Case 3:15-cv-01022-AJB-KSC Document 1 Filed 05/07/15 Page 1 of 86 1 STEVE W. BERMAN (pro hac vice pending) [email protected] 2 SHAYNE C. STEVENSON (pro hac vice pending) 3 [email protected] ROBERT F. LOPEZ (pro hac vice pending) 4 [email protected] HAGENS BERMAN SOBOL SHAPIRO LLP 5 1918 Eighth Avenue, Suite 3300 6 Seattle, WA 98101 Telephone: (206) 623-7292 7 Facsimile: (206) 623-0594 8 ELAINE T. BYSZEWSKI (SBN 222304) [email protected] 9 HAGENS BERMAN SOBOL SHAPIRO LLP 10 301 N. Lake Avenue, Suite 203 Pasadena, CA 91101 11 Telephone: (213) 330-7150 Facsimile: (213) 330-7152 12 13 Attorneys for Plaintiffs and the Proposed Classes (Additional counsel listed on signature page) 14 15 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 16 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 17 18 VALERIE SIMO, JOYCE KUHL, and No. '15CV1022 AJB KSC ELAINE BROWNE, individually and on 19 behalf of themselves and all others CLASS ACTION (FRCP 23) 20 similarly situated, COMPLAINT 21 Plaintiffs, 22 DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL v. 23 24 SEAWORLD ENTERTAINMENT, INC., 25 26 Defendant. 27 28 006222-13 778665 V1 Case 3:15-cv-01022-AJB-KSC Document 1 Filed 05/07/15 Page 2 of 86 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Page 3 I. OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................... 1 4 II. PARTIES .............................................................................................................. 4 5 III. JURISDICTION AND VENUE ........................................................................... 5 6 IV. FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS ............................................................................... 5 7 A. SeaWorld Markets an Enchanting Illusion of Captive Killer Whales ........................................................................................................ 5 8 B. SeaWorld Represents Itself as the Whales’ Greatest Champion ............... 9 9 C. SeaWorld Claims to Provide Critical Orca Conservation 10 Research ................................................................................................... 11 11 D. The Biology of Orcas ............................................................................... 14 12 1. Distinct orca ecotypes exist in all the oceans of the world. .......... 14 13 2. Orcas are highly communicative, intelligent, and social. .............. 17 14 3. Orcas are organized in matriarchies and close-knit. ...................... 18 15 4. Orcas in nature can live long healthy lives. ................................... 19 16 E. The Undisclosed Truth About SeaWorld’s Captive Orcas ...................... 20 17 1. SeaWorld’s family values .............................................................. 20 18 a. SeaWorld launches its business with captured orcas. .................................................................................... 20 19 b. SeaWorld destroys orca families and removes 20 calves from their mothers for profit. ................................... 21 21 2. SeaWorld orcas’ living conditions in captivity ............................. 24 22 a. These orcas suffer in tiny and unnatural chemical tubs. ..................................................................................... 24 23 b. Shallow pools expose the orcas to fatal risks. ..................... 27 24 c. SeaWorld hides orca sunburns with black zinc 25 oxide. ................................................................................... 29 26 d. The orcas are purposefully deprived of food. ..................... 29 27 3. SeaWorld’s captive whales deteriorate as a result of their treatment ........................................................................................ 31 28 -i- COMPLAINT 006222-13 778665 V1 Case 3:15-cv-01022-AJB-KSC Document 1 Filed 05/07/15 Page 3 of 86 1 a. SeaWorld’s captive orcas live shorter lives. ....................... 31 2 b. SeaWorld orcas’ collapsed dorsal fins are not normal or healthy. ................................................................ 34 3 c. Captive orcas’ teeth are ground down and damaged. ......... 37 4 d. SeaWorld’s orcas are injured at SeaWorld. ........................ 39 5 4. SeaWorld “science” and forced breeding ...................................... 40 6 a. SeaWorld is not a scientific orca research 7 institution. ............................................................................ 40 8 b. SeaWorld impregnates young female orcas with sperm from relatives and different ecotypes. ...................... 41 9 c. Trainers masturbate the orcas for profitable sperm. ............ 42 10 d. SeaWorld drugs its captive orcas. ....................................... 43 11 5. Established dangers that SeaWorld publicly denies ...................... 44 12 a. Risks faced by trainers ........................................................ 