SeaWorldisachainofaquaticthemeparksownedbySeaWorldEntertainment

(SeaWorldParks,1)gearedtowardsentertainmentandtheeducationofpeopleinthemarine
world.SeaWorldprovidesmanytypesofanimalshowsincludingtheKillerWhaleShamu
show,whichhascomeacrossahugecontroversyontheirtreatmentoftheorcasthattheyusein
theirshows.AfterthereleaseofadocumentaryintheSundanceFilmFestivaltitledBlackfish
whichexploredthetreatmentoftheseanimals,manypeoplearedebatingwhetherSeaWorld
shouldbeallowedtocontinuetheirKillerWhaleprogramoriftheyshouldbeshutdown.This
paperwillexplorethestrongopinionsandfactsofbothsidesofthisdebate.
KillerWhalesareagiantmammalthatgrowfrom23to32feetasadultsandcanliveup
tobe80yearsoldinthewild.Killerwhaleshavedistinctiveblackandwhitemarkingsto
separatethemfromtheotherwhales.Thesegiantwhalesswimhundredsofmilesaday,catching
theirfoodinfamilypods.(NationalGeographic,Par.1)Tobecompletelyhealthy,thesewhales
needplentyofroomtoswimsotheydontbecomeboredandunhealthy.
WhatstartedthedebateaboutthecareofthekillerwhalesattheSeaWorldParks?In
2013,adocumentarytitledBlackFish,directedbyGabrielaCowperthwaitepremieredatthe
SundanceFilmfestival.Thisdocumentary...tellsthestoryofTilikum,aperformingkiller
whalethatkilledseveralpeoplewhileincaptivity.
(BlackFishAbout,Par.1)Alongwiththis
horrificstoryaswellasotherstoriessimilartothatone,Cowperthwaitedocumentsreasonsasto
whythesewhalesmayhaveharmedthetrainersthattheyspentsomuchtimeandconnected
with.SincethefirstshowingofBlackFish,thecontroversyoverthetreatmentofthekiller
whalesflaredup,sparkingdebatesandevenlegalactionagainsttheSeaWorldEntertainment
company.Manypeopleagreewiththedocumentarythattheshowsshouldbeshutdownandthe

killerwhalestakentoabetterplace.Thereareothersthoughthatargueagainstit,keepingthis
debatealivetothisday.
OneofthelargesttopicsfromthisissueisthesizeofthekillerwhaletanksatSeaWorld
parks.Thekillerwhalefrequentscoldcoastalwatersfromthepolarregionstotheequator.
Theyswimhundredsofmilesadaytocatchtheirfood.AtSeaWorld,thetanksarenowhere
neartherightamountofroomthatafullgrownkillerwhaleneedstolive.Imagesinthe
BlackFishdocumentaryshowsmalltanksthatthewhalescanonlyswimcirclesintomove
around.FormerseniororcatraineratSeaWorldJohnHargroveconfirmsthatthisisharmfulfor
thewhalesmentalandphysicalhealth,Wewitnessedstereotypicandobsessivecompulsive
behavior,suchasbangingtheirfacesandheadsagainstthepoolwallsandfloor,obsessively
pickingatandpeelingthepaintonthepools,ultimatelyingestingit.Oftenthesebehaviorswere
soobsessivetheyresultedinphysicalinjurytothewhale,buttheystillwouldnotstop.(Greg
AllenNPR,Par.9)Withthismuchharmcomingtothewhalesfromnothavingenoughspace,it
isnecessaryforSeaWorldtoexpandthesizeoftheirtanksforthehealthoftheiranimalsorto
sendthemsomewherewheretheycanhavethenecessaryspace.
Oneofthephysicalpiecesofevidenceshowingthedetrimentthatcaptivityhasonthese
whalesistheirdorsalfins.Thedorsalfinisthefingrowingstraightoutofthetopoftheorcas
body.Inthewild,itisrareforakillerwhalesdorsalfintobecollapsedorfoldedoveritself.At
SeaWorld,100percentoftheirmalekillerwhaleshaveeitherpartialorcompletelycollapsed
dorsalfins.Acollapseddorsalfinshowsthatthefleshinthefinisweak,evidencethatthewhale
maybemalnourished.With100percentoftheirmalewhaleshavingthisphysicaltrait,thereis
thequestionofhowwelltheyareactuallybeingcaredfor.(BlackFishDocumentary)

