Seaworld As A Standard Bathtub

The argument that captivity is detrimental to the health and well-being of orcas is growing in popularity because of the indisputable scientific evidence that presents jarring differences in captive and free orcas. Naomi Rose, author of Killer Controversy, is a mammal scientist who explains the artificial habitat captive orcas survive in: “They are cooperative predators, whose home ranges are hundreds, if not thousands of square kilometers in size and who can and often do swim almost 200 kilometers in a day. When in captivity, they exist inside a comparatively small concrete enclosure, less than one ten-thousandth of normal habitat size” (Rose). Without adequate space to travel and live, captivity deprives orcas of the exercise wild orcas have, arguably leaving them with frustration and boredom. Supporters of orca captivity argue that amusement parks allow visitors to see orcas when otherwise unable to, in contrast, the environment in which orcas are held captive does not merely resemble their natural habitat and ultimately convince them into a life of solitude. David Kirby’s novel Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity, discusses the complexity of killer whales’ brains: “Orcas not only have the largest brain of any dolphin, at twelve pounds, it is four times larger than the human brain (a

The main premise of the film is that these large, intelligent, social predators are dangerous to their trainers. But orcas are also directly harmed by being confined in concrete tanks and the science is growing to support this common sense conclusion.

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.

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

“If you love something, set it free.” This is a quote that has circulated for years, and nowhere else is it more applicable than in SeaWorld’s parks. Trainers and corporate alike claim a deep love for the animals they keep captive, but in recent years, the topic of holding orca whales in captivity has become more controversial than ever before. The CNN documentary “Blackfish” brought the conditions Seaworld provides for its orcas to the public eye in a way that had not been done before, which led to much public outrage. The containment of orca whales for educational and entertainment purposes has, in almost every way, been brought into question. Ranging from the physical and psychological damages they experience, the issues in their family structures, and the dangers that their human trainers experience, orca whales are not fit to be kept in captivity.

Everyone loves going to marine parks such as SeaWorld and Marineland. They offer many spectacular shows with dolphins, sea lions and birds. However, the main attractions they offer are orcas, or as they are better known as killer whales. Highly intelligent and with acute senses of sight and hearing, they are apex predators. Recently, the possession of orcas has been a big topic of controversy. Many people believe that the animals are being mistreated in captivity. Their captivity limits their freedom and enjoyment. Many orcas suffer from poor physical and mental effects in captivity. Killer whales will usually travel between 50 and 100 miles per day in the wild, but in captivity all they can do is swim in circles or float for no reason. In the wild, killer whales live in pods of

Not only that, but orcas swim up to 100 miles a day (Bradford). With that being said, captive orcas live in a concrete pool where they are barely able to swim comfortably. They are also forced to live with orcas that may not share the same culture/pod as them which leads to aggression, injuries, and sometimes even death. Dominance is a key factor in an orca society and having more than one dominant orca in a small area where they cannot distance themselves can cause a future of lashing out (Caperthwaite). Unlike SeaWorld corporation officials may lead one to believe, captive orcas are less safe than wild orcas.

For example, killer whales are supposed live up to an average of 80 years (for both males and females) only live to about 10-20 years old, says SeaWorldofHurt. Also, the sea animals are all stuck in way too small cages which makes them annoyed. This makes the animals dangerous to the workers there, for example, a documentary, Blackfish says that an orca named Tilikum killed 3 workers. SeaWorldofHurt says,”The film exposes Seaworld’s horrific capture of young orcas from the families in the ocean, the misery of their life confinement to tiny tanks, and how this cruelty has led the frustrated orca Tilikum,to kill 3 human beings, although orcas in the wild would have never hurt a human.” This shows that the only reason the orca was attacking was because he wasn’t released into the wild.

Documentation proves that Orcas are social creatures. In the wild they form lifelong communities, have their own unique dialect, and the calves stay with their pods forever (Blackfish). The Orca pod is committed to one another; they will stand by each other until their death. Not to mention, they will always help each other out if the need arises. The documentary, Blackfish, proves whales from different communities, subsets, and cultures are captured and forced to live with each other in tiny twenty by thirty feet deep concrete pens. Naturally, they do not get along and become annoyed, because they do not speak the same language or have the same genes, they are without a doubt different (Blackfish).Inside the pens, there is no room for them to move around let alone escape from each other. The result is always injury to the whales and in some cases death (Blackfish). Next, in the wild Orcas are free to eat whenever and whatever they want. However, in captivity, they have a regimented feeding schedule. In fact, food rewards good behavior. Knowing they are intelligent creatures, they are aware of food running low, or lack of food (Blackfish). Naturally, this causes them to refuse to listen to commands or want to continue to perfume. Instead of humans trying to understand them, their only reward, at this point, is punishment. Because of the whale not wanting to comply, they are isolated in small rectangular pools away from the others. Irrefutably, this further causes unneeded stress for the whale. There is no doubt; Orcas need to be in a stress free environment, the

In captivity they have very little space and cannot behave naturally. A concrete tank can never replace their ocean home. Killer whales are usually around 20 ft-30 ft long, basically the length of a school bus. They travel 100 miles a day in the wild. In captivity, they swim along the same walls about 1,400 times a day. Putting whales in a size of a bathtub is not the best idea for their health and entertainment.

As orca whales live in captivity, one is bound to question what the long term effects of living in such a confined space will be. Is it enjoyable and safe, or are the orcas just another pawn in someone’s game of chess? SeaWorld claims on its website that “at SeaWorld, the whales live in safe, sophisticated habitats, receive world-class medical care and are continually engaged socially, mentally and physically (“SeaWorld Cares”)”. However, evidence contradicts these statements. Former whale trainer Samantha Berg says “SeaWorld is simply making money through the exploitation of orcas”. SeaWorld is a money driven company, imprisoning the whales in an unhealthy and unnatural habitat. In their own environment, orca whales are very

For over many years orcas have been held in captivity. This has been a major dilemma because animal abuse is present while capturing killer whales. Many people wonder why they capture orcas, here is why, they are used for entertainment at SeaWorld. Some of the dangers that come with whale captivity are orcas taxing their physical health, drives the killer whale’s crazy which can lead to injuries and even death for a SeaWorld trainer.

For many years, we’ve been going to such places like, SeaWorld, and Six Flags, to see vast animals, like Orcas, also known as the killer whale, which we wouldn’t normally see out in the wild. Orcas have been around for millions of years; it’s known to be one of the smartest mammals, closest to humans. Since of their friendliness, people have taken advantage of them. For the past sixty years people have brought these massive creatures into their aquariums to make profit out of it, but never thought about their lives. What if you were kept in a cage for years, and was pushed to do such activities, you wouldn’t do in your normal life. While being in captivities, killer whales are forced to do plentiful tricks, which they normally wouldn’t do

Killer Whales, otherwise known as Orcas, are not designed to be held in captivity. Over the past few years, we have seen an increase in Orca captivity, which also allows us to see a decrease in the quality of life in these animals. Within captivity, Orcas will experience a decline in mental health, limitations to it’s natural instincts as a wild animal, and in extreme cases, their behaviour will lead them to inflict harm or even kill their human companions.

Orcas are very intelligent creatures. They are easy to teach and the orcas are eager to learn. Being in captivity the orcas suffer many psychological side effects that also affect them physically. Orcas can become depressed, experience stress, anxiety, and depression. Having orcas in captivity is a danger to not only the trainers but the people who visit these animals. There has been documented and undocumented deaths and injuries reported and its higher than most people can imagine. It is not safe to be around these wild animals and it is made worse by being in captivity and