SeaWorld is currently embroiled in a lawsuit that may lead to huge changes to the 61-year-old theme park.
Located along the Mission Bay waterfront, SeaWorld San Diego is a marine-themed park known for its animal exhibits, thrilling rides, and educational programs. Since opening in 1964, it has attracted millions of visitors with dolphin shows, orca presentations, and interactive experiences designed to inspire conservation and a deeper appreciation for marine life.
Years of Troubles For SeaWorld
In recent years, however, SeaWorld has faced intense scrutiny over its captivity of marine animals, particularly orcas. Criticism escalated after the 2013 documentary Blackfish shed light on the consequences of keeping orcas in its San Diego, Orlando, and San Antonio parks. Amid a decline in attendance and public demand for reform, SeaWorld has since ended its orca breeding program and shifted its focus toward rescue efforts and animal rehabilitation.
But the drama isn’t over just yet. SeaWorld San Diego has found itself caught up in several legal disputes in recent years. In December 2024, it settled with the city of San Diego over allegations that it failed to pay more than $12.2 million in rent, late fees, and interest during the pandemic.
Its owner, United Parks and Resorts, also lost a legal battle with the owners of Sesame Street in 2024 following accusations that Sesame Place, SeaWorld, and Busch Gardens parks owed millions in unpaid licensing fees.
SeaWorld Faces Major Changes
Now, SeaWorld San Diego has been slapped with another lawsuit that threatens to massively disrupt the park’s operations.
Two environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld amid allegations that it illegally released pollutants into nearby Mission Bay during its fireworks displays. San Diego Coastkeeper and the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation (CERF) claim that the theme park has violated the federal Clean Water Act on multiple occasions, as well as the permit that currently allows it to carry out up to 150 fireworks displays a year.
The 39-page complaint claims that paper, plastic, and metal have all been left in the bay, along with high levels of metal pollutants like aluminum and copper. It also argues that this pollution harms marine life and discourages public use of the bay.
How Could This Impact SeaWorld?
Unlike the likes of Walt Disney World Resort, SeaWorld San Diego doesn’t conduct nighttime spectaculars all-year-round. It does, however, conduct regular shows through the summer and winter.
San Diego Coastkeeper and SERF want the court to block the shows until SeaWorld proves it can prevent further pollution.
“They would have to demonstrate that they can, at a minimum, do these shows in a way that does not pollute the bay,” said Phillip Musegaas, executive director of San Diego Coastkeeper (via The San Diego Tribune). “And that’s going to be hard for them, based on their history of not complying with this fireworks permit and just causing huge amounts of plastic pollution in the bay.”
This doesn’t currently appear to be the case. The two environmental groups claim in their filing that a dive inspection was conducted by CERF in October that discovered the sea floor was littered with fireworks debris, including “numerous” exposed wires, ignitors, and cross matches with sharp ends. “What we’re seeing is a lot of plastic debris mixed in with the seaweed that’s along the shoreline,” Musegaas said. “It’s kind of caught up in the seaweed and the algae, and as you walk along the edge of the beach on Fiesta Island, you’ll see it along the line of where the tide came in.”
Fireworks Linked To Bird Deaths in the Area
Ultimately, for a park dedicated to the conservation of wildlife, this isn’t a good look for SeaWorld. It’s also not the first time it’s faced criticism over its fireworks displays.
Last summer, the San Diego Audubon Society condemned SeaWorld San Diego for the impact of its pyrotechnics on birds in the area. Due to an increase in bird deaths, the group requested that the California Coastal Commission revoke SeaWorld San Diego’s fireworks permit through most of the breeding season.
It claimed that a significant number of dead unborn, chick and adult elegant terns – a breed that is defined as “near threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature – washed ashore at the Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve, a mere few days after SeaWorld San Diego and Discover Mission Bay detonated over 500 pounds of pyrotechnics for the Fourth of July.
“It seems like the adult terns and chicks got scared off the island,” said Andrew Meyer, director of conservation for the San Diego Audubon Society. “And when chicks get scared, not being good flyers, they run in groups and probably pushed many eggs into the water.”
The San Diego Audubon Society sent a letter to the California Coastal Commission with their complaints about SeaWorld San Diego, complete with images of the birds that were allegedly flying over the island during the fireworks, plus photos of the “panic flights of huge flocks of terns of 5,000-7,000 flying around during and after the show notably on July 4,” and the carcasses found after the event.
“There are so many reasons to not have fireworks shows,” said Meyer. “They’re being replaced by drone shows anyway that have less water quality, PTSD and wildlife impacts.”
Notably, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi – which is nearly entirely indoors, with the exception of its roller coaster, Manta – already boasts a nighty drone show instead of fireworks.
Do you think SeaWorld San Diego should continue its fireworks displays?
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