Life In Captivity: 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

Blackfish (2013), a mesmerizing, psychological documentary with 7 film awards and 38 nominations, presents an extensive look into the negative effects captivity has on Orca whales. The director and writer Gabriela Cowperthwaite calls her audience to action, similar to documentaries such as Food, Inc., The Cove, and Super Size Me. In all of these documentaries, the director and writers reach out to an audience that is not fully knowledgeable on a certain topic, in order to persuade them into taking a stance on a certain topic. In Gabriela’s film, she illustrates the story of Tilikum, a performing Orca who killed many people while at SeaWorld, Orlando. Though at times graphic, the film investigates the harmful effects captivity has had on these wonderful creatures and their trainers. Blackfish uses credible interviewees, powerful voice-overs, and influential outside evidence to persuade those who are un-informed of the negative effects of captivity on killer whales. The ultimate goal in doing this is to urge these individuals to take a stance against aquatic captivity.

Animals such as killer whale shouldn't be kept in captivity. Director, Writer and Producer of Blackfish, Gabriela Cowperthwaite, argues that while in the wild there are no records of orcas attacking humans, but over 70 incidents have occurred while in captivity. Cowperthwaite begins building her credibility by interviewing former Seaworld workers, stating the conditions and behaviors the animals endorsed, and successfully employing emotional appeals.

Orcas are complex social creatures deserving freedom and respect, not captivity in theme parks under the guise of public education and entertainment. Aquarium staffs say captive whales are priceless educational tools. However, people can educate their children by bringing them to the wild instead of bringing the wild to them at the expense of the Orcas health and well-being. "The price of a family admission ticket is what continues to drive this cruel spectacle," according to Michael O' Sullivan, the Executive Director of The Humane Society of Canada (Whales in Captivity, 2010, Para. 3). Orcas suffer in many ways in

SeaWorld’s claim is that the average lifespan an orca whale is 25-30 years. “Orca whales tend to live a lot longer in captivity because they have all the veterinary care - in the wild, they live less.” That is false. According to the National Geographic, wild Orca whales live to be around 50-80 years old with some living to see 100 years. Marine biology research has proven that orcas in captivity suffer from extreme stress, injuries, disease and infections. These effects take a toll on an orca whales body and immune system. SeaWorld and other marine parks lack ability to provide adequate environments to keep orcas alive. Another common threat found in captive orcas is a floppy dorsal fin. According to SeaWorld, “A floppy dorsal fin is normal, twenty-five percent of whales have a fin that turns over or flops as they get older; it is a sign of the wise.” That too, is a lie. A flopped dorsal fin is a sign of a depression. Dorsal collapse in the wild happens in less than one percent of orca whales. Generally, orca whales tend to be the most free, discovered animals on our great world today. Animal activists say that “Orcas have a great spiritual power, they are not to be meddled with; orcas aren’t just respected, they are in charge.” Artificial, manmade belief puts shame to the respected power and beauty of an orca

Many people go to SeaWorld or other marine amusement parks to see these animals that they have never seen before for their own pleasure and wonders. Some people don’t know or care how these creatures even got there in the first place. Taking these orcas from the wild is depleting the population in the wild and it is killing them by keeping them in captivity. There is no way to mimic the ocean so that these animals can live comfortably and happy in captivity. Orcas do not thrive in captivity despite claim’s, they often suffer deadly physical, psychological, and social side effects. (My thesis-made up before I did my research)

Blackfish released in 2013 by the director Gabriela Cowperthwaite. The documentary showed orcas being trapped in SeaWorld for human entertainment. They are trapped in cramped swimming pools where they have no place to hide or no place where they can be away from the rest of the orcas. The argument Cowperthwaite generate is that orcas should be free and not in pools. The trainers at SeaWorld believe that SeaWorld should close and let all the killer whales live their rest of their life in the ocean where they belong with an exception of Tilikum the whale for breeding reasons. Moreover, the orcas should be free since they become aggressive towards the trainers and has killed several while trying to entertain the audience, they're not to be kept on pools. Cowperthwaite was great with logos, pathos and ethos as well by making SeaWorld look awful and persuade viewers to know why SeaWorld should close down and let the orcas free.

