Should Seaworld Close? Persuasive Essay

SeaWorld logically claims that “about 25% of whales have the folded fin” and a former trainer says “only about 1% have this problem and they believe that, that is why the whale in SeaWorld had a folded fin (Blackfish). They also claim that when orcas are separated from their families and taken away from their natural habitat; they become stressed and angry. They also say that’s why the whales are so violent towards themselves and the trainers. Orcas are like humans because they have “human-like brain function and emotion (Blackfish). The film supports this because they observed the orcas and notice how sad they get because they’re not with anyone they know. They can also develop relationships and bonds that humans can develop as well. Blackfish can support these claims of this argument because they quote SeaWorld directly that says, “orcas live in cohesive long-term social units called pods,” and the “strongest association bonds in a pod are the mother/calf bonds” (SeaWorld). That being said, this also relates back to pathos because of the bonds. They’re literally ripped from their parents to come perform for humans, when they can be in their natural environment, exploring the seas. Its so emotional knowing what happens and how they’re being treated, but SeaWorld is still open

As stated before, the trainers don’t doubt the Orcas they work with could turn on them. Author and former SeaWorld orca trainer john hargrove states, “He never lost sight of the fact that one day she could betray me, because at the end of the day she is a killer whale.” For these reasons, while the trainers want to trust the orcas, they can’t deny the feeling of doubt, and that doubt can make a world of difference in a show. John also commented on the death of Dawn Brancheau, “What’s so outrageous about that is that he didn’t just drown Dawn. He dismembered her. He tore off her left arm and scalped her. Her scalp and full head of hair were on the bottom of the pool. He severed her spinal cord. And he never gave her body up. They had to forcibly take the body away from him”. Due to this, their message has been received, they are frustrated, and with no outlet or a way to let others know that something is wrong. The whales are resorting to something that will gather a lot of attention, killing. and not just any killing but brutal bloody and gorey killing. they want to make sure

One last reason that the sea animals shouldn’t be kept at Seaworld is the expenses. According to www.bbc.com, one bluefin tuna could cost up to about 77 thousand dollars, and one dolphin can cost up to 10 thousand not including the cost of the habitat or food. A killer whale can cost a million dollars, not including the tank or anything. These are big expenses for Seaworld and they might not be able to sustain them, which would make the animals starve, or make them cut the tanks down to smaller sizes. The tanks are already too small and make all the sea animals

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

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

The lines are long and filled with young kids barely past the height of their parent’s waists, eager to witness massive, killer whales splash and soak their brightly colored rain ponchos. The excitement radiates from their faces as they watch one orca after another perform tricks they’ve only ever dreamed about. However, one look inside the tank of these incredible creatures and one will find unhappiness and despair. The whales used for entertainment at SeaWorld are held captive, in concrete tanks similar to the size of these children 's bathtubs at home. These conditions may seem harmless on the surface, but there are multiple underlying factors that further prove a point that this kind of lifestyle is detrimental to the health and safety of both the orcas and trainers alike.

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,”

It’s important to understand that SeaWorld takes care of their animals and has the finest facilities for killer whales and any other animals they have.

I agree that SeaWorld is not a friendly place for killer whales. I think that if SeaWorld is going to continue to keep the animals captive then they need a better environment to live in. To give them a better environment the need a bigger tank and to be with their family. You can’t expect a huge orca to live in a cement pool their whole lives. They should be out in the wild with their families where they belong.

The proposition of SeaWorld is typically happy, fun and family orientated. At least that is how it was for me at one point in my life. I would always see the SeaWorld commercials where they were flying over land and the orcas were flying through the sky with them, over cows, farm animals and houses to SeaWorld. They made it seem as if it was so much fun, and when you are younger and a child you typically do not think about bad things, you tend to look at only the good in everything. That is the beauty of children and their minds, they simply do not know. Like most people now, they simply do not know about SeaWorld. I want to just touch on some facts and things you might not have known was happening. Southwest airlines, the airline in the commercial,

The world was created for all beings. Not just human beings. Nalani, Makaio, Malia, and Katina are just a few of the victims of commercial entertainment that has seen many orcas plucked from their homes and family. Well, you can probably guess what I’m going to talk about, Seaworld controversy. Managers versus activists, and how are those whales really being treated.

Orcas at SeaWorld would need to swim 950 times around the bathtub-like tanks that they are kept in just to equal half of the distance that they would swim in the wild. Due to the tiny tanks, orcas are seen with 'rake-marks'. Rake marks are painful gashes that occur when one whale drags it's teeth across across another whale's body. Since the whales will often get irritated with each other, fights will occur, but the whales have no where to escape to. No where to go. Imagine being stuck

Furthermore, Markwell goes on to explain that; this will lead to tooth breakage which leaves the soft pulp of some teeth. If left alone the exposed pulp of the broken teeth leads to cavities which then produce inflammation and an infection. However this can only be fixed by drilling a hole into the teeth known as “Modified Pulpotomy”. This is a very uncomfortable procedure for the whale and when underway, whales are observed spitting and diving down underwater to avoid this procedure. All though this cribbing seems like an act due to boredom, it is very detrimental to a whale’s health and even worse if it goes untreated. Captive animals need this Corrective procedure due to their unsafe living environments that have been provided to them in captivity. To the trained and informed this procedure is known as modified pulpotomy, but to the public, this agonizing and painful treatment is known as “Superior Dental Care”.

C. The documentary “Blackfish” focused its attention on SeaWorld’s treatment of its killer whales and other animals. It also informed about a trainer being killed by an orca during a 2010 performance.

SeaWorld claims that their whales are in superb condition, yet these massive creatures are crammed into a pool for the entirety of their life at SeaWorld. These whales are simply not meant to be in such a small space. Orca whales can travel up to one hundred miles a day in comparison to how far they can swim in their tanks. They can also dive to the depth of around two hundred feet, yet because of the conditions of the pools they 're held captive in, the whales spend most of their time at the surface of their small pools (Orcas in Captivity). Since wild killer whales tend to spend most of their time in deep enough water that the harsh sun rays don 't hit them, they don 't have to worry about getting sunburnt.