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SeaWorld to open new Shamu show next spring
Shamu will get a new show next spring at the SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Antonio and San Diego.
The killer whale show will replace "Believe," which debuted four years ago. There's no word yet as to whether SeaWorld's killer whale trainers will be in the water with the orcas in the new show.
The trainers have been out of the water since the February death of Dawn Brancheau at SeaWorld Orlando, forcing a hasty rework of "Believe," a show which focuses on the interaction between killer whales and humans. I have seen the show twice since the rework, and the storyline just doesn't work now, because the trainers were such a big part of it.
SeaWorld Parks President and CEO Jim Atchison told the Orlando Sentinel that the new show was in the works before Brancheau's death, but the timetable for launching the new show has been accelerated. Atchison also said the safety review launched in February has influenced the new show's development.
More details about the show are expected to be released in the next few weeks.
[Image credit: Flickr user Abi Skipp]
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Filed under: North America, United States, Theme Parks
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Steven R. Russell Nov 17th 2010 2:13PM
I live in Orlando, and graduated from high school in San Antonio. But I have mixed emotions on the decision to return the show at the Sea World locations in Orlando, San Antonio, and San Diego.
Oh well, I guess that we shall see what we shall see.
Kath Nov 17th 2010 5:37PM
Steven,
I read this story and scrolled down to read the comments; to understand how others felt.
The only information I learned from your post is:
(a) You graduated HS in San Antonio, and
(b) You currently live in Orlando.
What do either of these facts have to do with ANYTHING regarding the shows at SeaWorld?
Kath
Al Schrader Nov 17th 2010 6:26PM
That woman is dead. Let the whales go free. I don't care for PETA or SHARK. I eat meat. But...Some things are just plain wrong....Al-
jaguar02 Nov 17th 2010 3:56PM
Society should invest all the monies spent on building, staffing and maintaining these theme parks into purchasing and preserving natural habitats ,leaving the sea animals in the sea with their family pods and other animals in their natural habitat. People do not like it when they are kidnapped, caged, abused, neglected, etc. Respect the planet and all it's precious habitants.
jerry Nov 17th 2010 5:25PM
These animals are niether abused or neglected! The animals at Seaworld Orlando are treated like Kinks . They have the're every need taken care of and are in the best of health as can be atested to by the round the clock(yes, someone is with them 24 hours a day) vets and trainers.Most of the animals are captive born and could not be released in to the wild. Please verify your facts before you speak.
Al Schrader Nov 17th 2010 6:38PM
I know what. The thing has to jump out of the tank and eat about 12 people, not like it can't, it weighs 12,000 pounds - T w e l v e t h o u s a n d p o u n d s. Let the whales go free. Why do I have to be the guy that says the king has no clothes ? Al-
doug Nov 17th 2010 4:05PM
How about a historic themed show where guys in a longboat row around the whale tank and when ready harpoon the beast. Now that would pack in the crowds and bring in a ton of money. Yo Ho Yo Ho dada dada dada.
sharon Nov 17th 2010 4:30PM
Has anyone heard if something ever came out of that woman trying to sue Sea World because Dawn got attacked and her son now suffers nightmares and is just scarred to death?? Can't believe the gall of some people.
hunter Nov 17th 2010 5:31PM
I think that Sea World has come to their end of the road. So many people have become educated through the cruelity of animals over the past decades by many shows and books that .....no wild animal should be held captive, even for what "Sea World "calls for education purposes. I have heard all about how well they are fed and what great care they get,....I don't by it. WE as humans have souls and spirits and so do any of God's creatures. They need love and to be free not held in little pools and hand fed by doing tricks. I havent been to Sea World in 10 years and I live in Orlando Florida. I will not ever return either....I believe "Sea World" is like any other huge corporation,....it is about MONEY....PERIOD!!!! SET THE WHALES FREE!!!!
Debbie Nov 17th 2010 5:34PM
I know they are taken care , and so much is learned because they are there but, I to have mixed feeling about this. I have seen the shows and the whales and trainers are wonderful. The whales are so neat to look at. In the wild they are bigger and allowed to be free.
