PETA to Post Anti-Sea World Ad at San Diego Airport

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is set to unveil an anti-SeaWorld advertisement at the San Diego International Airport on Thursday, The Associated Press (AP) reported.

Faced with a lawsuit, airport authorities agreed to PETA's animal rights exploit and the ad will be posted for a month's time at the Lindbergh Field terminal, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced Wednesday.

PETA filed the lawsuit after the airport's advertising vendor, JCDecaux North America, Inc., refused their request to buy space for $17,500 for its anti-SeaWorld message. The poster featured actress Kathy Najimy of "Sister Act" and "Hocus Pocus," asking visitors to avoid SeaWorld "if you like animals like I do," the Los Angeles Times reported.

"PETA is an extremist organization and this ad demonstrates that, once again, they are more interested in publicity stunts than helping animals," SeaWorld San Diego spokesman David Koontz announced in response to the conflict. "The truth is that our animals at SeaWorld are healthy and happy."

The animal rights group's outrage towards Sea World comes in the wake of the 2013 Gabriela Cowperthwait-directed documentary film "Blackfish."

Members of PETA allege that the marine park mistreats its famed orcas and support legislation pending in Sacramento that would ban orca shows at SeaWorld and prohibit captive breeding of the animals.

"This is a win not just for PETA and orcas but for tourists wary of spending money on such a notoriously cruel attraction," said Dan Mathews, a PETA vice president, according to the AP.

Najimy even offered a nice alternative to spending a day at SeaWorld, saying instead to just "get naked at Black's Beach and hope you see a whale in her natural, compassionate, safe home," according to a ACLU press release.