SeaWorlds third-quarter net income fell 28 percent compared to 2013, according to released by the company on Wednesday. As , the marine park chains shares were down more than 10 percent following news of the drop.
SeaWorld has been struggling for more than a year. The decline began with the July 2013 release of , a CNN documentary that questioned the treatment of SeaWorlds orca whales. Blackfish director Gabriela Cowperthwaite was inspired by a feature in 窪蹋勛圖厙 detailing the 2010 death of Dawn Brancheau, a SeaWorld trainer who was killed by six-ton orca named Tilikum. Two months prior to Brancheaus death, a trainer at a Canary Islands zoological park was also killed by an orca hed been training.
Attendance at SeaWorld parks also dropped by half a million people in the third quarter compared to 2013, from 8.9 million to 8.4 million. In its financial analysis, the company attributed this decline to a combination of factors including negative media attention in California along with a challenging competitive environment, particularly in Florida.
CEO Jim Atchinson said the company is executing a cost-savings plan and adjusting its attraction and marketing plans and feels confident that these actions will enable us to overcome current challenges we face and enhance our competitive standing.