They are so smart. The whales live in a big tank and it seems like it at least the tank could be larger! If they are going to be put on display should the home they have be bigger at least.
jaguar02 Nov 17th 2010 5:43PM
jerry, the one's born in captivity would have been born in the natural if there were never such captivity of these creatures. Just because they are surrounded by food and care 24/7 doesn't make it right or that the animals are happy. Do yourself a favor and research the psychology of captive and caged animals, no matter how pretty their artificially created environment surrounded by people , doing dumb azz tricks to entertain dumb azz people that cannot be entertain themselves. Next time, read that book and don't chew it's cover
Kay Jamison Nov 17th 2010 6:05PM
I have been to Sea World many times for vacation and love it. But my family and I were very disappointed in the Shamu show. We remembered when the trainers rode around the tank on the animals and interacted with them It was a VERY boring show this past summer. Thank heavens the trainers swam with the dolphins to make our time worthwhile watching it. Can't wait to go back and see the people and whales swimming together.
sidney Nov 17th 2010 6:47PM
i am not a fan of animals being treated cruely or held in captive forpeople to gawk at. and yes, i think the pool for the Shamu's is too small also, however, without these animals maybe the next generation of conservationists and even vets gets smaller. not everyone is able to tour the world to see these animals up close and personal. watchnig it on TV is not the same as seeing them in person for the beautiful creatures they are. All animals in captivity should be well cared for and allowed room to roam in their enclosures. Animals born in captivity cant be tossed into the ocean or the jungle, they dont know how to fend for themselves or hunt. you may as well throw your poodle out and tell it to fend for itself. it is our fault for raising animals that are uneducated in their natural world. but i do believe that up close access to the animals, great and small, wet or dry is important to their conservation. they have t o be well cared for and treated humanely but without that personal experience a lot is lost. conservation may be lost on countless numbers of humans that might have actually done some small thing or played some small part in its efforts. what if Jane Goodall had never seen a chimp ? who would carry the torch for them ? if the next generation cannot be exposed to what's out there, how will they ever know why animals should be protected or treated humanely ? zoo's are a necessary evil, so are stables that lock horse's in 12*12 boxes, so are people that crate their dogs so they dont eat the furniture and people that keep cats indoors rather then risk injury or death roaming the streets. we cant turn them all loose. we shouldn't be dragging wild animals out of their habitats, there are plenty of good breeding programs so more animals are being born in captivity. but a computer screen or a tv screen does very little to inspire the way seeing any wild animal in person can.
Jeannette Nov 17th 2010 7:08PM
Please! No more captive whales! Let them live their lives at sea where God put them!
Liz Nov 17th 2010 6:59PM
Isn't it time to stop putting these animals on display. As a society haven't we advanced any further then the neanderthal? A majestic animal such as a whale needs to be in their own natural environment not penned up and putting on shows for people. When the animal has taken all it can and strikes back then it's called a rogue and destroyed. I'm for disbanding any shows involving animals, get your jolly's elsewhere. I urge people to STOP going to these shows, stop putting the almighty dollar in the pockets of people who would infringe on such animals. Shame on them all.
Jeannette Nov 17th 2010 7:18PM
Hi, Sidney! All animals should be allowed to be themselves in their natural habitat. They were not created to be our 'entertainment'. The most wonderful thing about wild animals is the fact that they are 'wild' and beautiful in their 'real life'. Once we take away their freedom and hold them captive, you have killed the one thing that makes them so special and beautiful.
Carlos Nov 17th 2010 7:15PM
HOPEFULLY THEY WILL USE BETTER TRAINED EMPLOYEES THIS TIME.
Me Nov 17th 2010 7:56PM
It would sure be nice to have all the whales in the ocean where no one could see them. Unfortunately, that isn't the way it is! There are animals in captivity, many of them born there. As long as they are taken care of, I am grateful for the chance to see them and I am getting tired of the same pointless, dumb complaints about it. As the failure of Keiko has shown us, you can't dump captive born animals in the wild and expect them to survive. Get with reality. It sucks that they are there, but as long as they are, help to watch out for them. The boycott zoo's attiude will only hurt the animals these stupid groups are supposedly trying to protect.