It’s time to stop the shows. It’s time to stop forcing animals to perform in basically a circus environment, and they should release the animals that are young and healthy enough, and the animals like Tilikum, who are old, sick, and have put 25 years in the industry, should be released into an open ocean pen."-Former SeaWorld trainer, Samantha Berg
Intro
Few people will ever have the chance to see an orca, in the wild, displaying natural behaviors such as swimming at speeds up to 28 miles per hour, leaping as high as 15 feet out of the water, or even hunting prey to feed their young. SeaWorld wants the public to believe that their shows display these natural behaviors, and are not the equivalent of a salt water circus. Using killers whales as entertainment has to be stopped. SeaWorld should be shut down and reintroduce the orcas into the wild.
There isn't enough spaceThere isn't enough space for the orcas in the tanks at SeaWorld. Wild orcas swim up to 100 miles a day. According to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, in order for the killer whales to swim that same amount, they would have to swim the circumference of the pool 1,900 times in one day. This is practically impossible. As a result of the orcas are not swimming as much, their dorsal fin collapses. The dorsal fin is much like an unused muscle which atrophies. The collapsed dorsal fin rarely happens to orcas in the wild.
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Danger
SeaWorld’s use of killer whales as entertainment is dangerous. The orcas have already killed three trainers, Dawn Brancheau, Keltie Byrne, and Daniel Dukes. The death of Dawn Brancheau stood out, because she was one of the most qualified and experienced trainers at SeaWorld. Her attack happened at the end of the Seaworld "Believe" show. It was approaching a part of the performance where the orca and the trainer lay next to to each other. Tilikum, a famous killer whale, didn’t lay down, instead he grabbed Dawn’s arm and dragged her into the water. Tilikum broke numerous bones and drowned her. Dawn was one of the most admired and respected trainers, it is hard to believe that the “accident” was her fault; but this is exactly what SeaWorld attempted to portray.
The responsibility for the tragic deaths at SeaWorld, belong not to the trainers, nor the orcas, but to SeaWorld’s owners and management. There wouldn't be any danger, and none of these tragedies would have occurred, if these killer whales were in their natural habitat. Killer whales are natural predators, and having them in captivity has led to tragedies, and will certainly lead to more. By putting the trainers in the pool with an orca, it is impossible to know what will happen. SeaWorld claims the performances only show the natural behaviors of the orcas. Hunting is the most natural instinct of a predatory animal, such as a killer whale. There is no way to predict when an orca may return to its true nature, and view the trainer as prey. Its very important to remember that orcas aren't pets, they are wild animals that belong in their natural environment, not in an over sized fish tank. |
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Behavioral Changes
In captivity, killer whales suffer from stress, and are aggravated by their unnatural surroundings, which can make them be more aggressive towards their captors. Wild orcas live in pods. In some cases orcas stay with their mothers their whole life. On the other hand, captive orcas tend to switch from park to park, being separated from their mothers. The Documentary “Blackfish” shows a video of a young calf being taken to another park and separated by its mother. Both the mother and calf were crying long range vocals, hoping they would be reunited. Without members of their pods, the orcas are lonely. Also, wild orcas are constantly swimming, while captive orcas often float in the water of the holding tanks. These odd behaviors trigger more unexpected and violent events
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LifespanSeaWorld is the shortening of the orca’s life span when in captivity. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have said, a wild orcas life expectancy is 30-50 years old. The maximum lifespan for males is 60-70 and 80-90 years old. The median age for orcas in captivity is only 9. If SeaWorld is one of the biggest rehab centers for marine animals, why would the animals live for a shorter amount of time? The killer whales at SeaWorld almost never reach the life expectancy of their wild siblings.
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Conclusion
SeaWorld must release its animals back into the wild. It is where they truly belong. There is no tank large enough to allow an orca to swim freely as they do in the wild. This results in a shorter life span, often filled with dangerous situations, and behavioral changes. Neither killer whales, nor any other animals should be put into this circus-like environment. Its time to open our minds and realize, that our desire for entertainment does not justify the cruel life we are forcing these animals to live. Perhaps we will never experience the thrill of seeing an orca swimming, jumping or hunting in the open ocean, but maybe that is the way it was meant to be.
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Glossary
atrophies -(of body tissue or an organ) waste away, especially of a result of the degeneration of cells
instinct -an innate, typically fixed pattern of behaviour in animals in response to certain stimuli
life span -the length of time for which an animal or person lives
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals -also known as PETA, an organization that is trying to stop animal abuse and give animals their rights
pod -a group of wild orcas that travel together, and most likely live with each other their whole lives.
portray -to represent
instinct -an innate, typically fixed pattern of behaviour in animals in response to certain stimuli
life span -the length of time for which an animal or person lives
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals -also known as PETA, an organization that is trying to stop animal abuse and give animals their rights
pod -a group of wild orcas that travel together, and most likely live with each other their whole lives.
portray -to represent
Written by: Mia F