Tilikum’s story has hit a nerve with people of all walks of life, all generations, all over the world. He was the prime example of what is wrong with orcas in captivity. It is difficult to put Tilikum’s death into words. I have spent a lot of time staring at the news on my screen, almost in disbelief. I grieve knowing we couldn’t do more to help him, yet I celebrate that his suffering is finally over. Click on image to play Tilikum's Last Splash - A Tribute Video and Image

It has been a couple months since we have been able to check on Tilikum, but he continues to fight the good fight. Today he was observed swimming in "E" pool, next to the medical pool. The fact that he was moving was a welcome relief. Even when he is not sick, he doesn't always swim. Instead he spends lots of time logging at the surface. Photo by Heather Murphy/Ocean Advocate News There were times, particularly at the beginning of each show, when he would look through the g

“Monday left me broken, Tuesday I was through with hoping…” The lyrics from Avicii’s ‘Waiting for Love’ can be heard playing over the Orca Ocean stadium speakers at Loro Parque as a young orca bashes her head, over and over again, off the gates of her tiny tank. The song is loud to entertain the paying tourists, but it is not loud enough to drown out the sound of skull smashing off of metal or the orca’s frantic screeches. This disturbing behavior was witnessed earlier this m

Having acknowledged that society no longer believes that killer whales thrive in captivity, SeaWorld recently announced an end to its breeding programs, and the captivity of killer whales held at its tourist attractions, albeit through attrition. While SeaWorld has been applauded for this shift in thinking, it’s obvious that despite their new-found empathy, SeaWorld intends to milk revenue from their killer whales, as much as they can, for as long as possible. It has been wid

It has been 4 days since SeaWorld announced Tilikum’s failing health, and he is still being kept in the med pool. He has been there for the last 9 days at least, mainly staring at the bars of the gate. The med pool is the under the tiny white tarp on the bottom right. Image by Heather Murphy/OceanAdvocate News This photo was taken May 2014. It is being shared here to show just how small the med pool is where Tilikum has been spending the last 9 days. Image by Heather Murph

The numbers don't lie. SeaWorld's 2nd quarter earnings reported "an attendance decline due to the timing of Easter, record levels of rainfall in Texas and continued brand challenges in California, partially offset by improvements in demand at the Company's other park locations, including Florida." Those “brand challenges” could include the fact that just last week California Coastal Commission has stalled the vote which would allow SeaWorld to build bigger tanks in their pro

Today, Hagens-Berman filed a ground-breaking class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on behalf of SeaWorld customers against SeaWorld Entertainment (NYSE: SEAS). The lawsuit alleges that SeaWorld deliberately concealed the unethical treatment and conditions of its captive orcas and has hidden dangers to whale trainers, misleading the public through a deceptive and false-illusion that the park’s whales are thriving. Orlando Sent

On Monday, SeaWorld launched a new ad campaign answering commonly asked questions. One question in particular that has grabbed readers’ attention is regarding killer whale lifespans. SeaWorld addresses the question in a video of Dr. Dold, head veterinarian at SeaWorld Orlando. Dr. Dold quotes Dr. Doug Demaster of Alaskan Fisheries Science Center who states: “Survival in the wild is comparable to survival in captivity.” Politifact broke this controversial issue down further re

UPDATED 3/16/15 I hear that you are going to be playing at SeaWorld’s Bands, Brew and BBQ this weekend. I’m sure you are aware of the controversy surrounding the park after the documentary Blackfish was released in 2013. You probably already know that for last year’s event, nine acts cancelled their performance. Perhaps this doesn’t bother you or maybe you don’t feel a film has any lasting effect, but the lies, abuse, mistreatment and controversy carry on beyond the film. I

Earlier today, SeaWorld announced their dismal 4th quarter and annual earnings for 2014. For the full year of 2014, the company generated a decrease of $82.4 million compared to 2013, primarily driven by a 4.2% decline in attendance. Below are a few “highlights” from this morning’s investor call: (Full transcript can be found here) James Heaney, CFO, states, For the full year 2014, the company generated revenue of $1.378 billion which decreased 6% from the $1.46 billion in 20