To Hold a Killer Whale in Captivity is to Abuse that Animal
Introduction:
I. Attention Getter
According to National Geographic, in the wild, Killer Whales are accustomed to traveling distances of up to 100 miles per day. However, the largest Killer Whale facility for Orcas in captivity in the world - located at Marineland in Antibes, France as stated by the Marineland website, only measures 210 feet long, 100 feet wide and 40 feet deep.
II. Credibility Statement
After watching the documentary Blackfish, reading several articles on whales in captivity and researching Killer Whale (Also Known as Orcas), I am now well informed on the subject of killer whales in captivity.
III. Thesis
To place a killer whale in captivity is to abuse that animal, and in our society, animal abuse is wrong.
IV. Preview of Main Points
Today it is my goal to persuade you that holding Killer Whales in captivity is an act of abuse. We are going to look at the emotional abuse that captivity inflicts upon killer whales, the physical abuse that killer whales incur as a result of being held in captivity as well as the argument for pro-captivity and why the reasoning behind it is in fact wrong.
Body:
Definitions of Abuse: There are several definitions and classifications that help to determine what exactly can be defined as abuse.
According to The Humane Society: Abuse can include things such as isolation , deprivation of necessary sustenance and injury.
I. Point #1
Holding Killer Whales in Captivity is animal abuse because of the physical harm that the whales incur as a result of being held captive.
As mentioned earlier, Killer whales are used to swimming long distances at up to 30 miles per hour and used to diving to depths of up to 100 ft (Na...
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...ited:
Blackfish. Dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaites. Magnolia Pictures. 19 January 2014. Film.
Cetacean Inspiration. “What Causes Dorsal Fin Collapse?” Cetacean Inspiration. 7 January 2013. Web. 31 March 2014
CNN, Couwels, John and Todd, Brian. “SeaWorld Trainer Killed by a Killer Whale.” CNN.com. 25 February 2010. Web. 31 March 2014
CNN. “Killer Whale Attacks SeaWorld Trainer.” CNN.com. 30 November 2006. Web. 31 March 2014
Humane Society, The. “Animal Abuse and Neglect.” and “Search Engine.” HumaneSociety.org. Web. 31 March 2014
Marineland. Www.Marineland.fr Web. 31 March 2014
National Geographic. “Killer Whale (Orca).” National Geographic. Web. 31 March 2014
SeaWorld. Www.SeaWorld.com. Web. 31 March 2014
SeaWorld. SeaWorldCares.com. Web. 31 March 2014
SeaWorld of Hurt. “Ten Things You Didn't Know About Sea World.” SeaWorldofHurt.com. Web. 31 March 2014
People believe that it is no different than training a dog to perform tricks in order to receive a treat as a reward. Some scientists and ecologists also believe that rather than leaving some orcas that are abandoned by their pods, these orcas would be able to live out their lives in captivity. Captivity is not always a bad thing for many wild animals. In fact captivity is what has helped to save the lives of many endangered species and has allowed them to survive and be seen thousands of people around the world. Orcas are an especially hot topic in the science and ecology fields across the globe. Orcas are the largest member of the dolphin family and are extremely unpredictable creatures in the wild. These facts being true makes it extremely difficult and nearly impossible to study the lives and mannerisms of killer whales in the wild. Simply because of this some scientists believe that it is best to hold some orcas in captivity in order to study them and learn more about the psychological stages and happenings in the population as a whole. In some cases it is best for the orcas to be in captivity. The United States Fisheries have set rules and regulations that ensure that all the marine life that is held in captivity has a purpose. This purpose must be educational in some form. The fisheries also mandate that the tanks the orcas are held in are kept at a certain standard to
Orca whales are the largest members of the dolphin family. Orcas are very curious creatures, they like to sky hop, which is when they poke their heads out of the water and look around, and they can also dive to as much as a hundred feet. These social animals live in pods and stay with them for their whole lives. They are so family oriented that they can may sleep together in a tight circle and have synchronized breathing. Orcas can grow up to thirty-two feet and can weigh nine tons. They typically eat five percent of their body weight and are amazing hunters. The lifespan of an orca in their natural habitat is about fifty years. This lifestyle for them is wonderful because they can swim as far as they want to and are free. Orcas should not be held captive because the capture process is dangerous, it is not good for their health, and their trainers are at risk. Free Willy. Dir Simon Wincer. 1993.Video. Warner Bros Home Video
Keeping these huge animals in small pools does not seem right. Big mammals are not meant to be in small pools. When these mammals are born they stay with there mother all of their lives. They never leave their mothers until they are captured and put in small pools which is not right. Killer whales hunt in pods, the oldest female in the pod is usually the group leader. Each pod has its own set of whistles, clicks, and calls that only members of the pod recognize similar to having a unique language. Members of many pods hunt in teams. For example, they may work together to create waves to knock a seal from an ice floe and into the open water. In many pods,...
