Sweet victory! After hearing from PETA, Snickers—a one-time official partner of SeaWorld—confirmed that it has ended its years-long sponsorship of the abusement park. In thanks, PETA sent the candy connoisseur a box of delicious vegan chocolate whales. Snickers joins a long list of brands—including Mott’s, Hyundai Motor America, Panama Jack, and Thomas Cook as well as Air Canada, WestJet, JetBlue, and Southwest airlines—that have cut ties with SeaWorld.
VICTORY! @snickers is NO LONGER an official partner of #SeaWorld!
It made the sweet decision to cut ties after hearing from PETA. In thanks, we’re sending a box of #vegan chocolate whales! pic.twitter.com/IaQrRrO2oM
— PETA (@peta) March 19, 2020
Can you imagine spending the rest of your life trapped on an airplane with strangers, never having enough space to get comfortable? The frustration most of us feel after just a few hours on a plane is what bottlenose dolphins, orcas, and other animals trapped in SeaWorld’s cramped tanks are forced to endure for their entire lives. It’s speciesist to believe that the animals at SeaWorld don’t yearn for the same things that humans take for granted: the ability to move about freely wherever they wish to go, a chance to be alone or with loved ones, and a life of their own making.
Snickers made a sweet decision by cutting ties with a company that keeps marine mammals in cramped concrete cells, where they go crazy, deprived of everything that’s natural and important to them. No decent person or reputable company should support SeaWorld’s animal exploitation, and PETA is calling for the animals’ release to seaside sanctuaries.
Why Are Companies Ending Their SeaWorld Sponsorships?
More than 40 orcas, over 300 other dolphins and whales, and approximately 400 seals, sea lions, and walruses have died at SeaWorld’s parks. Last month, the company agreed to pay $65 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that it had misled investors about the negative impact that Blackfish was having on the business.
Following a months-long PETA campaign that included a damning veterinary report, a shareholder question asked by Alec Baldwin, numerous local ads, and more, SeaWorld stopped having trainers ride on dolphins’ backs and will soon end their practice of standing on dolphins’ faces in abhorrent circus-style shows.
Snickers, once the “official candy bar of SeaWorld,” made the right call by refusing to support the exploitation of sensitive and intelligent marine animals.
