SeaWorld Opening New Theme Park, Minus Whales

(RTTNews) - SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Tuesday announced that it will develop a new SeaWorld park in Abu Dhabi in partnership with the Abu Dhabi government-backed Miral. It would be the first SeaWorld theme park outside the United States and will also not have any orcas.

In March, SeaWorld announced that it will put an end to captive breeding of killer whales or Orcas amidst pressure from animal rights activists. It will not collect marine mammals from the wild anymore and it will not release the mammals to the wild or to confined sea cages.

The new theme park will build on Abu Dhabi's manmade Yas Island. Miral will be funding the project, while SeaWorld will license the brand and will incur no capital expense.

The theme park will also include the United Arab Emirates' first dedicated marine life research, rescue, rehabilitation and return center.

SeaWorld's business has come under fire since the critical 2013 documentary 'Blackfish,' which was about Tilikum. The orca had dragged a trainer named Dawn Brancheau under the water to her death in his tank at the Orlando park. He also killed trainer at the now-defunct Sealand of the Pacific in British Columbia and a man trespassing on SeaWorld Orlando's property.