Going At Seaworld Is Every Child 's Dream

Any little child is able to connect the name Shamu to the massive black and white creatures that dwell in the ocean waters, termed orcas or killer whales. However, the recent release of the film “Blackfish” has aimed to revise the common opinion of killer whales who are known by the title Shamu. As the film strikes marine life parks such as SeaWorld with apparent reasons as to why these orcas should not be in captivity, the question of “Blackfish”’s validity arises. How truthful can a film be that was created to persuade its viewers to ceases visiting attractions such as the killer whale shows? Since the release of “Blackfish,” animal rights activist, writers, and amusement park aficionados have been expressing their speculations on the “Blackfish”

"People always wonder whether I believe SeaWorld should be closed down. I always say no. They have tremendous financial resources and could play a key role in creating sea sanctuaries which could be a profit-making endeavor. I believe people would flock to a site where a killer whale is being a killer whale for the first time -- something infinitely more satisfying than seeing a killer whale dance the Macarena." - Gabriela Cowperthwaite. Cowperthwaite, the director of the documentary film Balckfish, is one of many that urges for change at the infamous marine park SeaWorld. For years on end SeaWorld has been a place of family fun and amazement; using one animal in particular as their spokesman and main attraction, Killer Whales. However, in recent years that image has gotten more than just a meager makeover. Over the past six years, following the tragic death of Dawn Brancheau, SeaWorld and the captivity of Killer Whales has been under serious scrutiny. There have been several findings of how captivity negatively affects these great creatures and the conversation of keeping Killer whales has only been gaining momentum. It is clear that the death of Dawn Brancheau is what sparked societies ideological shift, yet another key part in the start of this discourse is, without a doubt, the release of Gabriela Cowperthwaite 's documentary film Blackfish.

If you have ever been to Seaworld you would have had to go see the Killer whales in fact its one of the top attractions there. Through the eyes of a child, these gentle giants seem to be happy, healthy, and enjoying a playful game with their trainers. The question is are they really happy, do they get treated the right way, and why have there been deaths and injuries. Many people wonder about these things and after the movie Blackfish came out more and more people began to question how well Seaworld treats their animals. “The truth is that Sea World keeps its animals for entertainment and money and helps no one but themselves.”- Animal Legal Defense Fund

Since 1961, 157 orcas, or killer whales, have been ripped from their homes and shoved into captivity. 127 of these orcas are now dead. With the number of captured orcas plus the number of those born into captivity, The W.D.C. (Whale and Dolphin Conservation) reports that, “At least 162 orcas have died in captivity, not including 30 miscarried or stillborn calves” ( “The Fate”1). Out of the 127 taken into captivity, 44 have died in SeaWorld. There are currently 58 orcas residing in 14 marine parks in eight different countries. 24 of those orcas are held in SeaWorld’s three parks in the United States. Since 2002, 14 have been taken out of the wild and put into these marine parks. (“The Fate”1) It is not fair for these innocent creatures to be physically and mentally manipulated and damaged. Such brutality would not be condoned if it were targeted towards a human, and it should not be condoned when targeted toward an animal. Orca whales should not be held in captivity because they are forced to live in subpar conditions, they are mistreated while in captivity, and they are led to aggressive behavior.

Imagine a place where you can see your favorite sea animals. Whales, dolphins, sharks, even penguins. Doesn’t that sound like somewhere you would enjoy going? SeaWorld is what comes to most people’s minds when they think of this, but is SeaWorld really that wonderful? Is SeaWorld truly what it’s hyped up to be? SeaWorld claims to be a sanctuary for animals where they keep animals like killer whales safe from the dangers of the world. Well, SeaWorld should really get a dictionary because a “sanctuary” is truly not what they give these animals. Orcas are the main attraction of SeaWorld but they are also one of the animals that suffer the most. Orcas in SeaWorld lifelessly float in their pool with little to no shade from the sun. In the wild,

Since the 1960 's, SeaWorld has captured wild orcas, domesticating them like cats or dogs while displaying them like goldfish in an aquarium. The cruelty and dangers that SeaWorld presents to these animals need to be diminished. The environments they live in, the lifestyle they have adapted to, and the behaviors that have resulted from captivity are shocking. The breeding program in place at SeaWorld and the accidents that have happened in the facility that houses these whales are equally horrifying. The organization of PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, began its campaign “SeaWorld of Hurt” in May 2012. We need join PETA in efforts to end the captivity of killer whales, end the SeaWorld breeding program, and close all SeaWorld facilities.

As a young child there has been so many commercials about how SeaWorld is such an amazing place for marine life animals, yet what we do not know is that most of these animals have been held in captivity against their will. Just think about it, these animals’ are made to perform day in and day out for a huge crowd, yet we do not stop and think about what it would be like if we ourselves were held in captivity. Although awareness needs to be brought to this issue, it can make this situation a touchy subject. However, awareness does need to be brought to attention of people who support these amusement parks. The life of orca whales held in captivity are dangerous and have suffered a great amount of distress.