After watching the documentary, I began to analyze Gabriela Cowperwaithes claim; essentially, she doesn’t feel it is right to have whales in captivity because it makes them aggressive and perhaps insane after being held in captivity for so long. For example, she showed old footage of baby Orcas being captured and taken from their mothers. Then, she moved on to them being trained, specifically Tillicum, who later became aggressive and killed three people. By showing us that footage she is igniting feelings understanding and sadness. A human that is being taken from their mother would be in distress also. I interpreted that footage as her saying it is wrong to take whales from their natural environment.
Suppose you were kidnapped from your family as a child by an alien species while your family watched in despair, crying out helplessly for your kidnappers to not rip you away from them. Now imagine then being strapped down and transported to a place unknown and once you arrive, you see that some of the other children that were also kidnapped have died. You then witness something that will forever remain engraved into your mind; you witness those monsters that took you hostage cut the children open, fill their bodies up with rocks, tie an anchor onto their feet and throw them into the ocean. The monsters then throw you into a tiny cage; you learn that you will not only never see your family again and die in that confinement but you will also work for these monsters and perform as a source of entertainment for them. You spend every night locked away into an even smaller steel cage that gives no freedom of movement at all and aren’t fed if you displease your new masters. Although this sounds like an outline for a horror movie, it is not. It is happening in real life and in our world. It is horrific, not only unethical but inhumane. This depicts the capturing process and life in captivity for public display of Orcinus Orcas, popularly known as Killer Whales since 1961. Although some laws regarding the capturing of whales have changed, whales are still being treated unethically. Just as inhumane as it is for this to be done to humans, it is equally inhumane for it to be done to animals. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, inhumanity is “the quality or stage of being cruel to other people or to animals” (dictionary.com) and that is what their captivity is...
... Documentaries such as Awards winning The Cove and Blackfish have been drawing a lot of attention to cetaceans in captivity. More documentaries should be made and broadcasted regarding this topic so that more people will get to know about this issue. Environmental groups can also make it more accessible for people to join and help in bring this message worldwide. Education could be also useful in teaching the young about animals in the wild and instead of bringing them to the marine parks, bring them to whale watching. This way they can learn about them living in the wild and not seeing a whale swimming rounds in a tank. People should be encouraged to visit whales in the wild and not in marine parks performing tricks. Through help from environmental groups, the government, schools and individuals, the killer whales will get to return to the wild, where they belong.
Sea World has been known to lie to the public when it comes to giving facts about these killer whales they have captive. One of the things this company claims is that the killer whales actually live longer in their care. According to the website (Sea World of Hurt) this is completely false, killer whales in the wild have a similar life span to humans, they can live from anywhere to 50-100 years. Held captive, these animals hardly live past twenty-five years. In the wild, an orcas dorsal fin is straight which is the way it should be. In captivity, you will mostly see their dorsal fins flopped over or completely collapsed. The reasons as to why their fins become this way is because they simply do not have enough s...
For 50 years SeaWorld has entertained park guests with numerous stunts involving the majestic sea creature, the orca, also referred to as the killer whale, and their human trainers. What the on-lookers don’t see at these shows is what goes on behind the scenes: how the whales got there in the first place, and the conditions in which they are housed.
