Opponents of nightly summer fireworks at SeaWorld San Diego insisting the loud noise is harmful to animals and humans, have renewed a petition drive calling upon the marine mammal park to end their pyrotechnic displays and replace them with less less disruptive – and costly – laser shows.
Petition organizers, who asked to remain anonymous citing previous harassment, said their objective is to see SeaWorld “have fireworks once a year on the 4th of July – if at all. At least everyone expects and can prepare properly for them, i.e. take animals and young children elsewhere, put protective sound tools in place,” on Independence Day.
SeaWorld fireworks detractors say research shows “noise pollution from nightly fireworks causes harm to humans and other animals. … Effects of noise pollution to humans include (damage to the) physiological and psychological health of human beings: hypertension, annoyance, high stress levels, aggression, hearing loss, tinnitus, sleep disturbance, etc.”
Fireworks opponents also claim fireworks, being composed of toxic combustible chemicals “will never be truly environmentally friendly,” adding “newer technology, such as laser light shows, illuminated night kite shows and holographic fireworks can make the use of fireworks obsolete.”
Previously responding to the online petition drive, SeaWorld has said “Nightly fireworks during the summer have been a tradition for SeaWorld and San Diego for nearly 30 years, and we continue to receive significant positive feedback from visitors and area residents.”
The marine park noted it only uses small fireworks shells in its displays on 66 nights during the summer, adding, “It has long been our policy not to use any shells for the sole purpose to make noise.  All of our fireworks displays are conducted in accordance with city of San Diego policy.”
Regarding the impact of noise from fireworks on animals, SeaWorld responded, “Our firework displays do not impact the animals in our park. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service filed a report relating to our animals and fireworks that states that ‘all animals were apparently healthy and there were no aberrant behavioral manifestations noted … as result of firework activities in the evening during summer.’”
Regarding the impact of its fireworks, SeaWorld noted, “More than 10 years of analysis consistently demonstrate that our fireworks are not having a detrimental impact on Mission Bay,” while pointing out “Our fireworks displays last only five minutes.”
In their petition, fireworks organizers cite a “20-mile radius” as the significant distance within which animals and humans can be negatively impacted by noise from pyrotechnics. But they added this is a “conservative number. The reality is people from much further away claim they are significantly disturbed.”
Petition organizers note that “Disney, and the City of Monterey have switched to laser shows, the cost of producing is less by hundreds of thousands of dollars (that should matter to a corporation with declining profits) and they are spectacular too. So it’s not an original idea or concept, and other civilized folks all over the world have already made the switch.”
Concerning how SeaWorld’s fireworks policy could be changed, anti-fireworks petition organizers said, “The easiest process is for SeaWorld to take the high road and simply switch over to a less harmful entertainment and make it a positive by creating the best laser show in the west.”
But petition organizers also suggested City Council action might be necessary to provide leverage to create change suggesting the city attorney “ought to read their lease and see what in that lease allows SeaWorld to negatively impact the community with a bombing of fireworks every night, an event that no other group or business could go to the council today and get permission to do such an activity.”