People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, will be in Jacksonville on Monday protesting against SeaWorld.
The protest will take the form of an interactive exhibit on a downtown street corner.
PETA says its exhibit called “I,Orca” will allow visitors to see from a whale’s perspective what the group believes SeaWorld does to whales.
Animal welfare activist Alex Blount says it’s a virtual reality experience.
“These animals are kept in tanks, that are a tiny, tiny fraction of the size of their natural ocean habitat. To an orca it’s the equivalent of being kept in a bathtub for decades on end. They have very long life spans. And you know, they’re robbed of everything that's natural to them,” said Blount.
Blount says he hopes the experience will be emotional for viewers, as they watch a baby orca torn away from its mother to be used as a SeaWorld entertainer.
The exhibit will be on the corner of Monroe and North Hogan streets downtown on Monday at noon.
Photo credit: “Sea World - Shamu Stadium” by Stig Nugaard is used under CC BY 2.0.
