All companies act this way once they become a certain size. They'll do anything to keep it afloat. That is what they are paid to do. The right thing is only what is best for the company when the bottom line is attacked. It's the sad state we are in. It's why you do needs laws/gov't and courts. They'd run everything over.
There are two injustices in this, the people that were being killed and hurt being the first by far, that alone was enough to stop it and how those incidents were swept under the rug and always dubbed "trainer error". The second, is pretty much the only argument I see online, Whale Lover vs Animal Killer. The whale in captivity side of it, the drooping dorsal fin argument is interesting and the environment doesn't look totally ideal, but they aren't kept in absurd conditions either, probably as near as good as one could assume for being in captivity. My guess would be if the whale had a choice it would choose the ocean. Now the company line guarding the cash cow is that by having the whales it teaches kids and families alike about these amazing creatures, things they'd never know and this is a huge benefit. I've seen their shows since the mid-70's. Albeit pretty amazing stuff what the trainer/whale could do to entertain me, to say I learned a lot or much of anything truly useful is a stretch. A textbook could do the same, quicker and cheaper. I mean really, my visits to Sea World were amazing journeys that expanded my brain and such knowledge had a important payoff? No. Just random entertainment, with knowledge no better than random trivia. The whole planet could see a wrong here before Sea World would ever admit one, perhaps this isn't the best thing to do and just abandon it. But to them it's like Commandment #1, preposterous to consider or even talk about.
