Coming off the heels of yesterday’s news that SeaWorld San Diego will begin phasing out the live orca shows in favor of more natural, informational experience, the team started retrofitting the killer whale tanks to support this new direction.
In a nod to the hobby, the whale handlers leverage an age-old trick to keep the whales separated while the work is being done, using large plastic bags to hold the former performers.
“With a wholesale change in the aquarium environment, we needed to find an economical and flexible way to temporarily hold our orcas,” said Sydney Manchester, lead curator of the new orca exhibit. “Thankfully we are able to leverage these containers and easily move the whales as needed, while keeping them close to their environment as possible.”
The large bags, manufactured by the industrial division of Hefty, are special titanium reinforced 500 mil clear plastic bags designed to withstand the weight and pressure the large mammals and water. Each bag is estimated to cost $25,000.
[via The Onion]
