Editing SeaWorld (section)

==History==
[[File:Shamu with trainer.jpg|thumb|right|Kasatka, one of SeaWorld San Diego's nine killer whales, performs during a routine Shamu Adventure show.]]
[[File:SeaWorldORL08-04-01a.JPG|thumb|right|Trainer "surfing" on top of Katina, a killer whale at SeaWorld Orlando.]]
[[File:SeaWorldORL08-04-01b.JPG|thumb|right|Marble, Porter, Jensen, Starbuck, Baretta, and Clyde performing in Blue Horizons at SeaWorld Orlando.]]
SeaWorld was founded in 1964 by [[Milton Shedd]], [[Kenneth S. Norris|Ken Norris]], David Demott and [[George Millay]]. The four graduates of [[UCLA]] originally set out to build an underwater restaurant and marine life show.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/28/business/milton-shedd-79-co-founder-of-seaworld.html|title=Milton Shedd, 79, Co-Founder of SeaWorld|date=May 28, 2002|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=June 4, 2009|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> When the underwater restaurant concept was deemed unfeasible, they scrapped those plans and decided to build a park instead, and [[SeaWorld San Diego]] was opened on March 21, 1964.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nuELAAAAIBAJ&pg=6918,3631628&dq=seaworld|title=Watch, Touch and Explore at SeaWorld|date=June 13, 1974|newspaper=The Evening Independent|access-date=June 4, 2009}}</ref> With only a few dolphins, sea lions, 6 attractions and {{convert|22|acre|m2}}, the park proved to be a success and more than 400,000 guests visited in the first 12 months.

After considering other locations in the midwest, including the Lake Milton/[[Newton Falls, Ohio|Newton Falls]] area west of [[Youngstown, Ohio]], it was decided that [[Aurora, Ohio]] would be the new home of a SeaWorld. The park opened on May 29, 1970.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rose |first=Cindy |date=May 30, 1970 |title=Killer Whale Whacks Ball and Sea World Sets Sail |pages=B6 |work=[[Akron Beacon Journal]]}}</ref> The Aurora site was approximately {{convert|15|mi|km}} northwest of the Lake Milton site and {{convert|30|mi|km}} southeast of Cleveland.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=luENAAAAIBAJ&pg=7234,3462252&dq=seaworld|title=SeaWorld: Whales in Blue-Collar Land|last=Markowitz|first=Jack|date=July 27, 1972|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|access-date=June 4, 2009}}</ref> By this time, the founders of the company had captured a few more species of animals, including a killer whale that was brought to the new facility. The harsh winter climate permitted the park to be open only from mid-May until mid-September.

The [[Walt Disney World|Walt Disney World Resort]] in [[Orlando, Florida]] opened near the end of the second operating season of [[SeaWorld Ohio]]. The success of Disney in Orlando provided a location that was already popular with tourists. [[SeaWorld Orlando]] opened in 1973.

[[Harcourt Trade Publishers|Harcourt Brace Jovanovich]], Inc. (HBJ) purchased the company in 1976 and 12 years later they built a new park in [[Texas]]. In 1988, [[SeaWorld San Antonio]] opened just a few miles outside of [[San Antonio]].<ref name="deseret">{{cite news|url=http://www.kens5.com/news/remembering-when/headlines/1988-San-Antonio-welcomes-Shamu-and-Sea-World-130203978.html|title=1988: San Antonio welcomes Shamu and SeaWorld|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310214030/http://www.kens5.com/news/remembering-when/headlines/1988-San-Antonio-welcomes-Shamu-and-Sea-World-130203978.html|archive-date=March 10, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Growth has pushed the city outwards and now SeaWorld San Antonio lies in the Westover Hills community in West San Antonio. The park was open year-round like its sister parks in California and Florida in 1988 and 1989, then went to a seasonal schedule.

