Seaworld Research Paper

The SeaWorld has been enchanting its audiences for centuries. The orcas waving hello or sticking out their tongues, getting soaked in the front row of the Shamu show, and wishing for a job like that all seemed like dreams come true at the time. In reality, these whales go through a world of physical and psychological agony to do what they do. They are torn away from their families, put in a pool that is the whale equivalent to a bathtub, and expected to perform 3 times a day, every day, nearly every day of the year. The use of animals for entertainment is immoral and should be illegal.

Orca whales are extraordinarily intelligent, social, and friendly animals. They follow a very close matrilineal group, with varying behaviors and languages among each pod. In an interview of John Hargrove, a former SeaWorld orca trainer of 14 years, told National Public Radio, “There’s something almost scary to it, the intelligence level of these animals... how tightly united their social groups are, their family units especially… the animals that are true family members. It’s really remarkable,” (Hargrove). Despite orcas’ familiar nickname “killer whale,” there have been no

fatal attacks on humans by orcas in the wild on record. The only human fatalities by orcas have been in captivity.
SeaWorld captured orcas from the wild until the late 1970’s, after which they began breeding them instead.

Because orcas are such social animals, a whale being separated from its pod is emotionally and psychologically devastating for him/her and the rest of his/her pod. This mental damage is what causes orcas to become aggressive and hostile in captivity. Upon being moved to a different location, twelve-year-old Takara’s mother, Kasatka, shook, wailed, and used long distance sonar to try to find and communicate with her baby. SeaWorld trainers had never heard any sounds like Kasatka’s cries; especially not from Kasatka, whom is usually a subdued whale. SeaWorld denies ever separating any calves from their mothers. However, SeaWorld has torn a total of 19 calves away from the mothers, some while still

nursing.
Many argue that since SeaWorld is ending its trainer-on-orca performances and the orca breeding program, there should be no more worries. However, SeaWorld has a bad habit of twisting things to make themselves look like angels. Although the CEO of SeaWorld Parks claims that the new whale observation exhibit “will be focused on… the natural behavior of the whales,” that is not exactly the case.