Animal Abuse and Manipulation Tactics of the Sea World

Sea World is known for its mistreatment of animals. Its biggest stories though come from orcas killing their trainers. As sad as this is, this is a main reason as to why the orcas should not be locked up and kept in a tiny pool for them to perform tricks. The orcas deserve to be put in the wild like they were meant to be.

SeaWorld city is a marine park set within the Westover Hills space of the city, Texas. The marine park began life as 'SeaWorld of Texas' back in 1988 once it had been opened by the publisher Harcourt, Brace, and Jovanovich. it had been engineered and developed at a large price of $170 million and was beaked as 'the largest academic marine-life funfair within the world' therefore it had a lot to measure up to. However, the marine park attracted over three.3 million guests throughout its initial year of operations. In 1989, the homeowners suddenly met serious cash managing issues (delays, etc.) and therefore the marine park was eventually sold-out to Anheuser-Busch. Following this takeover, the new homeowners began to position less of a spotlight on the academic focus of the marine park and commenced to introduce additional thrill-looking rides.

Sea World came under attack although, once the recent documentary ‘Blackfish’ was discharged. Blackfish was a 2013 fact-filled story or film (about a happening or person) film directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite. It conversates about Tilikum, a whale that is held in captivity by SeaWorld. The story is an unfortunate one and explains the reason why these killer whales should not be held in captivity. The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Special celebration (with fun events) on Lee's Birthday, 2013, and was picked up by Magnolia footage and CNN Films for wider unleash (Cowperthwaite). It had been appointed for the BAFTA Award for Best Fact-filled story or film regarding a happening or person. The fact-filled story or film regarding a happening or person considerations the state of being captured or in jail of Tilikum, a whale concerned within the deaths of 3 individuals, and therefore the results of keeping whales captured in cages, jails, etc..

The coverage of Tilikum includes his act, of recording by a camera or computer, in 1983 off the coast of Iceland and his claimed “teasing and threatening over and another time in a very mean way” by fellow unfortunate person whales at Sealand of the ocean. Cowperthwaite argues these events added/gave to the whale's angry, violent behavior. The film includes a testimonial from Lori Giambattista Marini, director of science with the dehumanized Rights Project. Cowperthwaite conjointly focuses on SeaWorld's claims that (lengths of your time that things square measure alive) of whales (captured in cages, jails, etc.) square measure virtually constant as those within the wild, sometimes thirty years for males and fifty years for females, a claim the film argues is fake. People interviewed embody former SeaWorld trainers, like John Hargrove, UN agency describe their experiences with Tilikum and different unfortunate person whales. The story or film (about a happening or person) reports that the whales have knowledgeable about extreme stress once their children/children were (recorded on a camera or computer) within the wild or once separated when breeding at water parks.

Sea World does do some good though, they have an animal rescue and rehabilitation program. Sea World operates its conservation program with the help of big organizations such as the Department of the Interior, National Marine Fisheries Service and state agencies. Its program was meant to comply with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. “Since its inception SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment has rescued or helped more than 33,000 animals, including ill, orphaned or abandoned and injured manatees, dolphins, pilot whales, sea turtles, and birds,” (Encyclopedia). Also in its rehabilitation program, Sea World has witnessed the first birth of a killer whale while in captivity. Even though with these successes and good deeds, many people still questioned Sea World’s motives.

Although they promote all this saving animals and whatnot, they still kept them in captivity and on display for the public to see. In 1998, Sea World, alongside the help of the U.S. Coast Guard, released J.J. after the whale was rescued and rehabilitated for 14 months. Groups are also concered with the number of captive killer whales that Sea World has. Many of the groups have asked that Sea World release the animals back into the wild. Sea World uses the excuse that the captive whales could not survive in the ocean because of how long they have been kept in captivity (Sea World Facts).

Sea World has also been accused of going on drive hunts for dolphins. Bringing animals into the United States from drive hunts is illegal. The movie, “The Cove”, accuses Sea World of these illegal actions and sheds some light on the idea. The Cove is a documentary from 2009 that was directed by Louie Psihoyos. This movie questions the practice of dolphin hunting practices in Japan. It was awarded the 2010 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in the year 2010. The film is meant to bring to light the illegal practice of dolphin hunting in the Japan area. The film is from a conservationist’s point of view. The film highlights the number of dolphins that are massacred. It is estimated that around 23,000 dolphins and porpoises every year in Japan during these drives. The dolphins are herded into a cove and then netted in, making for easy targets for the hunters to kill the dolphins. The main reason why Sea World is brought into this because the female dolphins are spared and sold to aquariums and many more wildlife entertainment industries. Sea World is accused of being a part of this terrible way of capturing innocent animals.

In recent times, the 30 year old killer whale, also known as Kayla, passed away in January of 2019. It is more than likely that had Kayla been living in the wild, she would have lived to be anywhere from her 50’s to as old as her 80’s. Despite this, Kayla was the oldest living orca that has ever been held in captivity. Although it is not clear what she had died from, it is very likely she died from the conditions of which she lived and was treated. There have been 70 orcas born into captivity around the world. Of those 70, 37 are now deceased. 59 orcas are currently in captivity in either aquariums or at sea parks. Some are born into captivity, while others are captured from the wild. A third of the world’s captured orcas are in the United States, while all but one of these orcas are currently in or at a Sea World.

The conditions these orcas are put through are quite terrifying. These orcas have the natural instincts are to travel thousands and thousands of miles to migrate and whatnot, and then to put them in a small pool barely big enough for the orca itself is inhumane. “It’s basic biology… A captive-born orca that has never lived in the ocean still has the same innate drives...If you have evolved to move great distances to look for food and mates then you are adapted to that type of movement, whether you’re a polar bear or an elephant or an orca...You put [orcas] in a box that is 150 feet long by 90 feet wide by 30 feet deep and you’re basically turning them into a couch potato.” says Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist at the Animal Welfare Institute (Ebenhack).

Sea World is a manipulative company who abuses sea animals for the enjoyment of human beings. These animals do not deserve this type of treatment. They are kept in small pools not nearly big enough for the orcas, and then they are abused to learn how to do tricks. These animals deserve to be in the wild and live their beautiful lives just as humans are. Sea World deserves to be shut down for everything they have done to these poor animals.