Why Animals Are Far Smarter Than We Are?

Anderson’s “Orca Behavior and Subsequent Aggression Associated with Oceanarium Confinement” states that, “a fundamental refocusing of our relationship with orcas is warranted, in favor of a new era characterized by mutual friendship, understanding, and much greater appreciation of these remarkable creatures than has been the case to date” (Anderson). In 1961, the practice of capturing wild orca whales to use for entertainment and educational purposes in amusement parks began; however, the captors knew little about the social complexity and strength of orcas. During this time, investors saw this magnificent animal as the proper investment to allocate revenue during the boom of amusement parks. After nearly forty years of orca captivity, researchers begin to unravel the nature of orca whales, and scientists now raise the question of if these powerful and intelligent mammals belong in captivity. Captors argue that captivity provides insight on a species is nearly impossible to study in the wild and promotes respect for the species. Activists and scientists plead that due to scientific data it is senseless to hold captive such a highly intelligent animal. Although activists and scientists create a convincing argument against orca captivity, millions of people flock to see orcas in captivity proving that

Since SeaWorld opened in 1964, the park has encountered harsh criticism from the public. Whether criticized for their ethics or their oblivious harm to animals, the underwater amusement park raises many ethical questions regarding the captivity of sea animals, especially orcas. Most people are uninformed about orcas to begin with, so they do not understand why SeaWorld is such a terrible place. SeaWorld exploits animals in their shows to bring revenue to their company, while disregarding the physical and mental health of the animals. Today, people have begun to see the reasons why SeaWorld should close. SeaWorld should close their doors due to their record of unhealthy orcas, their aggressive killer whale, Tilikum, and their dishonesty to the public.

Theme Parks such as SeaWorld confine dolphins and orcas, who are capable of swimming up to more than one hundred miles a day, in tank that are 50 feet deep and 350 feet in length. To put it in perspective, that’s equivalent to the size of a standard bathtub. SeaWorld portrays itself as a loving, fun, and family based establishment; however, certain activities can harm the killer whales emotionally and physically.

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.

For several years, Americans have been visiting amusement parks, like SeaWorld and Six Flags, to observe large animals like orcas, also known as killer whales. These whales are quite difficult to view in the wild, but can now be seen for a simple fee. Orcas are known to be one of the smartest mammals. They are friendly, and this has caused people to take advantage of them. For the past sixty years, people have brought these massive creatures into their aquariums to make a profit from their exhibitions. Often, without considering the orcas' quality of life. While kept in captivity, killer whales are forced to do many tricks they normally wouldn’t do in the wild. Over the years, there have been numerous controversies regarding killer whales

What do you think of wolves? Do you think they’re blood-thirsty killers, or do you think they are rather friendly animals? In the book, Never Cry Wolf, (1963) the author, Farley Mowat, writes about his excursion to the sub arctic Barren Lands of Canada to study how wolves act and how the community is being affected by the wolves. The people of Churchill lead Mowat to believe the wolves are something that they aren’t, which is a blood-thirsty killer. Mowat then uses the rhetorical strategy Pathos throughout the book to show you how he personifies the wolves and how fear is all in our minds.

Emotions play an extremely important role in human mental life. Unlike the chimpanzee, human emotions are easier to read because of their physical responses such as tears in their eyes or their lips changing shape. In the same way as chimpanzees, humans use gestures to communicate with each other, yet they use words instead of sounds.

“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.

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,

In 2013 a documentary called “Blackfish” (a documentary explaining the illnesses of orcas and the weaknesses of seaworld) was released to inform the world why seaworld was not all fun and games. In fact after the release seaworld lost $31.6 million the second-quarter income. Just one of the many things “Blackfish” told us is that capturing the orcas doesn't always go as smoothly

For thousands of years orcas, or killer whales, roamed the oceans in peace. Untouched by human hands until the freedom of some had to come to an end. The SeaWorld corporation captured multiple wild orcas until they were banned from almost every body of water. Since then, they have bred and shipped orcas between each of their parks around the world. However, this act did not go unnoticed. Animal rights activists have expressed their feelings on the inhumane living conditions of these majestic creatures and they have not and will not back down. Without hesitation, the SeaWorld corporation made many claims as to how their animals in captivity live more fulfilling lives

After reading Jeremy Rifkin’s article, “A Change of Heart about Animals”, I discovered more about animals than I had ever known before. As a former pet owner I know how much owners care for their pets and consider them to be a part of the family, almost like a child to them, so they are treated with kindness and are loved to the fullest. What I did not know was how intelligent animals actually are. Rifkin does a great job at expressing this by demonstrating to the audience facts that they had possibly not known or heard of before. For example, he describes how crows can make tools out of a wire, gorillas can learn sign language and have an average score on an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) test, and how pigs can often feel lonely and go into depression.

“Can you imagine being in a small concrete enclosure for your life when you’re used to swimming 100 miles a day?” This is how captive dolphins live everyday, their natural habitat is swimming miles and miles in the ocean. When they get captured their lives change for the worse. In the past decade Seaworld and captive animals has been a controversial subject. Many people believe the keeping orca whales captive is damaging to the animal and affects them in a negative way. Others believe Seaworld is used to rescue animals and save them. The treatment of animals in captivity is cruel and should be stopped. Keeping animals captive is an appalling punishment.

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.

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)