SeaWorld: Top news
Georgia Aquarium announced on November 17th that they will not appeal the case of the import of 18 beluga whales from Russia. This puts an end to their efforts to seek an import permit.
Our coalition, which includes Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project, Animal Welfare Institute, Whale & Dolphin Conservation, and Cetacean Society International, had intervened in the case as defendants in support of NMFS, which denied Georgia Aquarium’s import permit application.
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“SeaWorld fully intends to continue forced breeding of orcas in captivity,” says David Phillips, Director of the International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute. “They will continue to keep orcas in concrete tanks with no intention of retirement or release. They intend to continue to import and export orcas to other captive facilities.”
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Headlines proclaiming that SeaWorld is ending it's shows were misleading - they are ending "theatrical" shows, and replacing them with new shows.
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Mark J. Palmer, Associate Director of the Earth Island Institute's International Marine Mammal Project, testifies to the California Coastal Commission against SeaWorld San Diego's proposed Blue World project.
Palmer encouraged the development of rehabilitation and release facilities, pointing out that there exist good candidates for release at SeaWorld. One such candidate is the orca Corky, whom was stolen from the Pacific Northwest population. A banner for Corky was presented to the commission with help from Michael Reppy, who also presented later in the day.
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Dr. Ingrid Visser flew all the way from New Zealand to make a presentation to the California Coastal Commission regarding SeaWorld's proposed Blue World Project. She was the first speaker to address the issues following a presentation by SeaWorld representatives.
Dr. Visser, who has extensive experience with studying orcas in the wild, made compelling comparisons between wild individuals and those in SeaWorld's tanks, illustrating how damaging captivity is for these wide-ranging beings.
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For many years, Sara Wan was a member and the chairperson of the California Coastal Commission. So, what she had to say to the Commission carried with it extra weight.
Luckily for the captive orcas of SeaWorld, Sara was on their side!
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Everyone wants to know what will SeaWorld do now that their tank expansion plan can only happen if orca breeding ends. Here is a review of some of their options.
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In a stunning victory, the California Coastal Commission conditioned SeaWorld San Diego’s expansion of orca tanks (called by SeaWorld the “Blue World Project”) on SeaWorld ending breeding or moving captive orcas into California, effectively telling SeaWorld to phase out captive orcas.
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The Latest on Earth Island Institute's SeaWorld Lawsuit
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We at Earth Island and activists dedicated to ending the captivity of cetaceans are celebrating the victory in federal court in Atlanta. In a huge win, Judge Amy Totenberg denied the Georgia Aquarium the permit they sought in order to import 18 wild-caught beluga whales from a population in Russia that is sorely depleted.
"This federal court ruling is a stunning rebuke to every captive whale facility that tries to profit off ripping belugas, orcas and other marine mammals from the wild, despite cruel capture methods and damage to their populations,” stated David Phillips, Director of the International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute.
The court victory has many ramifications. Russia, along with Taiji, Japan, and Cuba, is becoming a major source of captive marine mammals, as other sources around the world have either been depleted or closed to the dolphin trade by activists and governments.
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Campaign Top News
- International Marine Mammal Project >
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From pushing for sanctuaries for Wikie & Keijo and 30 beluga whales, to opposing attempts to gut the Endangered Species and Marine Mammal Protection Acts, to protecting wetlands in the Barataria basin, the International Marine Mammal Project has accomplished a great deal in 2025 for whales and dolphins.
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What is it like being a student intern at the International Marine Mammal Project? An internship can be life-changing for a student. Our intern Jillian talks about her experience with IMMP.
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From battling the whaling industry in Japan and Iceland, to exposing the continued slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan, to saving the lives of tens of thousands of dolphins annually through Dolphin Safe tuna, the International Marine Mammal Project has accomplished a lot in 2024.
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- Save Japan Dolphins >
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The Taiji dolphin drive hunts have again ended, killing hundreds of dolphins for meat after removing "show quality" animals for a miserable life in captivity. Numbers were slightly higher this year for slaughter, although historically low compared to recent years.
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Three species of dolphins have been captured and slaughtered over the past month as the bloody Taiji dolphin drive hunts continue. Most of the dolphins you see in these photos are now dead. The hunts end on March 1st, but six months later, they will begin again.
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A former dolphin trainer explains the damage done by dolphin and small whale captures in Taiji, Japan. Learn the facts about how the aquarium industry sources wild dolphins for a lifetime of misery in small concrete tanks.
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- Dolphin + Whale Project >
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With only 380 individual whales remaining, the North Atlantic right whale population will decline if the killing of whales continues. Here's the story of two right whales, Division and Porcia's calf, both victims of our modern society, too much in a hurry.
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Congress is considering passing HR 1897, legislation to comprehensively gut the federal Endangered Species Act, our most important wildlife law. You can help by urging your members of the House to vote NO on HR 1897.
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In 2024, 95 large whales were reported entangled during the year. As many as 10 to 20 times as many whales may have been entangled and sunk, never to be recorded. Here is the story of these tragic entanglements in plastic fishing gear.
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- Keiko Whale Rescue >
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Like most cetaceans, beluga whales do poorly in captivity. Many are now kept in aquariums around the world -- some get stranded once the aquarium or park goes broke and shuts down. Learn about the beluga whale, and why it is a bad idea to keep them in small concrete tanks.
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We are deeply saddened at the death of orca whale Tokitae. Calls for her release were denied for decades and it’s shameful that she never got a chance to go home.
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30 years ago, the movie "Free Willy" was a huge hit. The plight of its orca star, Keiko, touched the public along with the moving story. Read how the International Marine Mammal Project took that spark of concern and returned Keiko to his home waters. SeaWorld and other captive dolphin parks would never be the same!
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- Dolphin Safe Fishing >
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Every year, we estimate that the Dolphin Safe label on tuna cans saves the lives of 90,000 dolphins annually in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean, and many more in other oceans of the world. You, as a consumer, should know how the Dolphin Safe label works to protect dolphins in global tuna fisheries.
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A new Marine Mammal Protection Act has been proposed for the Philippines, with strong support from our IMMP Philippines office, with the support of Representative Co. Read about this new legislation to protect endangered species like the Irrawaddy dolphin and other Filipino whales and dolphins.
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Trixie Concepcion heads up our active office for dolphins in the Philippines. A major tuna fishing nation, plus an island nation with many local cetaceans, provides opportunities for Trixie and her staff to tackle major environmental issues in that country and the Western Pacific Ocean.
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- Freeing Orca Whales from Captivity >
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The orcas Wikie and her son Keijo are still trapped in Marineland in France. Marineland wants the orcas to go to Loro Parque Zoo, an aquarium in Spain with one of the worst records of captive orca deaths. IMMP is urging the French government to instead retire Wikie and Keijo to a seaside sanctuary in Nova Scotia.
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Captivity in small concrete aquarium tanks is hard and often fatal for whales and dolphins. Dr. Lori Marino and her colleagues have laid out the issues for cetaceans in captivity in a new scientific article, building a powerful scientific case for ending captivity for whales and dolphins.
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Four captive orcas died in their concrete tanks in 2025, never to see or feel the ocean ever again. This tragic death march will continue until all captive cetaceans are retired to seaside sanctuaries. Learn about Katina, Kshamenk, Earth, and Kamea -- all dead.
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- Freeing Wikie & Keijo >