SeaWorld will lay off 350 employees nationwide by the end of the fiscal year, the company announced Tuesday, Oct. 18.
Officials called the move a restructuring to lower administrative costs, increase efficiency and pivot towards growth initiatives to boost attendance across its 12 entertainment waterpark portfolio. SeaWorld employs 5,000 full-time employees and approximately 8,300 part-time employees, according to the company.
The layoffs will primarily hit administrative positions at the corporate headquarters in Orlando and the SeaWorld parks in San Diego and Orlando, a SeaWorld spokesman said. The number of positions impacted at SeaWorld San Diego is 79.
“We do not take this task lightly,” the company said in a statement. “It is an unfortunate, but necessary, consequence of the restructuring that some positions will be lost. For those employees, we are offering severance benefits and outplacement assistance to help with their transition.”
Since the release of the 2013 “Blackfish” documentary, which criticized how the park handles its orca killer whale show, SeaWorld has seen its attendance drop. In SeaWorld San Diego, attendance fell from 4.3 million in 2013 to 3.5 million in 2016, according to the Themed Entertainment Association, an industry trade group.
Though officials have defended their handling of orcas, SeaWorld ended its orca-breeding program last year and made changes to its killer whale shows this year. The park also created a new submarine ride that will be called “Ocean Explorer.”
“We remain committed to creating world-class guest experiences, providing comprehensively for the care of all our animals, and continuing our company’s focus on stranded marine animal rescue and ocean conservation initiatives,” company officials said.
