Local activists hold demonstration outside Thomas Cook on Lord Street

Local activists held another demonstrations outside Thomas Cook on Lord Street today, urging the company to stop making excuses and finally stop promoting SeaWorld.

Protesters held signs, handed out hundreds of leaflets, and asked passers-by to sign postcards to Peter Fankhauser, CEO of the Thomas Cook Group. The event saw a huge increase in support for the campaign.

SeaWorld confines orcas to tiny concrete tanks, where they’re deprived of any physical or psychological stimulation. These highly intelligent animals – who live in large, complex social groups and swim up to 100 miles a day in the wild – are forced to spend their days swimming in endless circles and gnawing on the bars of their tanks in frustration. At least 41 orcas and dozens of other dolphins have died in captivity at SeaWorld so far.

Thomas Cook claims to have high animal-welfare standards, but it supports orca abuse by selling tickets to SeaWorld. Today’s day of action serves as a reminder that the travel provider can’t continue to ignore the issue, and we’ll keep fighting for orcas until it agrees to do the right thing