SeaWorld Lawsuit: “Shamu Show” Was A Sham That Masked “Ugly Truth” About Lives Of Whales At The Park

Despite attempting to reassure the public that all is well under its artificial seas, SeaWorld continues to face criticism from the general public: A new class-action lawsuit against SeaWorld claims that the park made hundreds of millions of dollars from its “Shamu Show,” all while hiding the truth of how its killer whales were treated.

In a class action lawsuit filed in the United States District Court Southern District of California [PDF], the lead plaintiff says that she would never have paid SeaWorld Entertainment for tickets or membership if she had known about alleged orca abuse.

While the park claimed that whales and humans there lived in harmony and played together for public entertainment, the lawsuit claims there’s a side to the park visitors don’t know about — and if they did, the park wouldn’t be raking in the dough.

“This illusion masks the ugly truth about the unhealthy and despairing lives of these whales. This is a truth that, if known to the purchasing public at the time families make the decision to visit SeaWorld, buy a membership, or pay for an ‘exclusive park experience,’ would lead them to seek entertainment elsewhere,” according to the May 7 lawsuit.

More