[MAIL] Trainers at SeaWorld will no longer ride or stand dolphins at the theme parks after coming under fire to stop the practice by PETA and other animal rights activists.Years after the documentary Blackfish galvanized a movement to end SeaWorld's killer whale performances, animal rights activists have long called for an end to 'circus-style' dolphin shows at the parks.
The 2013 film revealed the company's mistreatment of its orcas and the company's reputation has suffered ever since.
Last year, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) issued a report documenting physical and behavioral harm it says dolphins suffer from their use in live shows and confinement in captivity.
Of greatest concern was the practice of trainers riding dolphins through the water while standing on their backs and beaks, said Dr. Heather Rally, a PETA Foundation veterinarian.
Such stunts strain the marine mammals' sensitive lower jaws in a way that can damage their hearing, injure joints and muscles and worsen other injuries caused by confinement within holding tanks where the dolphins are kept.
'We are asking SeaWorld to at least stop standing on dolphins' faces and using them as surf-boards in these ridiculous circus-style shows,' Rally said.