SeaWorld's oldest pilot whale dies
SeaWorld's oldest pilot whale, Bubbles, died this week. Bubbles spent three decades performing at SeaWorld's San Diego, California location.
SeaWorld officials announced: "She has inspired and amazed more than 100 million guests for nearly 50 years. Loved by her trainers and veterinarians, Bubbles had been a member of the SeaWorld family for nearly 30 years."
See also: SeaWorld killer whale Tilikum is severely ill
See also: Beluga whale on loan to Seaworld dies in fight with other whales
Much controversy surrounds her death as animal rights activists say she did not deserve to spend a majority of her life in a tank.
John Hargrove, an author who used to be an orca trainer at SeaWorld, wrote on Twitter: "How tragic that her life for decades was in a concrete box."
SeaWorld has attracted plenty of controversy in recent years. In April 2015 the attraction was accused of drugging whales and painting over injuries. One woman from South Carolina sued the tourist attraction's Orlando branch for her money back.
Joyce Kuhl claimed that the whales were being kept in shallow pools of water and that SeaWorld was using zinc oxide to cover any injuries.
The 2013 documentary, Blackfish, initiated concerns with the practices used at SeaWorld.
The film focusses specifically on how captivity can cause aggression in Orcas and it tells the story of a SeaWorld trainer who was killed while interacting with a whale.
In October last year the California Coastal Commission banned the breeding of killer whales in captivity, which some have suggested may significantly impact SeaWorld.
