Suspicion over SeaWorld online poll results
A journalist working for the Orlando Business Journal has questioned the results of an online poll run by the newspaper in late December which asked its readers if the documentary, Blackfish had changed their perception of SeaWorld.
Despite the hit film exposing the cruel truth behind keeping orcas in captivity for entertainment shows, the results of the poll were still overwhelmingly in favour of those who said that the film hadn’t had any impact on their perception of the shows held at SeaWorld’s parks.
When the Orlando Business Journal looked closer at these results it discovered that one single Internet Protocol Address (IP Address) accounted for more than 54 percent of the votes, or about 180 of the total 328 votes. It also discovered that the owner of the domain name and company that address belong to was none other than SeaWorld.com and SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment.
After this news became public, over 11,000 people responded to the poll, with 86% saying the film had changed their perception of SeaWorld.