SeaWorld San Diego ‘ending’ orca shows but the killer whales will remain captive

SeaWorld San Diego is ending its long-running killer whale show after years of outcry and falling attendance prompted it to renounce theatrical orca displays.

The show that featured killer whales cavorting with trainers and leaping high out of the Shamu Stadium pool will have its final performances on Sunday.

This summer, the park will unveil a new attraction in the revamped pool. Orca Encounter is being billed as an educational experience that will show how killer whales eat, communicate and navigate.

The animals will still receive cues from trainers, however.

“You will still see a whale leaping out of the water,” Al Garver, a former orca trainer and vice president of zoological operations, told the San Diego Union-Tribune.