SeaWorld said on Monday it plans to replace its signature "Shamu" killer whale shows in San Diego with displays focused on "conservation," after grappling with sagging attendance and years of criticism over treatment of the captive marine mammals.
Animal rights activists, pressing to end public exhibition of killer whales altogether, branded the SeaWorld announcement as little more than window-dressing designed to make continued display of the animals more palatable to the public.
The move, unveiled in a company presentation to investors, followed a vote by California regulators last month barring SeaWorld San Diego from continuing to breed the killer whales, or orcas, if it proceeds with a planned expansion of their artificial habitat.