The wellbeing of orcas kept at SeaWorld has raised a few eyebrows over the years. Individuals soon began to question if keeping these mammals away from their natural habitat was ethical. Many people think the orcas living in the amusement park have become accustom to these harmless living styles. The animal activist that stand behind Blackfish assume the orca living conditions place a danger on them, as well as society. Blackfish and SeaWorld argue about the effects captivity has on the physical and mental health of the whales as well as the safety of humans who interact with them.

the money. Seaworld might argue that they spend millions of dollars to rescue and rehabilitate wildlife. So if they were just trying to rescue and rehabilitate the orcas, why did Seaworld start to hold the orcas in captivity? Seaworld has never released an orca back into the wild and it doesn’t invest much money into rehabilitation either as they say. Seaworld earns “$1.5 billion a year in revenue”, they only spend “$9 million on conservation”, resulting in only “0.06%” of the money is used in “research and conservation annually.” This demonstrates how seaworld earns billions of dollars, but uses very little to rehabilitate and rescue animals. Even worse the animals they do help, they hold them in captivity for entertainment. If you go to Seaworld to see the shamu shows you are contributing to hurting the orcas even more emotionally, socially, and

It’s 2016 and we have people riding on hover boards, a woman is running for president and we have SeaWorld getting rid of Shamu. WAIT! Sea world is getting rid of Shamu? You don’t mean the most bodacious black and white sea creature in the entire world that makes dreams come true, do you? Well I am very sorry to say that this is one hundred percent true. And it’s all because of the animal rights groups that believe SeaWorld is not capable of caring for these animals. When in fact the theme park actually goes beyond the limit for animal care and treats their animals with only the best intentions. Because of SeaWorld’s delicate care for each and every animal, they actually get longer lifespans yet somehow people still believe that SeaWorld is bad at taking care of them. This is most likely do to the recent death of one of the most popular orcas and the recent airing of an incredibly false and biased movie “Blackfish”. SeaWorld loves their animals just as much as orcas like squid, I believe that SeaWorld is more than capable of taking care of their aquatic sea creatures and that animal activists and the “Blackfish” supporters are completely and utterly wrong.

While many people have experienced the majestic showcasing of trained orcas in public displays at recreational parks such as SeaWorld, few have heard of the tragic events that these killer whales go through while in captivity. It is ironic that such family oriented companies like SeaWorld, who pride themselves in giving families experiences that they will never forget, can just tear families of killer whales apart and abuse them while training them. And although these public displays of trained orcas seem extraordinary through the audience’s eyes, it is time that the untold stories of these whales and the true dangers of training whales comes out into light.

Money and Ethics concerning the capture and containment of wild marine animals in captivity has been an ongoing issue that challenges the humanity and compassion of the human species. An observation can be supported through the documentary “Black Fish” which identifies the problems associated with making money from the entertainment and the exploitation of animals. The primary purpose of this documentary is to expose the cruel practices used by animal marine parks to create public awareness. Creating a voice for the animals by educating the public about the pitfalls of animals for commercial entertainment. Enlightening us about the individuals, to feel sympathy to both the orcas and trainers as they are represented as either naive or victim

America is a growing country with growing opportunity. Americans take pride in progress. We thrive on innovative technology and new experiences. We want to be entertained. In order to satisfy our need for adventure, we visit amusement parks, aquariums and zoos. Although we enjoy vacationing to Six Flags or SeaWorld, we rarely stop to think about the organizations we are supporting. What do they stand for? How do they care for their employees and animals? One of the most popular parks today, Sea World, has been exposed for its harmful conditions, both for the employees and animals. Keeping aggressive whales in captivity is inhumane and cruel. It threatens their health and hardens their souls. We may only pay $60 for a ticket to Sea World, but the animals and trainers pay a much greater price.

Keeping marine mammals and fish in aquariums in zoos is stressful for the fish; marine mammals and fish can thrive in captivity, but they can only do so under safe and secure conditions. These mammals should be kept in marine sanctuaries. Marine sanctuaries are a portion of the ocean where the government controls the activity and interference of humans. These sanctuaries are designed for scientific research and recreation. Fish and marine mammals are not meant to be confined to a small and unhappy environment, where humans enjoy staring at the fish’s “home.” The Humane Society of the United States explains their opinion in their article, “Keeping Marine Mammals in Captivity is Cruel Exploitation” that keeping these wild mammals is wrong and only for “the public’s amusement.” The Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums believes that keeping these marine mammals in zoos benefits the health of the fish and educates the public.

In the last decade, society has erupted in controversy over aquariums and it has driven both aquarium workers and consumers to speak up on the issue of the cruelty that animals placed in these situations have faced. Individuals have gone to aquariums as a form of entertainment for decades and they have become a part of American culture. “On average, one aquarium has opened each year for the past 12 years, a 50 percent increase over the 25 ‘accredited’ aquariums that existed prior to 1990” (Savoye). Aquariums such as SeaWorld, which welcomes millions of people each year, allows families to experience the joy of seeing creatures that they normally would not have the chance to see. However, behind this joy is the pain that these marine