Analysts expect SeaWorld to change orca show at all its parks

Analysts expect SeaWorld to change orca show at all its parks

SeaWorld isn’t saying that it will phase out its One Ocean orca show in Orlando, as it will do a year from now at its San Diego park.

But according to analysts, the new direction in San Diego may well be the tip of the iceberg.

“In my opinion, if they’re making the change that they are in California, it’s going to affect here,” said Ronald Logan, a former Disney executive who is an associate professor of hospitality management at the University of Central Florida.

SeaWorld announced last month that it would end the theatrical One Ocean show in California by the end of next year in response to customer feedback. The show, which features killer whales performing what critics call circus-like tricks, will be replaced by an education-oriented orca attraction in a more natural setting.

The switch comes as SeaWorld continues to work toward reversing the damage caused by the 2013 documentary “Blackfish,” which gave an intensely critical portrayal of the company’s killer whale program. Cumulatively, attendance at the company’s parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio dipped by close to 5% in 2014 and has been flat this year.

In an email this week, a SeaWorld spokeswoman would not speculate on the future of the Orlando One Ocean show.

“We alter these presentations based on what our guests are telling us,” she said. “The format change only affects our San Diego park.”

SeaWorld hasn’t faced the same opposition in Orlando that it has in San Diego; the California Coastal Commission recently made approval of a company application to double the size of its orca tank contingent upon SeaWorld agreeing to end its killer whale breeding program. Nevertheless, harsh critics like the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) aren’t going away.

 “The point is that orcas shouldn’t be in captivity,” Jared Goodman, PETA’s director on animal law, said in an interview this week. “These orcas need to be transferred to coastal sanctuaries where they can at least lead some semblance of a natural life.”

Dennis Speigel, president of the Cincinnati-based consulting company International Theme Park Services, said that he thinks SeaWorld will treat the changes it makes in San Diego as a test case for the Orlando and San Antonio parks.

“But they’re testing it slowly to see if that’s the right direction and what impact that’s going to have on their business,” he said.

Speigel added that he expects SeaWorld to reconstitute the offerings at all of its theme parks to include more rides and attractions and to be more technologically driven.

Joel Manby, SeaWorld’s new CEO, has already announced plans to put greater emphasis on the company’s conservation and rescue efforts; the new orca show in San Diego will jibe with that strategy.

Logan of the University of Central Florida said a companywide focus on adventure and education is a good idea, “Where  becomes the hero for the animal rather than the user of the animal.”