SeaWorld CEO: Breeding ban was difficult decision
Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune
San Diego— SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby, in a frank online conversation with park supporters, said the company had no choice but to halt the breeding of killer whales or risk the eventual demise of SeaWorld.
The choice, he said, became clear once the Orlando, Fla.-based theme park company closely reviewed the research on why some people were staying away from the marine parks. And the trends, he noted, were most notable among younger people.
'We understand some customers are upset and you may feel betrayed, but in a simple way, the data and trends showed it was either a SeaWorld without whales or a world without SeaWorld,' he said during the webcast this week. 'We are an organization that needs to have cash flow to (succeed) and unfortunately, the trends were not in our favor.'
Manby's remarks came just two weeks after SeaWorld announced it would end breeding of its 29 killer whales and phase out the theatrical Shamu shows at its three namesake parks. The performances will be replaced with orca encounters — starting first in San Diego — that emphasize the animals' natural behaviors. It also announced a partnership with one of its biggest foes, the Humane Society of the United States.
Manby, as he has said before, conceded that he struggled mightily with the decision, but the announced changes will not keep the company from straying from its mission: to protect animals and their habitats and to eventually become the leading animal rescue organization in the world.
He was especially candid about the thinking behind what is a fundamental shift in the company's business model and empathized with supporters who may not agree with the changes.
'I have to stress to all of you that this was an incredibly difficult decision,' he said before taking written questions from fans. 'I have never had a decision that was this difficult, but SeaWorld was in a paradox. A lot of people come to our parks because they love our whales, but for many people, having whales in human care was a barrier for people to come. In some research, it was the number one reason people wouldn't come to our parks, and the trend wasn't abating. And the data was even worse for millennials.'
Of all the SeaWorld parks, the attendance declines have been the most precipitous in San Diego, with visitation dropping more than 4% in 2015 and 17% in 2014.
While the tide of public opinion concerning orcas clearly was turning, fueled in part by the 2013 documentary 'Blackfish,' Manby particularly cited a California Coastal Commission decision that would require SeaWorld to end the breeding of killer whales if it wanted to expand its orca tanks, a project that it has since abandoned.
'I'm quite certain legislation in California would come against us,' he said. 'Once something is illegal and moved east, it would be very difficult to change that trend, so we decided we needed to get ahead of this because as you know, SeaWorld has an incredible tale to tell, but the orca issue is a barrier between our story and a growing audience.'