Cook caused a stir in the media when on Sunday its chief executive announced that from next summer it would not be selling orca attractions following feedback from customers.

This morning (Tuesday July 31) Oliver Brendon, chief executive of ATD – which comprises Attraction Tickets Direct, Do Something Different and Theme Park Beds – issued a statement on behalf of the company, which sells more than one million attraction tickets and experiences annually.

“We all have a responsibility to act ethically and support the causes that mean the most to us but I do not feel that withdrawing support from brands such as SeaWorld will have a positive effect on these issues,” he said.

“The survival rate of whale calves born in the wild is plummeting due, in all likelihood to pollution and plastics in the ocean. There is currently no viable, humane and proven alternative for orcas who have spent their lives in captivity.

“They cannot be released into the wild and adequate sea sanctuaries do not currently exist in necessary number.

“Furthermore orcas sent to sanctuaries would be exposed to plastic and pollutions that could cause harm. They would also have to cope with the trauma of being transported internationally.

“Organisations such as SeaWorld invest heavily in research and conservation and actively work towards protecting and saving species in the wild.”

“We believe that this bigger picture is where our attention should be focused, not banning ticket sales to the parks in order to make a statement.

“We will continue to sell and support SeaWorld and other animal attractions as long as they continue to meet all the necessary international accreditations from the expert organisations and comply with all other elements of our animal welfare policy.”

Brendan added ATD “carefully reviews” all the products it sells and regularly evaluates suppliers to ensure their codes of conduct and values are “aligned with ours and with the expectations of our customers”.

He said ATD has a strict animal welfare policy that has been in place since April 2017 after a four-month audit and it relies on accreditation from bodies such as European Association of Zoos and Aquariums.