SeaWorld's Very Rotten Year by Death At SeaWorld author David Kirby --
http://takepart.com/article/2013/12/30/seaworlds-very-rotten-year

Via The Orca Project: @SeaWorld's letter to major media shows they are in full blown panic mode due to #Blackfish effect!

http://seaworld.com/en/truth/killer-whales/letter/

Open Letter BACK to SeaWorld: Former visitor Amy Costanzo sets the record straight with a point-by-point rebuttal after SeaWorld launched a costly campaign in response to the global awareness that the Blackfish documentary is raising about the reality of orca captivity: 

http://theorcaproject.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/open-letter-seaworld/

Marineland Antibes have just today announced the birth of a new baby orca at their park. This is the second surviving calf born to Wikie. Her first calf, Moana, was born in March 2011. This new calf made it into the news just one day after birth, with sources hinting that the calf might be inbred (http://digitaljournal.com/article/362629). A recent status update from the French entertainment park provides some information about the newborn (apologies for the rough translation via Google Translate): 

"Born on the night of November 20 to 21, the baby of about 150 kilos shows particularly close to his mother Wikie.

Performing regularly and successfully breeding of dolphins, gray sharks, sea lions, penguins ... the largest marine park in Europe has the pleasure of attending the birth of her sixth baby orca.

This event represents the second generation orcas born on site because Wikie mom was born in 2001 at Marineland, confirms the success in terms of reproduction and survival of species.

Our animal and veterinary teams take turns day and night to ensure the health and well-being of the baby, whose sex will be determined later.

A contest on our Facebook page will be made for the choice of name."

https://www.facebook.com/notes/marineland/un-bébé-orque-est-né-à-marineland-/10151858311163123

A win-win solution for captive orcas and marine theme parks by Naomi Rose (featured in "Death at SeaWorld":
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/24/opinion/blackfish-captive-orcas-solutions/index.html?sr=sharebar_facebook

Willie Nelson follows in the footsteps of Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies and cancels his scheduled performance at SeaWorld. SeaWorld says it was a scheduling conflict, Willie says it was his choice in response to the way they treat their orca. He says, "What they do at SeaWorld is not okay." Willie goes on to say that there is nothing that SeaWorld could do or say to change his mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLvY8RS-c-o

SeaWorld's "Shamu Show" and the "Dine with Shamu" experience will be taking a break for the first three months of next year. 

This announcement follows shortly after the chairman of SeaWorld sold nearly $1.3 million worth of company stock and plans were filed by the Blackstone Group to sell their majority stake in the business. This dumping of SeaWorld stock can be linked to the plummeting price of SeaWorld's shares but does it also relate to falling park attendance? And is this the result of the "Blackfish" movie documentary that has taken the world by storm? We think so. 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/blogs/theme-park-rangers/os-seaworld-orlando-shamu-show-20131202,0,5807121.post

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-11-06/business/os-seaworld-chairman-sells-shares-20131106_1_seaworld-orlando-seaworld-marine-parks-tampa-and-williamsburg

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/blog/tourism-central/os-blackstone-to-sell-more-seaworld-shares-giving-up-its-majority-20131120,0,6365903.post

via Russian Orcas: wild-caught female Russian orca Narnia and a young male captured this year have reportedly been sent to a new dolphinarium in Moscow, which is said to be the largest oceanarium in Europe. Read below for more information:

After a year in a small holding pool near Vladivostok, yesterday 2 Dec., Narnia, a young female orca about 5m long and weighing 2.7 tons, was reportedly sent by cargo aircraft IL-76 to her final destination in a new Moscow Dolphinarium and Aquarium. Along with her was one of the orcas captured this year, a young male only 1.7 tons. They transferred at Krasnoyarsk airport then finished the 10-hour journey across Russia to the new Moscow Aquarium and Dolphinarium, said to be the largest oceanarium in Europe. No more news yet on the 2 orcas said to be going to Sochi for the Olympics.

Please support Morgan in London on the date of her appeal hearing! On Tuesday 3rd December there will be a demonstration outside of the Dutch Embassy in London (38 Hyde Park Gate, SW7 5DP) starting at 9am. Let's show the world how important it is to give Morgan her chance at freedom! For more information, please join the event https://www.facebook.com/events/655934177770581/