SeaWorld's Attendance Just Plummeted Faster Than Any Other Major Theme Park's

People are going to SeaWorld less and less, and a report released Wednesday has the stats to prove it.

Attendance tanked at SeaWorld's California location by 12 percent last year, closely followed by SeaWorld Orlando, which dropped 8 percent, and SeaWorld parks dropped 4.3 percent last year overall.

The San Diego Union-Tribune described the drop as not a surprise, since backlash from the 2013 documentary "Blackfish," as well as powerful campaigns, has worked to spread the word about the realities of marine animal captivity.

SeaWorld has launched a "truth" campaign in response, trying to dispel the facts. The company has rejected concerns about orcas dying young from living in captivity and blamed kids for why they need to keep orcas in tanks, saying that children would otherwise not be interested in preserving wildlife.

SeaWorld's orcas have spent a whopping 437 combined years in captivity, and each minute that passes is a minute they aren't free.

Despite floundering numbers, SeaWorld is still setting its sights on expansion. There's a plan to open a park in Dubai. And there are still over 20 million people going to SeaWorld Parks each year. That's 20 million too many: Sign this petition to say that SeaWorld shouldn't open a branch in the Middle East.

Despite floundering numbers, SeaWorld is still setting its sights on expansion. There's a plan to open a park in Dubai. And there are still over 20 million people going to SeaWorld Parks each year. That's 20 million too many: Sign this petition to say that SeaWorld shouldn't open a branch in the Middle East.

Despite floundering numbers, SeaWorld is still setting its sights on expansion. There's a plan to open a park in Dubai. And there are still over 20 million people going to SeaWorld Parks each year. That's 20 million too many: Sign this petition to say that SeaWorld shouldn't open a branch in the Middle East.