SeaWorld announces job losses
Captivity giant, SeaWorld has announced that it intends laying off 350 employees following a slump in profits and low attendances at its captivity shows.
According to a spokesperson, the majority of the job losses will be administrative positions at the company’s corporate office, as well as its parks in Orlando and San Diego.
SeaWorld employs around 5,000 full-time workers and operates 12 parks across the US and is attempting to rebuild its reputation in the face of strong criticism and a public backlash to the practice of holding whales and dolphins captive in small tanks.
Attendances and profits have been falling since the release of Blackfish, the award-winning film focusing on the life of Tilikum, an orca from Iceland who was held in captivity by SeaWorld and who died earlier this year.
WDC is working to establish a sanctuary for beluga whales held in captivity.
