announcement followed a press conference held last Friday by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) where Shiff said he would introduce the Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement Act (ORCA), aimed at ending the captivity of all orcas nationwide.
Killer whales, otherwise known as orcas, are actually the largest members of the dolphin family.
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"In 2017 we will launch an all new orca experience focused on natural environment (of whales)," said SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment President Joel Manby. "2016 will be the last year of our theatrical killer whale experience in San Diego. We are listening to our guests, evolving as a company."
SeaWorld and other parks would eventually be forced to do so anyway if ORCA is passed. Specifically, the landmark legislation would prohibit the import or export of orcas for public display.
While a wild capture of an orca has not occurred in U.S. waters since 1976, and wild-caught orcas from other parts of the world have not been imported since 2001, permits can still be issued legally. All other captive orcas have been bred in captivity. These practices would be prohibited under the ORCA Act.
At Schiff's press conference, a number of marine mammal experts spoke in support of the new act.
"I saw firsthand how orcas suffer in captivity," said former Seaworld marine mammal trainer Samantha Berg. "No amount of toys, larger tanks, better veterinary care or love and attention from their trainers will ever come close to simulating the richness of their lives in the ocean. We cannot meet their needs in captivity."
Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist for the Animal Welfare Institute, echoed Berg's concerns: "The growing body of scientific evidence is compelling for orcas. They are simply too large, too wide-ranging, too socially complex and too intelligent to thrive in any-sized concrete enclosure. Orcas do not belong in captivity."
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Public pressure to end the captivity of orcas has been a key factor as well. After the July 2013 documentary "Blackfish" was released, SeaWorld's finances nosedived. The Guardian reported that the company's stock investment shares halved following the film, which chronicled the drowning death of an orca trainer.
It will be interesting to see how other aquariums react to both Schiff and SeaWorld's announcements. According to the organization Whale and Dolphin Conservation, there are currently a total of 58 orcas held in over a dozen marine parks located in eight different countries.
An Orca performs in a show at Sea World, San Diego.
Introduction
Originally designed to live on land, marine mammals are a diverse, charismatic group of animals that include more than 120 species. The animals share key characteristics of land mammals. They have hair, breathe air, give birth to live young, which feed off mother's milk when young. They have warm bodies and usually thick blubber to keep their body temperatures high. The bottlenose dolphin is probably the most widely recognized marine mammal, easily spotted just offshore from beaches around the world. Small groups of 20 or less can live in close proximity to shorelines, but groups living more offshore can reach several hundred. Bottlenose dolphin calves stay with their mothers for up to six years, learning how to hunt and become good dolphin citizens. Full-grown dolphins reach eight to 12 feet in length and can weigh up to 1,430 pounds. The bottlenose dolphin is protected in U.S. waters.
Humpback Whale
What makes them "marine" depends on the animal. They either live mostly in the sea or, like polar bears, depend on the ocean for food. The largest in the group are whales -- including humpback whales. These massive animals reach up to 50 feet in length and weigh up to 79,000 pounds. To maintain their weight, the animals feed on tons of krill and fish. They neared extinction due to whaling, but have recovered somewhat since a 1966 moratorium on whaling was introduced.
Polar Bear
While polar bears live mostly on land or ice, they are excellent swimmers and have been known to swim up to 45 miles a day. The massive animals, weighing up to 1,500 pounds, hunt mostly seals. In recent years, biologists have observed that the bears are swimming now more than ever as melting stretches the distances between Arctic ice flows. Because they depend on sea ice to hunt seals, the polar bear is considered threatened as global warming melts and thins ice in this region.
Sea Otter
This member of the weasel family is also the smallest marine mammal, with females weighing about 60 pounds and males weighing up to 90 pounds. They may be small, but they're also clever. They're the only marine mammals known to use tools. They use stones to break open clams and store food they gather in the folds of their armpits! Another feature that sets them apart is their lack of blubber. These marine mammals depend mostly on their fur to stay warm. That feature makes them particularly vulnerable to oil spills, which can compromise their fur's insulating effect.
Sea Walrus
Immediately recognizable by its long tusks and whiskers, the sea walrus is a hefty, flippered member of the Odobenidae family and is, in fact, the last living member of this group. Since both the males and females have big tusks and not much for teeth, the animals feed by sucking up shellfish from the ocean floor. So, just what are those tusks for? The longer they are (they grow to be up to four feet long in males), the higher an animal is ranked in the group. Males attack each other with their tusks to establish dominance. The ivory appendages are also handy for poking holes in the winter ice and for helping the animals pull themselves out of the water.
Manatee
Manatees, also known as sea cows, are gentle herbivores that live in marshy areas in tropical and subtropical waters. The average adult manatee can weigh up 1,200 pounds and is around 10 feet long. Because of their slow metabolism, these animals can only survive in warm waters. Due to the unusually long, cold winter this year in part of the southeastern United States, populations of manatees throughout Florida were devastated. During the day, manatees usually like to stay close to the surface. At night, manatees will often sleep about three to 10 feet below sea level. This is why these gentle animals are so often accidentally injured, maimed or killed by passing boats.
Harbor Seal
Found up and down the North American coastlines, these marine mammals spend half of their lives swimming. Although they can reach up to six feet in length and weigh around 180 pounds, when on land and in plain sight harbor seals may not be easy to spot. Their spotted brown or tan fur allows harbor seals to blend in with sand and rocks. Unlike their very vocal relatives -- sea lions and elephant seals -- harbor seals are quiet creatures that make little noise. They like to hang out on beaches, sand bars and rocks during low tide to bask in the sun and sleep, but they never go far from the water. At the slightest sign of danger, they will quickly slip back under the waves. These expert swimmers have been known to plunge to depths of more than 1,600 feet and stay underwater up to 28 minutes.