BY MEGHANN BIGG

THE SeaWorld theme park in the US state of California is to phase out controversial public displays by killer whales, its chief executive has said.

Joel Manby announced that 2017 will be the last year of the show in San Diego. He said that the move was part of a strategy that seeks to reverse falling visitor numbers at the company’s 11 parks across the US.

The company has faced intense criticism by activists who say keeping the whales in captivity is cruel and unnecessary.

In October, Californian authorities prohibited SeaWorld from breeding animals in captivity, calling into question the future of the park’s popular killer whale attraction. The BBC’S Los Angeles correspondent James Cook says the San Diego show will reportedly be replaced with a new Orca experience in a ‘more natural’ setting but it is not clear what exactly it will involve.

SeaWorld’s popularity was damaged and attendance fell at its parks – especially in California – following the critically acclaimed 2013 documentary Blackfish, which highlighted the impact of captivity. They have dismissed the film as inaccurate and misleading, pointing out that they have not captured a whale for more than 35 years.

The park at San Diego is the company’s second biggest and since the outbreak of criticism, the company have sought to improve its fortunes with a fresh marketing campaign and discount offers.