Innocent Whales Persuasive Essay

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

“All whales in captivity have a bad life. They’re all emotionally destroyed. They’re all psychologically traumatized. So they’re ticking time bombs.” This is a statement by Lori Marino from the documentary, Blackfish. Many statements like this one are common and believed to be true due to the proof that the documentary provides. There are many incidents that prove Orcas, also known as Killer Whales, are harmed in captivity and that their trainers are often harmed because of this, too. Orcas should not be kept in captivity since it is harmful to both Orcas and humans.

Studies have been shown that Orcas lead a highly more elaborate life than any other mammal. So already being stripped from it's mother is a traumatizing experience, being tortured by other Orcas, and put in a pool when it swims more than 100 miles each day can lead to this inner aggression that it can't vent out

Orcas are forced to live in tight quarters together; they have nowhere to escape conflict. This results in anxiety and tension leading to fights between orcas and their trainers. For example, in February 2010, Dawn Brancheau was pulled underwater and killed by a killer whale named Tilikum. “The 40-year-old trainer was at ease with the killer whale and had just petted him on the nose” (ABC News 2010). Orcas have social rules that prohibit violence against one another, if a fight were to occur, they can find the space to flee. Unfortunately for Dawn, Tilikum didn’t have the space he needed and lashed out. Also, injuries caused by their “family” only occur in captivity; fights rarely occur in their natural environment. Although orcas naturally eat seals, penguins, and squids, these animals only become “killer” whales in captivity. Can you blame these amazingly intelligent and emotional creatures for being frustrated with their confinement?

The conditions that the captured killer whales are forced to live in are not acceptable replacements for the wildlife habitats that they have been ripped from. All the enclosures that the orcas are kept in do not provide an adequate amount of space that the animal requires. The size of an orca in relation to the size of the tanks they are forced to live in is comparable to the

Some people argue that keeping orcas in captivity is not a problem, yet they do not realize some of the limitations and dangers orcas suffer when kept in captivity. One reason is that these unpredictable, thirty-foot long creatures are usually kept in a tank that is too small for them, compared to the ocean where they can swim freely. In captivity, space is limited. According to one expert, “orcas can swim up to 100 miles per day- a phenomenal amount, in comparison to the exercise they receive in captivity” (Cronin). While in captivity, an orca has to keep swimming in circles or float, unable to exercise adequately in a confined space. The small tanks also prevent orcas from living in their natural group sizes, or pods. “In the wild, killer whales typically travel in pods of between five and 30” (Melissa). In captivity, fewer than five whales are kept together, an imbalance that makes the whales more aggressive towards one another. This can lead to dangerous, territorial situations in which captive

It’s a average, nice summer day and you and your family decide to see killer whales at SeaWorld. Once you arrive to the place and see the large animals in the tank you’re fascinated by their large size. Killer whales, or orca whales, are large marine mammals that can be found in every ocean around the world. They can swim for hundred of miles and “routinely dive up to 300 ft” (“Should Orca Whales Be Kept in Captivity”). They also live in large family groups known as pods that they will rarely ever leave. Seeing these large animals in the tanks that they make seem small due to their large size and with other whales along with marks, mainly bite marks and flopped over dorsal fin for the males, make it questionable if they even should be here and if these other whales are family in the seemingly makeshift pod. Orcas should not be in captivity because of health problems, lack of space in the tanks, and most of them are taken from their homes in the wild where their true family is.

People say that keeping orca’s in captivities is not a problem, yet they do not realize that, orcas are also human beings. There are several reasons, why keeping these thirty-feet long creatures, in captivities is a problem. One of them, which are the tank, which is too small, compared to ocean where they can swim freely. One the other side, in captivities, the space is limited. Comparatively, to how they swim out in the wild “orcas can swim up to 100 miles per day- a phenomenal amount, in comparison to the exercise they receive in captivity”(Cronin). While being in captivity, orca has to keep swimming in circles or floats. Out “In the wild, killer whales typically travel in pods of between five and 30”(Melissa). In captivities there are only few whales, so it makes them more aggressive toward one another. This sometimes can be lead to danger by killing each other for fighting to gain power of the tank.

“SeaWorld makes misleading statements about the four tragic human deaths associated with captive Orcas”( A response). There is even Orca on Orca violence do to hyper- aggression reason being is they are angry or frustrated they have to be in a tank with such little space to swim in. This can also conclude with them being aggressive towards the trainers, even killing the trainers. In the documentary Blackfish the narrator says, “ Keltie Byrne got dragged in by Oracs on February 20, 1991”(Blackfish). Orcas are a beauty, they are apart of nature, they should not be kept in captivity because they are dangerous to humans and other whales.

They can swim up to 100 miles per day playing and hunting, while they cannot do anything of the sort in a tank. (“Whales and Dolphins in Captivity”) Entire pods of Orca Whales, up to 40 individuals, can be hunted at a time. Only the young and fit are taken, and during the process, many creatures are injured or killed. Overall, the wild capture of whales is brutal and unsafe for, not only Orca Whales, but sea life itself. (“Whales and Dolphins in Captivity”) When captured, they are put into holding tanks, often smaller than show pools.

Why Captivity is not for Orcas “All whales in captivity have a bad life. They’re all emotionally destroyed. They’re all psychologically traumatized. So they’re ticking time bombs.” This is a statement by Lori Marino from the documentary, Blackfish.

According to hsus.org, the stress on the whales in captivity can cause stomach ulcers, and pacing.

They say that long-captive orcas can’t withstand these conditions.” In addition, the Los Angeles Times mentions “Blackfish,” a documentary featuring one of SeaWorld’s orcas, Tilikum, and a petition used to free Tilikum to a sea pen: “A petition on change.org has collected more than 220,000 signatures. It calls for SeaWorld Orlando in Florida to release an orca featured in ‘Blackfish,’ Tilikum, to a sea pen.” Moreover, the Los Angeles Times describes how maybe one reason SeaWorld wasn’t inclined to free Tilikum is because one free orca’s story, Keiko’s, didn’t turn out so well: “Keiko was captured off Iceland in 1979 and trained to perform at theme parks…. the killer whale was transported to a sea pen in Iceland in

Not being able to communicate with one another can trigger aggression. In the wild, orcas have any amount of space, in any direction, to escape from harm, but that's not the case for these whales. When whales attack each other they use their teeth to rake. This leaves cuts, and sometimes whales will be covered with them from head to tail. In the wild, male orcas are kept at the perimeter of a pod, sense that isn't possible in captivity, males can be attacked viciously by the females. Also when a whale doesn't get fed because the other whale isn't doing what it is supposed to, both whales are punished and the whale that did nothing wrong catches onto this and becomes aggressive towards other whales. There has been times when whales have tried