How To Treat Animals At Seaworld

Most people today have visited or at least heard of the popular tourist attraction, Seaworld. These tourists may think of it as a place to see marine animals do trick, like killer whales interacting with humans in a fun and entertaining way- but do we ever stop to think about the treatment or feelings of these creatures? After visiting Seaworld and seeing the famous Shamu, the thought of how living in captivity affects the animal had not crossed my mind. After researching I am now extremely concerned with the way these whales are impacted by spending their lives in bathtubs and forced to do tricks for food, all while humans are blindly funding this billion dollar business.

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

Zoos, SeaWorld, and circuses are places for families to enjoy entertainment. However, most people do not realize how the animals in each of these establishments are handled. Yes, they all bring in revenue and present the tricks these animals can do, yet these places preform detrimental acts to the animals. For example, the killer whales at SeaWorld are sometimes starved if they do not perform the way the trainer wants them to. In comparison, circuses torture lions and tigers until they are submissive to how the show-people want them to act. Zoos do not necessarily torture their animals, but it is proven the animals live much shorter lives in captivity. “Lives of animals in the wild versus captivity are literally worlds apart, and even the best captive facilities can’t recreate the conditions of the wild — not exactly. Most don’t even try, leaving animals in tiny enclosures with no socialization, enrichment or joy. Captivity is unnatural and unhealthy” (Sentenac). People are starting to recognize the danger of continuing these practices, but there’s a long way to go.Furthermore, animals in all of these places have suffered many traumatizing and even deadly events. There was a recent report that two circus lions, whom had severe head injuries, were killed by poachers who snuck into the sanctuary. “Last year poachers bypassed an advanced security system at a lodge near the town of Tzaneen in the Limpopo province, killing two lions by feeding them poisoned meat” (Graham).

Since SeaWorld opened in 1964, the park has encountered harsh criticism from the public. Whether criticized for their ethics or their oblivious harm to animals, the underwater amusement park raises many ethical questions regarding the captivity of sea animals, especially orcas. Most people are uninformed about orcas to begin with, so they do not understand why SeaWorld is such a terrible place. SeaWorld exploits animals in their shows to bring revenue to their company, while disregarding the physical and mental health of the animals. Today, people have begun to see the reasons why SeaWorld should close. SeaWorld should close their doors due to their record of unhealthy orcas, their aggressive killer whale, Tilikum, and their dishonesty to the public.

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 living in a bathtub for your entire life. Imagine never meeting your mother, and living with abusive strangers. Imagine being cut off from the world. Unfortunately, there are creatures that live like this. And they are found, in none other than SeaWorld. SeaWorld provides an unhealthy living environment for its whales, and should be closed down immediately. This particular story revolves around a friend, an outcast, and a killer.

On May 30th of 2012, judge Ken Welsch issued a ruling on OSHA vs. SeaWorld: During the shows, SeaWorld trainers must now remain behind barriers, separated from the orcas. The ruling on this case is necessary to keep trainers, audiences and as well as the orca safe. In the documentary “Blackfish” clarifies the incidents of SeaWorld, specifically with Tilikum a male orca, utilizing various rhetorical devices. The documentary declares the intelligence orcas have, the controversy with keeping them in captivity and how poorly informed the trainers are of previous incidents.

Throughout the years, we have been made to believe that wildlife in the entertainment industry is captivating. Even though these animals may seem to be happy and healthy, the truth is the majority of these animals suffer a great amount of abuse. SeaWorld and the Circus have made a name for themselves, by claiming that he/she provides a safe a friendly environment. However, what is not shown during these performance acts is the abuse these animals suffer, or the amount of stress and anxiety the animals are under. Wildlife in captivity for exotic animals can cause a serious amount of stress along with abuse, anxiety which can lead to a fatal result for the animals and the people who take care of them.

