Now SeaWorld has responded, and has done so through a series of high-profile ads placed in newspapers around the country including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, USA Today, the Orlando Sentinel, the San Diego Union-Tribune and the San Antonio Express-News (SeaWorld has parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio).

Dubbed as an "Open Letter from SeaWorld's Animal Advocates," the statement (which is also available to read online) notes that: The men and women of SeaWorld are true animal advocates. We are the 1,500 scientists, researchers, veterinarians, trainers, marine biologists, aquarists, aviculturists, educators and conservationists who have dedicated our lives to the animals in our care as well as those in the wild that are injured, ill or orphaned.