SEA THE WORLD (for what it really is):
Theme parks are one of the biggest attractions in multiple large cities across the world, one of the most prominent of them being SeaWorld, a waterpark dedicated to showcasing the natural wildlife inhabitants of Earth’s many oceans. One main, if not the biggest, attraction is the gaggle of Orcas SeaWorld has held and bred in captivity since its opening in 1959. These Orcas are captured in the wild as calves, ripped from their families and their pods, transported to whatever park deemed appropriate by the organization’s managerial team, and live out the rest of their days in tanks of water that are not suitable for majestic creatures of their size. One of the most famous of these whales is Tilikum, a 12,000 pound male who has sired 21 calves in the gates of SeaWorld. He has killed 3 trainers in his 34 years of being in captivity, 2 of which were at a SeaWorld park.
Orcas are generally docile creatures – in the wild. There has never been a report of injury or fatality at the fault of an Orca outside of captivity. The documentary, Blackfish, was released in 2013 to highlight this theory as well as the scandals and tragedies of the reality of the lives of SeaWorld whales. According to Blackfish there have been over 70 reports of injuries and fatalities involving Orcas. That can’t be a coincidence, right?
What is even more suspicious about the happenings at SeaWorld is that every dangerous situation that has occurred involving an Orca has always been, according to SeaWorld, “a fault on behalf of the trainer”. And this is the stance the organization took after several injuries were inflicted just at SeaWorld parks. One whale was transferred to an international park and killed a trainer there. In court, the head trainer at SeaWorld, Kelly Clark, denied SeaWorld having any connection to the whale in question. The worst instance is the death of senior trainer Dawn Brancheau. Brancheau was performing a show at the Orlando location when Tilikum grabbed her arm and drug her into the pool, drowning and mutilating her body, and swallowing her arm. When questioned about the ethics and morality of the living conditions of captivity, SeaWorld deflected any accusation by saying that the whale showed no aggressive behavior, and actually grabbed onto her hair, and had Dawn’s hair not been in a long ponytail, the whole situation could have been avoided.
On March 17, 2016, after extreme pressure from the public, as well as animal activist groups like PETA, SeaWorld announced that it will no longer be breeding Orcas in captivity and that the whales currently in captivity will be the last of their bloodline.
It’s hard to believe that something such as SeaWorld, that has had such a positive impact on many people’s lives with education and research of wildlife could be the posterchild for unethical practices with animals. While SeaWorld has the right to privacy and to run their business as they like, they must also take into account the lives of the animals they’re handling. The intention of SeaWorld is not to harm or diminish the quality of life for these Orcas, but unfortunately, due to their lack of concern for the morality of breeding in captivity and the mental health of the whales, that has sadly become their reputation. For example, Orcas typically live 50-100 years on average in the wild, but at SeaWorld, not one Orca, with the exception of Tilikum, has lived near 30 years old. In addition, Orcas have very erect and strong dorsal fins which allow them to swim deftly and keep their balance. In captivity, every Orca’s dorsal fin flops over due to lack of enough space to swim under water for long periods of time. SeaWorld tells its visitors that with age, an Orca’s dorsal fin will eventually flop over and their average life span (even in the wild) is 25-35 years.
There are many secrets SeaWorld was keeping for a long time before Blackfish was made, and since the release of the film, each year SeaWorld’s revenue has decreased little by little. While SeaWorld may have believed this was a violation of privacy on not only their company, but their employees as well, no longer matters. Secrets are kept secret for a reason, and SeaWorld’s are so horrible, it is imperative that they become public knowledge. Their reasoning for keeping a secret is what indicates that they know what they are doing would not be accepted if exposed. And that is exactly what is happening.
During the court time after Dawn Brancheau’s death, the “expert eyewitness”, who was also the spotter during the show with Dawn and Tilikum was recorded on the stand supporting the claim that Tilikum grabbed Dawn by the hair, and she fell into the water. SeaWorld’s blatant disregard for the truth and their attempts to hide it are clear exhibits that they know what they’re doing is wrong. And that is why they pulled this publicity stunt of no longer breeding in captivity – they are trying to shield themselves from the backlash of the truth finally being spilled. But, while no longer breeding in captivity is a step forward towards reinstating the humane treatment of their Orcas, it is simply an attempt to draw a veil over captivity facilities and the continuation of these whales lashing out because they are simply not where they are meant to be. SeaWorld no longer deserves their right to privacy because of the secrets they are hiding.
Sea The World 