Seaworld took out several full-page ads in newspapers around the country in an attempt to defend itself over accusations brought by the documentary Blackfish.
In the open letter also published on their website, entitled "Seaworld: The Truth Is in Our Parks and People," the company said it had had enough and the time was now "to set the record straight."
In several bulleted points, Seaworld did its best to dispel some of the accusations that the documentary claimed were facts. The park said that it does not capture orcas from the wild, and hasn't done so for 35 years and research from the park has helped scientists in the realm of "marine mammal reproduction."
Several other points Seaworld refutes are: that the park separates killer whales from their calves and that their lives are shortened due to living in the park. Seaworld claims that their orcas live just as long as those in the wild, and they have several which are older than 30.
According to CNN, since the movie Blackfish was aired on CNN, Seaworld has been suffering from negative public opinions. Social media hasn't been kind to the park and kids have been turning away.
A school in Malibu, Calif. canceled their annual overnight field trip to Seaworld after students said they didn't want to go there anymore.
Several musicians and bands have canceled performances as fans urged them not to play at Seaworld. Artists like Martina McBride, REO Speedwagon, The Barenaked Ladies and others have backed out of planned shows over the past few weeks.
image: Amazon