Blackfish Effect

Following the film, reporters and animal rights activists across the globe referred to the decline in attendance at SeaWorld parks, as well as other animal attraction parks, as the “Blackfish Effect” (Marlbrough). The senior vice president of PETA, Lisa Lange, discusses that while SeaWorld experienced most of the effect, circuses and zoos around the world were beginning to feel the aftershock of the 2013 documentary. “The public has completely changed its opinion on exploiting and killing animals for entertainment,” states Lange as she gives examples of countries that have banned acts of animal cruelty, such as Mexico, Spain, and even parts of the United States (Marlbrough). While others may disagree, unwillingly capturing animals and placing them in pens that are significantly smaller than the land they would have in the wild is an act of animal cruelty and goes against an animal’s rights.
After feeling the pressure from PETA, protestors, animal rights activists, and their declining park attendance rates, SeaWorld introduced that they were to spend $100-million on expanding their orca enclosure (Martin). However, soon after the corporation declared they would be ending their controversial “orca breeding program,” they also released a statement that they will not be following through with their expansion plan (Martin). While this is a huge leap forward for the large mammals, they are not free quite yet. In an interview with Martin Hugo, a writer for the Los Angeles Times, new SeaWorld Entertainment Chief Executive Joel Manby explained that releasing the domesticated animals to the wild would do more harm than good to their health. Manby also addressed that a sea pen for the whales would be unrealistic due to the outrageous amounts of money that would have to be put into