Millions of visitors still swarm each year to see SeaWorld’s performing whales and seals but the theme park firm’s reputation has taken a dive of its own.
And now a trip by popstar and reality TV show personality Peter Andre to one of the once iconic aquatic company’s bases in Abu Dhabi has prompted fresh criticism.
Figures have suggested SeaWorld’s 47 attractions worldwide take in 20.2million visitors over the course of a year.
Yet the family-friendly image promoted since the first outlet opened back in March 1964 in San Diego, California, has suffered setbacks in recent years.
Wildlife campaigners have accused Seaworld chiefs of mistreating the marine life in their care – with activists from Peta even saying whales were being kept like ‘slaves’, claims the company has denied.
And a film investigation focused on the death of 40-year-old trainer Dawn Brancheau, killed by an orca named Tilikum in Florida in 2010.
That tragedy featured in the acclaimed 2013 Netflix documentary called Blackfish, which focused on SeaWorld and campaigners’ concerns about its ethics.
New scrutiny has come after Australian singer Andre was condemned by fans for taking a family trip to a SeaWorld resort during a holiday in Abu Dhabi.
Tilikum (pictured), an orca at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, died in January 2017
Dawn Brancheau, a whale trainer at SeaWorld Adventure Park in Florida, is shown performing on December 30 2005 – she was killed by an orca at the attraction in February 2010
Australian popstar Peter Andre has faced criticism after posting a photograph on Instagram showing his family’s visit to a SeaWorld theme park in Abu Dhabi
The singer, 52, jetted off with his five children and his wife Emily, 35, to the United Arab Emirates for a family trip but has come under fire for an Instagram post about it.
Andre shared online a photo of his children walking into the SeaWorld theme park there – only to face disapproval in response from animal lovers.
He accompanied his social media post with the words: ‘We had the best time at @yasisland exploring all the parks.
‘So special to have the whole family together, there truly is something for everyone. We’ll definitely be back!’
Yet among the unimpressed responses was a post telling him: ‘SeaWorld, definitely NOT a place for animal lovers.’
Other replies included such comments as ‘Great photos until you showed SeaWorld, how sad’ and ‘Promoting cruel, unethical hell holes for animals, such as SeaWorld. Vile. Way to go @peterandre’.
SeaWorld has come under scrutiny following 2013 documentary Blackfish, which depicted the captivity and public exhibition of killer whales as inherently cruel.
The film, which SeaWorld described as inaccurate and misleading, also explored the circumstances leading to Ms Brancheau’s death in 2010.
Campaigners from animal rights charity PETA are seen urging passers-by not to buy tickets to SeaWorld in June 2019 in Orlando, Florida
SeaWorld’s killer whale Tilikum is pictured performing during a show called ‘Believe’ at SeaWorld Orlando in Orlando, Florida, on September 3 2009
She was pulled underwater and drowned by an orca named Tilikum with whom she had performed at SeaWorld’s Florida theme park.
Experienced trainer Ms Brancheau, 40, had been one of SeaWorld’s most renowned stars after spending 15 years at the attraction.
And she was said to share a special connection with Tilikum, the massive killer whale that would go on to take her life in 2010.
Tilikum, who featured prominently in the Netflix programme Blackfish, had been in captivity for more than 30 years.
Ms Brancheau’s death came after a routine performance during the ‘Dine With Shamu’ show on February 24 2010.
She climbed out of the pool and approached the ledge to chat with Tilikum, who was said to have always appeared to treat her with affection.
As she leaned over the pool, Tilikum, without warning, grabbed her by the ponytail and dragged her into the water in front of spectators in a violent attack.
After 45 minutes, Tilikum finally released an unresponsive Ms Brancheau, with an autopsy later revealing she had died by blunt force trauma and drowning.
Tragic Dawn Brancheau, a whale trainer at SeaWorld Adventure Park, is seen here performing on December 30 2005 at Seaworld’s theme park in Orlando, Florida
The trainer had suffered severe injuries fractures to her ribs, jaw and a cervical vertebra, while her arm was also torn off in the attack along with her scalp.
Speaking at the time of Ms Brancheau’s death, John Hargrove, a senior trainer at SeaWorld, said: ‘We’ll never know why Tilikum made that choice to grab Dawn and pull her into the pool.
‘He had a great relationship with her, and she had a great relationship with him. I do believe that he loved her, and I know that she loved him.’
Tilikum’s fatal attack was not an isolated incident, with experts later suggesting that the killer whale was driven mad by captivity and had become ‘psychotic.’
In 1991, he was part of the deadly drowning of trainer Keltie Byrne at Sealand of the Pacific in Canada, and in 1999 he was involved in the death of Daniel Dukes, who had broken into SeaWorld.
Tilikum was sold to SeaWorld in 1992, where he continued to perform with trainers until Dawn’s death.
The 2013 documentary Blackfish looked into the life of Tilikum, who was captured at two-years-old in Iceland in 1983 before being taken to Sealand on Vancouver Island, Canada, along with two female orcas named Haida and Nootka.
Tilikum returned to performing for a time at SeaWorld following Ms Brancheau’s death, though strict new protocols were introduced.
Peter Andre also shared this picture of his family’s visit to a SeaWorld venue in Abu Dhabi
Dawn Brancheau is seen performs with a killer whale during a show at SeaWorld in Florida
These included preventing trainers from swimming with orcas and requiring them to stay at least 18in away.
