SeaWorld Ad: "It's Time to Set the Record Straight"
Friday, December 20, 2013
By: Carmel Delshad

December 20th, 2013 | WMFE - "It's time to set the record straight"--that's what SeaWorld posted on their Facebook account earlier today, along with a link to a lengthy "open letter" responding to the park's recent bought of bad PR.

The letter  also ran as a full-page ad in several newspapers. It read, in part:

“Inaccurate reports recently have generated questions about SeaWorld and the animals in our care. The truth is in our parks and our people.”

The letter continued to strike down claims that SeaWorld captures killer whales in the wild and separates moms and calves.

Edmund Gerstein is director of marine mammal research at Florida Atlantic University, and a former trainer at SeaWorld.

He says that SeaWorld has to grapple with some of its old bad publicity, but he doesn’t exactly agree with the backlash the park is facing today.

“That’s a legacy Sea World unfortunately has to live with and bear. In the present day, I’m not so sure these criticisms are truly warranted," says Gerstein.

In a statement to 90.7 News, SeaWorld spokesman Nick Gollatscheck said "The open letter from SeaWorld published in major U.S. newspapers today addresses the misinformation being widely circulated by animal rights activists.  We felt it was important to tell the truth about our parks and the experiences we provide for the more than 10 million people who pass through the gates of a SeaWorld park each year."  

"In addition to providing enriching and educational experiences, our parks and the thousands of animals we care for, inspire visitors to conserve and protect the world we share," said Gollatscheck. 

SeaWorld has been embroiled in controversy after the release of the documentary "Blackfish,” which examines the 2010 death of trainer Dawn Brancheau.