New Film BlackFish Causes SeaWorld Stocks to Sink

SeaWorld has experienced a plunge in profits, and the recent downturn in sales may be attributed to the release of 2013’s BlackFish, a documentary that exposes the animal suffering behind the theme park’s friendly facade. According to MarketWatch, SeaWorld’s stocks are down 25 percent from earlier this year, while the Orlando Sentinel reports that the chairman of the amusement park sold $1.3 million of his own company’s stocks last week. SeaWorld blamed its bad fortune on the weather, but the risk factors outlined in its public offerings registration seem to forebode what is happening now: “An accident or an injury at any of our theme parks … that receives media attention, is the topic of a book, film, documentary … may harm our brands or reputation, cause a loss of consumer confidence in the Company, reduce attendance at our theme parks and negatively impact our results of operations,” states the company.