SeaWorld has been offered $250,000 – if it agrees to release all the orcas, other dolphins it’s holding and lets them move to sanctuaries.

The offer was made by vegan charity PETA, which wrote to the marine amusement park, saying it is currently facing a number of problems.

SeaWorld

Among them are SeaWorld’s CEO Sergio Rivera resigning – the company’s fourth CEO to do so in the last five years – the park’s closure due to the coronavirus outbreak, and 90 percent of its staff being on furlough.

In addition, the park has seen profits and visitor numbers fall since the 2013 release of documentary Blackfish, which lifted the lid on some of the suffering experienced by animals held at SeaWorld’s facilities.

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Your CEO just resigned. Your parks are closed due to #COVID19. 90% of your employees are furloughed. #SEAWORLD: We’ll give you a quarter of a million dollars toward building a seaside sanctuary—if you agree to retire all dolphins and whales. Tap the link in our profile to learn more: http://peta.vg/2rxk

A post shared by PETA (@peta) on Apr 6, 2020 at 6:48pm PDT

Sanctuary

Now PETA has written to interim CEO Marc Swanson offering a quarter of a million dollars toward building a seaside sanctuary ‘in exchange for a binding agreement stipulating that you will release the orcas, other dolphins, and whales SeaWorld is now denying any semblance of happiness or a natural life’.

PETA President, Ingrid Newkirk, said: “This is SeaWorld’s moment to win back all the families who won’t pay to see marine mammals being deprived of everything that’s natural and important to them and trapped in concrete cells.

“PETA will pay up to get the ball rolling on a seaside sanctuary where orcas, other dolphins, and whales could finally dive deep, feel the ocean currents, and enjoy a more natural life.”

Plant Based News has contacted SeaWorld for comment.