After years of declining health and a complicated lung infection, Tilikum – who had grown to more than 22ft long while weighting above six tons, died on January 6 2017.
Tilikum, 36, was ‘surrounded by trainers, care staff and veterinarians’ at his death.
Even Blackfish director Gabriela Cowperthwaite admitted to being scared of Tilikum before she actually began filming the documentary released in 2013.
She told the National Geographic magazine: ‘I was terrified of him. I had nightmares about him.
‘It was only when I learned about his capture, his life in captivity, that I began to understand the depth of this tragedy on so many levels.’
And former trainer John Jett, who cared for Tilikum when he arrived in Orlando in 1992, called the whale a ‘tragic figure’.
He told the same magazine: ‘I have often thought about the terror, confusion and stress that Tiili has been forced to endure.’
Peter Andre shared photos from Abu Dhabi including this alongside his wife Emily MacDonagh
The Abu Dhabi theme park is one of 47 SeaWorld attractions across the world
Since the release of the 2013 documentary, SeaWorld has come under increased scrutiny – while also suffering financial losses.
Net income fell by 84 per cent between 2014 and 2015, and musicians including Willie Nelson, Barenaked Ladies and Heart cancelled planned performances at SeaWorld parks – while visitor figures have been falling, tallying at 20.2million in 2021 compared to 22million in 2017.
The SeaWorld theme park in Florida operates welcomed 4.34million visitors in 2023, most recent statistics show – down 2.5 per cent on the previous year’s 4.45million.
Animal rights groups opposed to SeaWorld say large, intelligent marine animals cannot live healthy and happy lives in aquariums and parks.
One of SeaWorld’s last remaining orcas, 30-year-old Kayla, died in January 2019 two days after being taken ill at SeaWorld’s flagship park in Orlando, Florida.
Kayla was the second oldest captive-born orca ever, according to Dr Naomi Rose, a marine-mammal scientist at the Animal Welfare Institute.
The average age for killer whales in the wild is 50 years after they survive the first six months of their lives when they are most vulnerable – though orcas have been known to live up to 80 or 90 years old.
SeaWorld announced in 2016 that it had stopped its orca breeding programme, following criticisms such as in the film Blackfish.
This is the flagship SeaWorld theme park, based in Orlando in Florida
One Direction popstar Harry Styles has previously been part of a backlash against the theme park firm.
During a 2015 in San Diego, the singer asked the crowd, ‘Does anybody like dolphins?’, before adding: ‘Don’t go to SeaWorld.’
Credit Suisse said at the time that these four words led to a 400 per cent spike in negative online comments about the firm – with fans of his taking to social media to retweet and share footage while Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams posted the clip to her Instagram page.
Other controversies raised relating to the company include a former SeaWorld stunt skier suing the theme park and a production company after suffering injuries to her foot during a performance.
Chelsea Hall, 22, is seeking more than $2.5million from theme park operator Village Roadshow and Showtime Entertainment Group after her foot allegedly became stuck in a hole mid-show in 2021, it was revealed last November.
Ms Hall claimed she was performing in the Thunder Lake show at Sea World on the Gold Coast in May 2021 and needed to run to the end of a ramp to retrieve her skis.
Court documents seen by the Courier Mail allege: ‘As (she) was running down the ramp, her foot became stuck in a hole at the bottom of the ramp. (Her) right foot became stuck in the hole, causing immediate pain.’
Ms Hall allegedly suffered torn ligaments, depression and anxiety from the incident.
Village Roadshow denies any responsibility for Ms Hall’s injuries and insisted if any duty of care was owed it was ‘completely and effectively delegated’ to Showtime.
A previous controversy emerged in 2016 when SeaWorld admitted sending an employee to secretly infiltrate animal rights group PETA and spy on their activities.
Paul T. McComb posed as an animal rights activist named Thomas Jones to join the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals organisation.
The spy then tried to glean inside information about the activist group which has been protesting against SeaWorld over its treatment of animals.
McComb, an undercover HR employee from the San Diego theme park, also tried to incite violence among peaceful protesters.
His attempts included posting messages on social media such as ‘burn [SeaWorld] to the ground’ and ‘drain the new tanks at #SeaWorld,’ according to PETA.
SeaWorld Entertainment CEO Joel Manby then admitted using the controversial tactic to spy on activist groups as he insisted the firm was bringing the practice to an end.
He said the company had planted spies in opposing organisations to protect the company from ‘credible threats,’ the New York Post reported.
Following the social media furore over Peter Andre’s Instagram post, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi has stated it was ‘committed to providing the highest standard of animal welfare based on best practices and standards set by internationally recognised animal welfare organisations’.
SeaWorld said in a statement: ‘Our animal care team consists of over 100 highly experienced and passionate veterinarians, scientists, animal care specialists, and educators who devote their lives to caring for and sharing their passion for animals.’
The Abu Dhabi Seaworld was the first in the company’s history to be free of orcas, after the US-based park stopped breeding the whales in 2016, and instead predominantly houses dolphins and seals.
The first killer whale was born in a SeaWorld park in 1985. Since then, 30 have been born in the parks, including the first-ever births through artificial insemination.
MailOnline has approached for comment SeaWorld, officially now known as United Parks & Resorts and based in Orlando in Florida.
