Ruling: SeaWorld Can No Longer Breed Orcas

The California Coastal Commission voted unanimously last week to approve SeaWorld’s $100 million proposed “Project Blue World” with the condition that the marine park can no longer breed its 11 captive killer whales. The commission also set limits on transferring the orcas in and out of the park, and banned SeaWorld from selling, transferring, or trading the whales. In the days before the vote, the California Coastal Commission received feedback from more than 250,000 individuals. “We are disappointed with the conditions that the California Coastal Commission placed on their approval of the Blue World Project and will carefully review and consider our options,” the park said. “Breeding is a natural, fundamental, and important part of an animal’s life, and depriving a social animal of the right to reproduce is inhumane.” No word on whether or not SeaWorld thinks keeping massive whales in tiny tanks is also inhumane.