SeaWorld's Larger Killer Whale Habitats Fail to Appease Animal Rights Advocates

'A bigger prison is still a prison'

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It may end up being a drop in the ocean, but SeaWorld is countering the rising tide of bad publicity, plunging investor confidence and the loss of a key sponsor.

How? By building new swimming pools for its captive killer whales.

The 10-million gallon enclosures will roughly double the size of the current tanks and feature a fast-moving current the whales can swim against. Dubbed "orca environments," the tanks are scheduled to start opening in 2018 in San Diego and, later, at the theme park's Orlando and San Antonio locations.

But if SeaWorld hopes that repositioning itself as a conservation-minded brand (and not an oceanic circus where killer whales perform acrobatics in tight quarters), it's headed for disappointment.

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