SeaWorld is a United States based park with live aquatic animals. SeaWorld has been under some scrutiny lately with the treatment of their Orcas as well as their living conditions. Some people believe what SeaWorld is doing is okay whereas others do not. Some think keeping animals in captivity is acceptable, and others think taking them away from their families is uncalled for. Washington Post believes what SeaWorld doing is perfectly acceptable. PBS a typically children’s network is completely for SeaWorld and keeping animals in captivity. SeaWorld is strongly debated on keeping animals in captivity, their living conditions, and taking orcas away from their families.

“Those who become trainers because they love the animals usually end up leaving for exactly the same reason”, states an anonymous ex-SeaWorld trainer. Likewise, John Hargrove, author of Beneath The Surface and ex-SeaWorld trainer, explains his doubts and discoveries regarding SeaWorld and why he abandoned the industry. Hargrove depicts his personal journey to become an orca trainer at SeaWorld and his growth within the company to become one of the best orca trainers in the company. The book speaks to the many different orcas owned by SeaWorld and their individual personalities playing a part with the trainers relationship. Hargrove describes the wonderful and life changing events which occurred to him at SeaWorld. For example, he met Takara a female orca who taught him how to be patient and revealed

Shots fired Gabriela Cowpethwaite, for her excellent effort in exposing SeaWorld for it’s true colors. In modest words, I suppose karma was Cowpethwaite’s main objective. Yet, to my amazement, I’m shocked that it took this long. After bizarre interviews referencing to SeaWorld death incidents, no-one except Cowpethwaite thought it was a bit cliché! Sure. Although it would be hypocritical for me to assume Blackfish was without fault, for myself there was beyond enough evidence to financially, mentally and physically drown SeaWorld, However, why is this industrial behemoth still swimming?

Over the centuries, animals have suffered from cruelty from humans. In the United States, animals are beaten, neglected, or forced to struggle for survival. Animals have been inflicted with pain from humans for reasons other than self-defense. They have been slaughtered for their food and fur for personal gain in profit. In a majority of cases they have even been abused for someone’s own personal amusement or out of rage filled impulses. In some cases animals are found and rescued. They are given the second chance in life to experience what life should be like compared to what they once had.

Why do we enjoy watching other species being enslaved? Killer whales from SeaWorld is an example. SeaWorld should release the killer whales from their captivity. To support the claim a former SeaWorld Trainer interviewed in the article had quoted ‘‘Why Killer Whales Belong in the Ocean, not Sea World’’, ‘‘I owe those whales,” he says in an interview. “They gave me so much in my life and my career.” But the whales’ physical and emotional well-being, he grew to believe, was incompatible with captivity. The trainers might think it was a happy time for everyone, especially themselves, but what they don’t consider the killers whales and their feelings. How do you think they would behave after being held captive for their entire life entertaining? Confined to unnatural social groups for the convenience of their owners, bored and restless, forced to perform tricks for food that trainers withheld as punishment, they occasionally slipped, he writes, “into the dark side.” Due to the fact that killer whales are held in captivity, this would affect them emotionally, and sooner or later they will take it out on the SeaWorld trainers. Shouldn’t the people at SeaWorld considered how the killer whales would feel being held captive for the rest of their lives? Every creatures should have a say in what will affect them for the rest of their lives. Killer whales have emotion and feelings like us, so imagine yourself in the killer whales position. It’s not the killer whales who should be

Over the years many former SeaWorld employees have spoken out about what goes on at SeaWorld behind closed doors. Sarah Fischbeck joined SeaWorld San Diego in 2007 as a water quality diver. Fischbeck worked at SeaWorld for 6 years. She worked across the parks exhibits, often diving with the animals and performing maintenance on multiple exhibits.

Something that is interesting about being a vet is that they also get to help treat marine animals. What I learned that confirmed my previous conceptions is they get to treat house pets, farm animals, and reptiles. What I learned that was disappointing is they get to help with human disease, since I don’t think I can handle working on people. What I learned that was exciting is that they get to work with marine mammals, house pet and farm pets.