SeaWorld Attendance, Revenue Continue To Drop

SAN DIEGO, CA -- SeaWorld Entertainment saw attendance and revenue drop in the third quarter, according to its financial report released Tuesday.

The company, which owns several parks across the country, including SeaWorld in San Diego, reported a total revenue of $437.7 million, compared to $485.3 million in the third quarter of 2016. Net income was $55.0 million, or $0.64 per diluted share, as compared to net income of $65.7 million, or $0.77 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2016.

Attendance at the parks also dropped during the third quarter by 732,000 guests compared to the third quarter in 2016.

The company said the drop in attendance was " largely concentrated at the the company's parks in Orlando and San Diego, as well as the effects of Hurricanes Irma and Harvey."

"This quarter, we made progress implementing the targeted actions we outlined in August to stabilize our business and to drive sustainable growth, while continuing to advance the core elements of our five-point plan," said Joel Manby, president and CEO of the company, in a statement. "We finalized our new 'From Park to Planet' national advertising and marketing campaign, which was named the top breakthrough ad for the third quarter by a leading marketing research firm, and we continued to develop and test pricing initiatives which are driving early positive results with our 2018 season pass sales. "

The company has struggled in recent years to revamp its image ever since the documentary "Blackfish" accused SeaWorld of mistreating its animals. In its effort to attract visitors, SeaWorld San Diego unveiled new attractions and announce new prices for its passes.

--Photo credit: Mike Aguilera/SeaWorld San Diego