In May 1987, [[Robert Maxwell]]'s British Printing and Communication Corporation (BPCC) made an unsolicited bid to acquire HBJ.<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 19, 1987|title=British Printing Bide [sic] $1.73 Billion For Harcourt|page=1|work=[[Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref> HBJ defended itself from the hostile takeover attempt by going deeply into debt to make large cash payments to shareholders.<ref>{{Cite web|title=HBJ TO FIGHT TAKEOVER WITH RECAPITALIZATION|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1987-05-27-0130200279-story.html|access-date=2022-02-04|website=Orlando Sentinel|language=en}}</ref> The strain of the debt from fighting off the takeover, as well as a strategic decision to re-focus on HBJ's core publishing and insurance businesses, were factors in HBJ's decision to sell its theme park holdings in 1989.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Anheuser-Busch Buys Sea World, Other Theme Parks From Harcourt|url=https://apnews.com/article/d8e7de07cdaac79957bea96024f72e97|access-date=2022-02-04|website=AP NEWS|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Albright|first=Mark|date=June 21, 1989|title=Sea World, other parks up for sale|page=1A|work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/322477483}}</ref>

The [[Anheuser-Busch]] Company made an offer to purchase the SeaWorld parks. HBJ also owned and operated two other parks, [[Cypress Gardens]] and [[Boardwalk and Baseball]], and out of fear of not being able to find a buyer for the two other parks, HBJ refused to sell the parks individually. Despite a long negotiation, Anheuser-Busch bought all six parks in 1989: SeaWorld in San Diego, Aurora, Orlando and San Antonio as well as Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven and Boardwalk and Baseball in Haines City. Soon after the sale was final, Busch sold Cypress Gardens to the park's management and closed Boardwalk and Baseball.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XvkSAAAAIBAJ&pg=6764,1542332|title=A history of the gardens|last=Bachelder|first=Maryemma|date=February 24, 1995|newspaper=The Ledger|access-date=June 4, 2009}}</ref> Anheuser-Busch put millions of dollars back into the parks to revive and prolong their longevity. SeaWorld is accredited by the [[Association of Zoos and Aquariums]] (AZA).<ref>{{Citation|title=AZA Accreditation List|url=https://www.aza.org/current-accreditation-list/}}</ref>

In July 2008, Anheuser-Busch was purchased by Belgian-Brazilian brewer [[InBev]].<ref>{{Cite news|last1=McWilliams|first1=Jeremiah|last2=Tomich|first2=Jeffrey|last3=Tablac|first3=Angela|date=July 14, 2008|title=Farewell to the King|page=A1|work=[[St. Louis Post Dispatch]]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/151996943}}</ref>  InBev had a reputation as a cost-cutting company that would not be interested in holding non-beverage businesses.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-06-13|title=InBev has reputation of 'machete-wielding' company|url=https://news.stlpublicradio.org/economy-business/2008-06-13/inbev-has-reputation-of-machete-wielding-company|access-date=2022-02-04|website=STLPR|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Virginian-Pilot|first=The|title=Anheuser-Busch theme parks are likely to be sold after takeover|url=https://www.pilotonline.com/business/article_cae24430-58e4-5d80-9349-55f1d60411ce.html|access-date=2022-02-04|website=pilotonline.com}}</ref> In 2009, the combined [[AB InBev]] sold its Busch Entertainment division to the [[Blackstone Group]]. The company was renamed [[SeaWorld Entertainment|SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment]] in December 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|last=by|date=2009-12-01|title=Busch Entertainment changes name to SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment|url=https://attractionsmagazine.com/busch-entertainment-changes-name-to-seaworld-parks-entertainment/|access-date=2022-02-04|website=Attractions Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2013, Blackstone sold 37% of SEAS in an initial public offering.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dezember|first=Ryan|title=The Many Ways Blackstone Made Money on SeaWorld's IPO|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2013/04/22/the-many-ways-blackstone-made-money-on-seaworlds-ipo/|access-date=April 23, 2013|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=April 22, 2013}}</ref>

In 2016, SeaWorld admitted that it had been sending its employees to pose as activists to [[industrial espionage|spy]] on animal rights organization [[People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals|PETA]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bever|first1=Lindsey|title=Beleaguered SeaWorld admits employees spied on animal-rights activists|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2016/02/25/seaworld-admits-workers-spied-on-animal-rights-activists/|newspaper=Washington Post|date=February 25, 2016}}</ref> Following an investigation by an outside law firm, SeaWorld's Board of Directors directed management to end the practice.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pedicini|first1=Sandra|title=SeaWorld admits employees posed as animal activists to spy on critics|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-seaworld-employee-spy-20160225-story.html|work=Orlando Sentinel|date=February 25, 2016}}</ref>