SeaWorld’s new plans for Shamu make a splash on the Internet
Visitors to SeaWorld San Diego in 2006 watch as an orca passes by in a display tank.
Moments after SeaWorld said it would phase out its longtime killer whale show at its San Diego marine theme park, supporters and opponents took to Twitter to weigh in.
Instead of the show that has entertained park visitors for decades, the company said it would create a new orca experience in 2017 that would be "informative" and have a "conservation message inspiring people to act."
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The plan to phase out the orca show comes as SeaWorld continues to face criticism after the 2013 documentary "Blackfish" accused the park of abusing and neglecting its killer whales. SeaWorld has denied those accusations.
For some, the phase-out was a victory many years in the making. Others saw it as just a first step.
Some lamented the end of the shows and said they recalled past trips to the marine theme park.
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