"SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. has been fighting public-relations crises since 2010, when the orca Tilikum killed trainer Dawn Brancheau in Orlando. Controversy over killer whales at its theme parks has been fueled by last year's documentary 'Blackfish,' which suggested the stresses of life in captivity may have caused Tilikum to lash out. Just last month, Atchison told analysts that SeaWorld had hired new people with expertise in public affairs, along with outside advisers 'to help us navigate some of this.'

"The board was likely looking for someone who can better handle SeaWorld's public-relations problems, said Bob Boyd, a leisure analyst with Pacific Asset Management.

"Boyd said the board will probably ... seek someone who 'is less about the operations of the park and a lot more about how do we ... get people to understand our product better, how do we handle the public relations and the media aspect of SeaWorld. I think that's the biggest challenge they have now.' "