“Following one trainers tragic death, Tilikum was kept in a tiny enclosure that limited his ability to swim, communicate with other orcas, and interact with humans even further. He was reported to have been floating

They communicate using sophisticated languages and can live up to 100 years. Those held captive rarely live past 35 and 20% have dorsal collapse, a rare condition found in nature. Despite the reality, covered-up stories and superficial commercials reassured the public that the whales were always friendly and incapable of harm. Former trainers recall they were told that all previous attacks were the trainer’s error. However, when management acted strange around Tilikum, the trainers knew they were not being told the truth. Samantha Berg discovered that there were over 70 attacks, but she “knew about none of them” while working. After their employment for Sea World, the trainers realized the killer whales were frustrated in their living conditions which led to aggression and violence.

Killer whales, which are also known as orcas, are one of the world’s most powerful predators and are the largest members of the dolphin family. They are highly intelligent and social creatures, especially because of their ability to communicate and work together with members of their pod to catch prey (National Geographic). Orcas are beautiful and fascinating animals that have attracted the attention of humans for many years, however, the lives they are forced to live while being kept in concrete tanks and being reduced to objects used only for the entertainment of humans is sickening. Captivity not only causes orcas to suffer from poor mental and physical health problems, but this can also create dangers for trainers. Despite that, they are forced to endure harsh conditions and sadly the show goes on.

Imagine being separated from your parents at a young age, taken only to spend the rest of your life in a confined environment, forced against your natural living circumstances. This is the life of the Orca whales (also known as Killer whales) at Sea World, an amusement park located in multiple places around the nation. Sea World performs shows incorporating animals, such as seals and whales to do tricks for amusement. However, recent research and media shows that Sea World lacks appropriate care for the whales they hold captive. They also have been said to hunt for their whales, but hunting of these animals threaten their growth, natural living conditions and their global population. One might say that the park is like a prison to these creatures, however those in prison make the choice to be put there. The whales are not allowed the freedom when held in captivity, so Sea World should be shut down due to its responsibility for the life threatening circumstances of the Orca Whales.

Consequently, the implied speaker would then be the representatives’ of Sea World and the individuals that are in support of the theme park and the business they have. After the airing of Blackfish, SeaWorld was under a lot of questioning and criticism. This article speaks for those that believe SeaWorld is not at fault for holding the orca whales in captivity and conditioning them for performances, which has become recently controversial.

Since the early 1960’s, SeaWorld has been a popular North American phenomenon. Having the power to have animals that weigh over a thousand pounds in captivity was unheard of and ultimately fascinating. Hundreds of people are invited daily to crowd these animals and watch them swim, interact with trainers, and learn facts about these mammals. Creating a mix of fear and wonder within the audience, SeaWorld became the biggest attraction known to cities all over the world. Little do the audience realize, every penny spent on attending this attraction feeds a franchise of unethical practice towards marine life that creates a life of torture from a whale’s birth until their death.

Orcas have been held in captivity since 1961. Since then, the captured orcas have been forced to live in a habitat very different to their own, which would also be known as Sea World. This marine mammal park has been opened for nearly five decades, featuring killer whales, sea lions, dolphins, and other marine mammals for entertainment. The marine mammals are used for mostly shows and other sort of entertainment, aside from the animals, the park also includes thrill rides for families. The theme parks are located in specific locations inside the United States and outside of the country as well. The subject on weather Orcas should be held captive has been argued over the past years. Throughout the years, I’ve encountered news on social media regarding the frequent deaths of these Orcas in captivity which leads me to believe that Orcas don’t belong at SeaWorld, and shouldn’t be held in captivity. Studies have shown that keeping orcas in these kind of environments have a severe effect on their life. Due to past