I for one have the common sense, along with a number of you, to know that in no situation whatsoever would it be remotely acceptable to rip a child out of their helpless mothers grasp and force them to witness her own abhorrent and gory murder. This is burdens the helpless animal for the rest of its life, and obviously renders the fear of humans through the roof. Preforming disturbing and unnatural acts for the public with this onus constantly as a reminder to the whale to live in continuous fear is repulsive. In fact, former Sea World employee Jeff Ventre said, on the subject of captive whale attacks, "[The attacks] are manifestations of stress, even madness, in animals forced into miserable, unnatural conditions." Take a minute to imagine the mental toll this calamity has on these beautiful, magnificent creatures. No part of this situation is even close to being humane, and it never will be until this is tragedy is permanently put to an
The issue of keeping Orcas in captivity and under the care of man has been a controversial practice ever since the first dolphins and whales were taken into aquariums for the amusement of humans. In more recent times, the documentary Blackfish (which has been recently broadcasted on popular TV stations such as CNN) that focuses on Tilikum, an orca held by SeaWorld, has brought to light the controversy over captive killer whales. Orcas are majestic, beautiful, and intelligent creatures that should not be kept in captivity for our entertainment because of the harm it causes them.
... this still happens because it is what the audience wants to see and what they pay for. Holding whales in captivity does not benefit them it has proven many things such as the whales are aggressive towards there trainer although in the wild they have not hurt a single person intentionally. It has also proven they live shorter lives. Not just shorter lives but thirty to forty years shorter life expectancies in captivity. There living condition small not large enough for them to receive there exercise and hunt for their food like they would in the wild. These are just some of the many ways whales are mistreated and they don’t deserve any of it. The way to stop this is simple. Don’t visit theme parks where Orcas are forced to do tricks they do not want to do. Support organization that are there to actually treat and release the whales not hold and profit off of them.
Orcas, or killer whales are majestic giants of the sea. They are actually the largest type of dolphin. They have long black bodies with distinct white patches near their eyes. A killer whale can be up to 32 feet or more in length, and weigh up to 12,000 pounds. Females are a bit smaller, but live longer (Gorman). The name “killer whale” apparently came not because it is a vicious whale, but because it preys on whales. They do not have any natural predators, and they are considered the “top dog” of the ocean. Not even the great white shark stands a chance against these superb killers. “Unlike sharks, killer whales are cautious hunters, sometimes spending hours harassing a 1,000-pound sea lion so it can easily be drowned” (Francis). Orcas use many hunting tactics that are unique to their species, which is what makes them invincible.
In the documentary “Blackfish” director Gabriela Cowperthwaite says “That once you put a killer whale in captivity the dorsal fin will deflate.” This shows that putting animals in captivity can damage their health. It could also make them aggressive.
In direct contrast to that, the vast majority of captive killer whales die before they reach their early 20’s, and even today no male killer whale in captivity has ever lived longer than 35 years. For killer whales being able to live in a natural, open space where they are able to swim freely is vital for their health and well-being. In the wild killer whales swim an average of 100 miles per day, a feat that is nearly impossible for a captive killer whale. In order for a captive killer whale to swim that distance it would have to swim more than 1,400 laps in the pool that they are kept in which is virtually impossible. In the US, the minimum enclosure size is set by the Code of Federal Regulations, 9 CFR E 3.104, under the Specifications for the Humane Handling, Care, Treatment, and Transportation of Marine Mammals. [41] In 9 CFR 3.104, Table III classifies killer whales as Group 1 Cetaceans with an average length of 24 feet (7.315 meters). Based on the length, Table 1 states up to two killer whales may be held in a pool with a minimum horizontal dimension of twice that length or 48 feet and a minimum depth of 12 feet. The Pacific Ocean, which is the natural habitat of killer whales, is approximately 64 million square miles, and we are unable to measure its depth. There are hundreds of
In the United States alone, there are more than 500 dolphins and members of the dolphin family held in captivity; equally thousands have died in captivity. Today, dolphins are kept captive in amusement parks, "Swim With Dolphins" programs, casinos and sometimes even shopping malls. Many people enjoy watching them perform in shows or even interacting with them in aquatic parks, but most people lack the understanding of the trauma dolphins suffer in through being captured and transported, and the often cruel conditions in which they are kept. The process of capture and the conditions in which dolphins are kept are cruel and unnatural, and can be stopped by educating the public about the significant cost of this industry to the health and life of the dolphin species, and convincing the public to not buy tickets to the different events that captive dolphins are involved in.