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UN adopts High Seas Treaty to protect the ocean

At the UN 'High Seas Treaty' negotiations in New York, a historic vote for the...

Hopes raised for whale and dolphin protection after last minute landmark nature agreement

WDC's Ed Goodall (far right) at COP15 with Thérèse Coffey (centre) UK Secretary of State...

WDC orca champion picks up award

Beatrice Whishart MSP picks up her Nature Champion award The Scottish Environment LINK, an organisation...

Large number of dolphins moved to Abu Dhabi marine park

Up to 24 captive bottlenose dolphins have reportedly been sent to a new SeaWorld theme...

SeaWorld launches ‘educational’ dolphin shows

Twenty four hours after the final ‘old style’ Blue Horizons captive dolphin show finished at SeaWorld Orlando, the company’s new ‘more educational’ Dolphin Days show has begun.  But SeaWorld’s attempt to align its brand with the growing public uneasiness with whale and dolphin captivity has left many questioning how different the shows are in reality.

The new Dolphin Days show does not feature many of the circus-style elements of the old show, which included acrobats and divers in costumes.  Trainers now introduce each dolphin by name and give the audience facts about the species.  However, the stage setting had changed little from the old Blue Horizons show, interactions with birds continue and the trainers still ride around on the noses of dolphins – not exactly educational or something seen in the wild.  Ultimately, the dolphins remain in small tanks performing flips in the air to a soundtrack played in the background.

In January, SeaWorld San Diego changed its orca show to a more ‘educational’ version similar to the new dolphin show. A completely reworked orca encounter experience will be launched in San Diego this summer. Attendance at the parks continues to plummet, forcing SeaWorld to drop ticket prices.

Read more about the cruelty of captivity and how WDC is fighting to end it.