Seaworld Inhumane

Why would a business do this? The answer is money. Seaworld is dependent of Orcas because it was not until Seaworld had capture Shamu the fourth Orcas capture ever in 1965 until Seaworld gain popularity. This let expand to other locations like Ohio, Orlando and many more. Shamu capture led to Seaworld being as big as it today. Money led to people forgetting ethically business practices. Therefore, no one thought about the whale they were only thinking the money come in.

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

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.

SeaWorld opened on March 15, 1959 and has been a huge visitor attraction. Ever since the Blackfish documentary was released in 2013, SeaWorld dropped sales by 50% in the year 2014. Even though SeaWorld is still in business and training the orcas, I think SeaWorld should be closed down because of the whales’ health and the risks of the trainers.

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,

I believe that orcas should not be held in captivity because orcas are very intelligent animals that should not be held in small tanks, also captivity can cause health concerns, lastly seaworld taking orcas from families. For the last couple of years many people might have heard many stories of captive orcas suffering health problems, being taken away from their families and you might of even hear of killer whales eating their trainers. One of the most famous whales is a whale in captivity named tilikum. Tilikum has been involved in three deaths during his time in captivity. To learn more about tilikum keep reading.

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.

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.

Sea World is a prison for animals, the captivity is inhumane and completely against their well being. There have been multiple reports of the orcas becoming aggressive towards their handlers. In some cases, the trainers have been injured or even killed. Orcas are very large animals and should have a large habitat, which are not being provided. Tilikum, a 12,500-pound killer whale, is the largest orca held in captivity today. Since his capture in 1983, Tilikum has killed 3 trainers and has over 100 reports of aggressive behavior.

Another reason why orcas shouldn’t be in places like SeaWorld is because the habitat is bad and small for them. One example is that often the orcas get bored when they are in captivity and start to chip of the paint on the side of their enclosure’s walls. This then ruins their teeth, which then means regular dental check-ups. (B) In a way, orcas are similar to humans because they get bored. When whales are in the wild they can swim freely and for as long as they want. This shows that they aren’t as active as in the wild. For example, often there are dominant females and sometimes those dominant females can get violent. They get so violent that they start to hurt other whales. According to article Killer Whales Should Not Be Kept in Captivity,”

But you can’t chose a side without looking at all the perspectives. SeaWorld cares states that they don’t capture animals from the wild, and their lifespan is equivalent to that of wild orcas. SeaWorld also says that their captive orcas benefit the wild ones, these orcas provide scientists with access, research, and data that is not available in the wild. They say that they invest

Killer whales, also known as orcas, should be released from captivity at SeaWorld. There are many problems with keeping orcas in captivity. Orcas become more aggressive, have a shortened life span, and are kept in tanks that are much too small for them, and for these reasons should be set free. Killer whales in captivity would have a much happier life if they were free.

Key Findings: Howard Garrett reiterates in the documentary how they would capture orca calves from the wild to use in their shows. “They had aircrafts, they had spotters, they had speed boats, they had bombs they were throwing into the water to herd the whales.” –Howard Garrett (orca researcher). They would then be trained with an adult orca to effectively* demonstrate the correct technique, using food as a tool to encourage the whales to perform. “As a punishment they would deprive them of food to keep them hungry. They would punish both whales, even if one did it right, so the matured one would rake the younger with its teeth.” – Steve Huxter (former director, SeaWorld). Since the film was released the company has received negative earnings

When I was little, I used to always want to go out and visit Marineland. At the tender age of 5 I was mesmerized Free Willy, the kid’s film about an orca who is freed into the wild by a little boy. I was amazed by the creature on the screen every time I watched the film, it never got old. Of course at my age I did not quite understand why Willy had to be freed from the seemingly nice pool he was allowed to be living in. It was what made me want to visit Marineland to see one of these guys up close. I visited for the first time when I was about 10, and I do not remember everything but what I do remember is that I was more enticed with the rides and the gift shop than I was with their orcas. I used to question why, but now I get it. The orca we saw was underwhelming, because of the sheer sadness it emanated from the other side of the glass where it swam around in its small living area. It was not Willy, the fun orca from my childhood. It was the stark reality of a combination of solitude and mistreatment. I learned recently that the orca in Free Willy was released from captivity 9 years after the film came out in 1993, and it died in the wild after only a year because it was too dependant on us. We are the ones that created this mess. This mess of literal killer whales, of poor living conditions of these animals, the way we have ripped them from their natural habitat and put them up for show. SeaWorld plays a big role in this business. And SeaWorld, like all