44 13 b. Aberrant orca behavior is caused by confinement. ............. 46 14 F. The Documentary Blackfish Begins to Pull Back the Curtain on 15 SeaWorld .................................................................................................. 47 16 G. The “Materiality” of SeaWorld’s Treatment of Orcas is Confirmed by Polls and the Public Drop in Attendance 17 Following Blackfish and the Growing Controversy ................................ 48 18 H. Popular Musicians Cancel SeaWorld Appearances and Association ............................................................................................... 49 19 I. In the Wake of Blackfish, Long-Standing SeaWorld Sponsors 20 and Strategic Partners Jump Ship ............................................................ 52 21 J. SeaWorld Continues to Mislead and Conceal the Truth.......................... 54 22 K. Specific Plaintiff Allegations ................................................................... 59 23 L. SeaWorld Has a Duty to Disclose How it Actually Treats the Orcas and their Actual Condition ............................................................ 61 24 V. CLASS ACTION ALLEGATIONS ................................................................... 62 25 VI. CAUSES OF ACTION ...................................................................................... 66 26 FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION VIOLATIONS OF THE CALIFORNIA 27 UNFAIR COMPETITION LAW (CAL. BUS. & PROF. CODE § 17200, et seq.) ................................................................................................................. 66 28 -ii- COMPLAINT 006222-13 778665 V1 Case 3:15-cv-01022-AJB-KSC Document 1 Filed 05/07/15 Page 4 of 86 1 SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION VIOLATIONS OF THE CONSUMERS LEGAL REMEDIES ACT (CAL. CIV. CODE § 1750, et seq.) ........................... 68 2 THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION VIOLATIONS OF THE FALSE 3 ADVERTISING LAW (CAL. BUS. & PROF. CODE § 17500, et seq.) ................ 70 4 FOURTH CAUSE OF ACTION DECEIT (CAL. CIV. CODE §§ 1709-1710) ............ 72 5 FIFTH CAUSE OF ACTION VIOLATIONS OF FLORIDA’S UNFAIR AND DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES ACT (FLA. STAT. 6 § 501.201, et seq.)............................................................................................... 74 7 SIXTH CAUSE OF ACTION VIOLATIONS OF THE TEXAS DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES – CONSUMER PROTECTION 8 ACT (TEX. BUS. & COM. CODE § 17.41, et seq.) ................................................ 75 9 SEVENTH CAUSE OF ACTION UNJUST ENRICHMENT .................................... 78 10 PRAYER FOR RELIEF ............................................................................................... 79 11 JURY DEMAND .......................................................................................................... 80 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 -iii- COMPLAINT 006222-13 778665 V1 Case 3:15-cv-01022-AJB-KSC Document 1 Filed 05/07/15 Page 5 of 86 1 Plaintiffs Valerie Simo, Joyce Kuhl, and Elaine Browne bring this action on 2 behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated against SeaWorld Entertainment, 3 Inc. (“SeaWorld”). Plaintiffs’ allegations against Defendant are based upon 4 information and belief and upon investigation of counsel, except for allegations 5 specifically pertaining to each Plaintiff, which are based upon each Plaintiff’s personal 6 knowledge. 7 I. OVERVIEW 8 1. SeaWorld is the leading marine life theme park in the world. Each 9 SeaWorld theme park showcases killer whales—Ornicus orca, the mighty and iconic 10 apex predators of the sea—in special amphitheaters called Shamu Stadium that seat 11 thousands. During its signature “Shamu Show” and in its massive and ubiquitous 12 global marketing campaign, SeaWorld states that it “cares for,” “protects,” and even 13 “nurtures” its captive orcas. 14 2. SeaWorld purports to create a “fun, interesting, and stimulating” 15 environment for these animals. SeaWorld tells the public that its orcas enjoy their lives 16 performing in captivity. 17 3. Last month, SeaWorld Chief Veterinarian, Christopher Dold, told the 18 media in an interview with BBC that at SeaWorld, “we aren’t taking anything away 19 from them [orcas] by having them in this habitat—it’s just different.” As SeaWorld’s 20 curator of trainers told the New York Times, referring to the emergent controversy 21 over its treatment of captive orcas: “[w]e sleep and breathe care of animals.” 22 4. Crowds of children and adults have been mesmerized by SeaWorld’s orca 23 shows. SeaWorld makes hundreds of millions of dollars as a direct result of the 24 illusion created by these shows and its massive public marketing campaign: Orcinus 25 orca and Homo sapiens living in harmony and playing together for public 26 entertainment. Killer whales “in the