After a year and a half of persistent social criticism, an acclaimed documentary and a rough fiscal quarter, SeaWorld announced Friday it would undergo a massive effort to upgrade the facilities in which it holds animals captive.
The chain of aquatic parks’ CEO Jim Atchison presented plans for a 50-foot-tall, 10 million gallon tank for its killer whales in San Diego, part of an initiative dubbed the Blue World Project. The new tank, which will open in 2018, will also include stimulating new environments for the massive and majestic creatures, which have evolved to live in the open ocean.