Environmental Groups Claim SeaWorld Fireworks Pollute Mission Bay

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Two environmental groups are raising alarms about SeaWorld‘s fireworks displays, claiming they are polluting Mission Bay. The groups, San Diego Coastkeeper and CERF, argue that the fireworks create not just noise but significant environmental hazards.

Phillip Musegaas, the Executive Director of San Diego Coastkeeper, stated, “They are not cleaning up the fireworks debris and the trash and the plastics that are a result of these shows.” This follows a settlement agreement from over a decade ago, which SeaWorld allegedly has not upheld.

According to Musegaas, an investigation last year led to divers examining the area around SeaWorld’s fireworks barge. They discovered plastic wires and firework caps littering the waters. Musegaas noted, “We found a lot of debris along the shoreline, especially at low tide.”

The environmental groups emphasize that this debris is more than just trash; it poses long-term damage to marine life. “There’s a compounding effect,” Musegaas explained. He warned of the dangers of accumulating metals and plastics contaminating the waters.

A 40-page lawsuit filed by the groups claims SeaWorld is breaching the Clean Water Act. It accuses the theme park of failing to conduct necessary cleanups following fireworks shows and of discharging poorly treated wastewater into the bay.

The groups are urging SeaWorld to reconsider its practices. Musegaas suggested, “Long term, they really should be looking at alternatives, you know, using drones instead of fireworks, especially if you’re going to do a show over water, over a marine coastal waterway.”

ABC10 news reached out to SeaWorld San Diego for comments on the lawsuit, but the park declined to respond. However, they confirmed plans for their Fourth of July fireworks show next Friday.