- SeaWorld opened its first international location in May in the United Arab Emirates.
- The location features no orcas but includes thousands of other animals.
SeaWorld's newest park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, which opened its doors in May, is the first SeaWorld location that does not feature orcas.
The park, announced in 2016, said it would not be holding orcas at the onset. The decision came a couple of years after the documentary "Blackfish," which highlighted the aggressive behavior of orcas at SeaWorld Orlando. The film's main claim is that the captivity of the whales led to the aggressive behavior.
Research shows it is not uncommon for animals in captivity to display signs of aggression. SeaWorld announced a few years later that it would no longer breed killer whales.
This does not mean that cute critters, big and small, will be absent from the park, which is the first SeaWorld location to open in over 30 years. A press release from SeaWorld claims that the park is the world's largest marine aquarium and houses 68,000 marine animals, including sharks, manta rays, and sea turtles.
Next to the park is the Yas SeaWorld Research & Rescue, the "first dedicated marine rescue and rehabilitation center" in the country. The facility is meant for ecologists and conservationists to study and rescue marine wildlife.
The park is certified by American Humane, but has yet to submit a certification application to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums — the "gold standard" for animal certification — the Associated Press reported.
One of said marine animals is an 800-pound walrus named Smooshi and her calf, Koyuk. Smooshi, who hailed from Ontario, Canada, found a new home in the UAE after activists accused her former home, Marineland — a Canadian theme park similar to SeaWorld — of not adequately taking care of her, CBC reported.
Inside the Magic reported that in lieu of orcas, dolphins are taking over the park's headline shows, with trainers working outside of the water as the marine mammals flip and jump for the duration of the 20-minute performance.
SeaWorld has recently come under fire after it was discovered that dolphins at the Orlando facility acted aggressively and attacked a bottlenose named Rascal until it could no longer lift its tail. The US Department of Agriculture later cited the park for high levels of chlorine in dolphin tanks.
Animal rights groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have criticized the parks for continuing to keep and train dolphins and seals, saying that the company is "built on the suffering of intelligent, social beings," the AP reported.
The $1.2 billion project on Yas Island, an entertainment hub in Abu Dhabi with multiple theme parks and a Formula 1 circuit, is built on five indoor levels, each displaying various ocean environments around the world, per a press statement. The park also boasts a roller coaster that features the "world's first zero-gravity" coaster flip, according to the park, as well as a ceiling that displays drone footage of oceans.
The park was built in partnership with Miral Asset Management, a developer based in Abu Dhabi and owned by the state.
Representatives for SeaWorld did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.