After receiving about 75,000 letters and emails on the treatment of orcas in captivity, the California Coastal Commission has delayed for two months a vote on whether to allow SeaWorld San Diego to build larger tanks for the park's killer whales.
SeaWorld, facing harsh criticism for its treatment of its orcas, announced a plan last year to nearly double the size of its killer whale environment with a new facility that covers 1.5 acres, is 50 feet deep and 350 feet in length.
Critics of the marine-themed park oppose the project, describing it as a marketing ploy to fool the public into believing the orcas are living in a healthy environment.