5 min read The 5 Dumbest Things SeaWorld Has Done In Response To "Blackfish" (So Far)

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1) Manipulated a public opinion poll.

Last December, the Orlando Business Journal published an online poll to determine whether or not "Blackfish" had altered Orlando residents' perception of SeaWorld. When the results came in, they seemed overwhelmingly favorable to the theme park -- until a simple look at responders' IP addresses revealed that the incredible positivity came from a single computer network ... at SeaWorld. 2) Celebrated orca families -- with a campaign featuring separated orca families.

This past January, SeaWorld's Twitter account posted a photo and caption intended to celebrate orca families, claiming that "Everything [they] do in the care of whales is centered on the mother-calf bond." But, as a former SeaWorld trainer and "Blackfish" research assistant confirmed, the mother and calf featured in the ad had in fact been separated, with the mother in Texas and the calf in Spain. 3) Tried (and failed) to curry public favor by bringing penguins to a NYC bar.

This past January, in an effort to draw some positive media attention, SeaWorld planned a 50th anniversary celebration in New York City featuring two live penguins from one of its parks. The plan backfired, and SeaWorld was forced to cancel the event amidst public backlash from animal welfare organizations. 4) Bought a full-page newspaper ad -- in which they contradicted themselves.