CALIFORNIA — Officials today approved a $100 Million plan by SeaWorld San Diego to double the size of its killer whale tanks, but banned any future breeding of the whales. Protesters wanted the captive whales released into the ocean.
SeaWorld says the new tanks will be a “world-class” habitat, giving the animals better healthcare.
They say research will be done that will help killer whales at SeaWorld and in the wild. (Scroll down for video by SeaWorld)
The ruling by the California Coastal Commission is seen as a victory by animal rights group PETA.
PETA wrote a series of Tweets celebrating the decision: “CA Coastal Commission did right by orcas in requiring, as a Blue World Project condition of approval, SeaWorld stop breeding them. This would ultimately end captivity for long-suffering orcas in CA.
SeaWorld admitted it intended to breed more to fill new tanks but the Commission’s action today ensures that no more orcas will be condemned to a non-life of loneliness, deprivation, & misery.
SeaWorld is a sea circus & the orcas are their abused elephants. PETA wants SeaWorld to stop building tanks & start emptying the ones they’ve got & send the orcas to coastal sanctuaries.”
VICTORY! If #SeaWorld wants their new tanks, they’ll have to stop breeding orcas. #SeaWorldSucks
— PETA (@peta) October 9, 2015
See Blue World Project like you’ve never seen before.This new state-of-the-art habitat is unprecedented, providing our experts with more access than ever before for world-class healthcare and research that will help killer whales at SeaWorld and in the wild.
Posted by SeaWorld on Thursday, October 8, 2015
