SeaWorld just announced it’s cutting 350 jobs effective immediately.
The layoffs, which were announced Wednesday, are primarily affecting the corporate level, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The eliminated positions will not be refilled and largely do not involve interacting with the public. SeaWorld told the Sentinel that the company tried to eliminated “redundant jobs.”
“It is an unfortunate, but necessary, consequence of the restructuring that some positions will be lost,” spokeswoman Aimée Jeansonne Becka said in a statement to CNN.
This isn’t the first round of layoffs that has hit SeaWorld — the amusement park also cut jobs in 2010 and 2014.
The news of the new layoffs comes after SeaWorld announced attendance dropped by more than 350,000 visitors in the first half of 2017, the Sentinel reported. Seaworld also faced backlash after the 2013 documentary Blackfish, which critiques SeaWorld’s captivity practices for its killer whales. Last year, SeaWorld announced that it would no longer breed killer whales and those currently living at its locations would be the last after facing pressure from the public following the documentary, USA Today reported. SeaWorld also said its orca shows would end in 2017 and 2019, depending on the location.
To help boost attendance, the SeaWorld has announced its adding new features including a raft ride with a 40-foot drop and a water slide.
