SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - Members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are protesting SeaWorld's Blue World Project.
The $100 million project is still in the final planning stages. Construction is set to start by the end of the year. The new 10 million gallon tank will be 50 feet deep and span one and a half acres. It will be in the same space as the underwater viewing area.
SeaWorld presented its plan at a public meeting at the Santa Clara Rec Center Tuesday night. The meeting was only informational and no action was taken. This is part of a requirement from the Coastal Commission to apply for a permit.
PETA members also stood outside and in the meeting with their anti-SeaWorld signs.
"The look and feel of the Blue World Project that SeaWorld is proposing is only for visitors, and not for the orcas. These orcas will still be swimming in endless circles and concrete tanks that are filled with chemically treated water," Matt Bruce of PETA said.
"(The whales) are completely happy in the breeding, and we want to make sure we always give them the best environment we possibly can, and as we learn how to take care of them better, we're going to continue to improve and expand and learn more about our whales," SeaWorld San Diego VP of Zoological Studies Mike Scarpuzzi said.
SeaWorld is also investing in $10 million in killer whale research in the wild and to learn more about conservation.
The next step is getting a permit from the California Coastal Commission.