SeaWorld dives deeper into lobbying

SeaWorld has hired a powerhouse lobbying firm in Washington, according to new disclosure documents.

Van Scoyoc Associates has registered to lobby for the theme park, which has seen a drop in ticket sales since the release last year of a documentary that is critical of keeping whales in captivity. The company has attributed the drop in business to other factors.

{mosads}Lobbyists at Van Scoyoc will be talking to federal officials about “issues related to display, research and public education about cetaceans,” the forms say. A cetacean is the scientific classification that includes marine mammals such as whales and dolphins.

SeaWorld ticket sales dropped noticeably since the release of the documentary “Blackfish,” which focuses on an orca at one park that was allegedly involved in the death of three park employees. The movie is harshly critical of keeping large whales in captivity, arguing it causes some physical and psychological problems not seen in the wild.

The company has called the movie “inaccurate and misleading” and mounted a PR campaign to fight back. The effort included a paid ad on Google searches that links to a page called “The Truth About Blackfish.”

Earlier this year, a federal appeals court upheld a ban put in place by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that prohibits trainers from swimming or interacting in certain ways with the animals. The OSHA decision came after a SeaWorld Orlando trainer was killed by a six-ton orca, who dragged her under the water and drowned her during a performance in 2010.

SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment first began lobbying Washington in 2010 and has spent $280,000 on advocacy this year.

The company spent $1.32 million on lobbying in 2010 and 2011, with the totals dropping to $980,000 in 2012 and $620,000 in 2013.

The company also has the K Street firms Bryan Cave and The OB-C Group on retainer. Its nonprofit research charity arm, Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, also employs lobbyists but spends much less per year.

This post was updated at 1:40 p.m.