United Airlines is the latest in the list of major travel companies who have cut all ties with SeaWorld.

In response to requests from PETA, the airline has stopped selling tickets to the marine park, and removed all traces of promotional material for SeaWorld from its website.

UA joins airlines such as Alaska, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, Sunwing, and WestJet, as well as Virgin Holidays, in refusing to promote and deal with the exploitative attraction.

Senior Vice President of PETA, Lisa Lange, says: “United Airlines made the right call to cut ties with a park that confines orcas and other dolphins to concrete tanks that, to them, are the size of bathtubs. 

“SeaWorld is still breeding generation after generation of dolphins to be ridden around like surfboards in sea circus shows, and PETA urges anyone who cares about animals to stay away.”

A release from PETA explains: “In nature, orcas may swim as far as 140 miles in a day and bottlenose dolphins may swim up to 60 miles a day, dive to depths of nearly 1,500 feet, and maintain dynamic relationships within a large social network. At SeaWorld, 140 of them are squeezed into just seven small tanks and can’t escape attacks from other frustrated, aggressive dolphins.”

Marine animals in captivity, much like land animals, display stressful behaviours such as teeth-grinding and swimming in circles. 

While wild orcas generally live from 50-80 years, SeaWorld has had over 40 orcas die in captivity, at an average age of 14.

• Read: ‘Chicken, beef or nothing’: campaigners fight for in-flight vegan meals to be introduced as standard

What do you think of marine parks such as SeaWorld? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Marlon Farrugia

Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and animal rights is a strong theme in much of his work. He is primarily a humorist and fiction writer, with a background in theatre and music. Visit him at marlonwrites.com.

See author's posts