AbigpartofthekillerwhaleprogramatSeaWorldistheirbreedingprogram.
Generationsoforcashavecomeoutoftheirparksthroughartificialinseminationoftheir
whales.Thedownsidetothisisthattheyareinbreedingtheirwhales.Theresultfromthisisthat
theinbreedingofwhalesproduceshybridkillerwhalesthatdontexistinnaturethattherefore
cantinteractnaturallyinthewild.Thewhalesthatarebredincaptivitywillhavetoliveoutthe
restoftheirlivesincaptivitysincetheydonthavetheskillstosurviveinthewild.Theonly
waytostoptheinbreedingistostopthebreedingprogramalltogether.(Worrall,Par.11)
SeaWorldisagreatplacefortheeducationoffuturegenerations.Textbooksandpapers
dolittletoillustratethebeautyandwondermentofmarinelife.TheSeaWorldparkshelppaint
thatpictureforourchildren.FormerseniororcatraineratSeaWorldJohnHargrove,nowan
authorandactiveadvocateagainsttheSeaWorldcorporation,describeswhatitwaslikeasa
childtoseethekillerwhaleshows,...Iwassix,whenIfirstsawaShamuShowinFlorida,in
1980.Irememberbeingsoseducedbythewholeenvironment,likeakidwhowantstobea
magicianathisfirstmagicshow.Icouldseetherelationshipbetweenthetrainersandthe
whales:thishuge,impressiveanimalandthislittlebittytrainerinthewater,withpeopleinthe
stadiumandthelights.Itwasjustanoverpoweringexperienceforme.Andfromthatday
forwarditwasmyidentity.Andstillis.(Worrall,Par.4)
ManywhalesarebeingkeptincaptivityattheSeaWorldparks.Ifthekillerwhale
programwastobeshutdown,wherewouldthesewhalesgo?Thiswouldbeahugeproblem.
Somepeoplethinkthattheycouldbereleasedbackintothewildwheretheybelong,butbecause
oftheinbreedingandhowtheywereraisedincaptivitybeingcaredforfortheirwholelives
theseorcaswouldntbeabletosurviveinthewild.SeaWorldwouldjustmovethemto

differenttanksatdifferentparks,whichitseemswouldntbesolvingtheproblem.(Allen,Par.
14)Withthisinmind,woulditbesensibletoclosedowntheparksifitwouldntbehelpingthe
whales?Themovementwouldjustputtheminmorestresssotheycouldliveinthesameexact
environmentastheyhadbefore.
TheSeaWorldcorporationisahugepartofthecitiesthattheirparksarebasedin.
Millionsofpeoplegototheseparkseveryyear,spendinghundredsofdollarstoseethekiller
whalesperform.Thisgreatlyhelpswithregionaleconomyinthoseareas.Themorethatpeople
spendthere,themoreithelpstheeconomyandthepeoplethatlivethere.In2013thepresident
oftheSanDiegoSeaWorldstatedthattheSeaWorldparkinSanDiegoattracted4.6million
visitorsandmade14milliondollarsinleasepaymentstothecityofSanDiego.(Allen,Par.15)
Thismoneycangreatlyhelpwiththecoststorunthecity.Alongwiththelossofthelease
payments,SeaWorldwouldexpectthestatetomakerestitutionfortheamountofmoneythat
theywouldbelosingfromthebanningofthekillerwhaleshows.(Allen,Par.15)Thiscould
costthestatesmillionsofdollarsthatcouldbeusedforresourcestoimprovetheplacethat
peoplelivein.Keepingthekillerwhaleshowscansavethesestatesandtheireconomyfrom
spendingmillionsofdollarsforrestitution.
Weknowsomuchaboutmarinelifeandhowitworks,buthowdowegetthat
information?AquariumsandparkssuchasSeaWorldcontributetheirtimeandresourcesto
researchthesemagnificentcreatures.Therearentmanyplacesthathavetheproperresourcesto
dotheextensiveresearchthattheSeaWorldparkscando.MarineveterinarianGregBossart
explainsthatbecauseoftheanimalsthatwehaveincaptivity,scientistsareabletocompare
animalsinthewildandonesincaptivityandfinddifferentvirusesandfindwaystocurethem.

Withoutaccesstotheseanimals,therewouldbenowaytofindthesecures.(Scarpuzzi)Along
withfindingmedicalcures,scientistscanstudyanimalbehaviors.Itsextremelyimportantfor
ustoknowhowanimalsinteractwitheachotherandwiththeirenvironment.Thisknowledge
canhelpusandfuturegenerationsaidtheseanimalsandtheirenvironmentssowecanenjoy
theirpresenceonearthforaslongaspossible.Ifthekillerwhaleprogramisshutdownitwould
beextremelydifficulttoobtainthiscriticalknowledge.
TheissueoncontinuingorshuttingdowntheSeaWorldkillerwhaleprogramisvery
controversial.Manysaythatthewhalesarebeingkepthostage,theydonthaveenoughroomto
exercisewhichleadsthemtobecomeboredandasaresulttheyharmtheirtrainers.This
boredomalsoleadstothedevelopmentofmentallyandphysicallyharmfulbehaviors.Withthe
breedingprogram,whaleswillneverbeabletobereleasedintothewildwheretheybelong.
Otherssaydifferentlyonthetopic.TheysayhowSeaWorldisaninspirationforfuture
generations,howthewhalesneedtostayintheparkstosurvive,thattheeconomydependson
theprofitthatSeaWorldparksmake,andthatitisnecessarytokeepthesewhalesforthepurpose
ofresearch.Whatisbestforthewhales?Aretheybeingtreatedhumanely?Thistopichas
manyissuesandtopicsthatneedtobediscussedandresearchedbeforeafinaldecisioncanbe
made.

WorksCited

"About."Blackfish.Dogwoof.Web.<http://www.blackfishmovie.com/about>.

Allen,Greg."Calif.MeasureWouldBanKillerWhaleShowsAtSeaWorld."Npr.9Apr.
2014.Web.
<http://www.npr.org/2014/04/09/300836811/califmeasurewouldbankillerwhaleshowsatse
aworld>.

Blackfish.Dir.GabrielaCowperthwaite.MagnoliaPictures,2013.DVD.

'Blackfish'FilmIgnoresSeaWorld'sBenefitstoConservation,Research
.Perf.Michael
Scarpuzzi.CNN,2013.CNNInterviews.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/23/opinion/seaworldblackfishcontroversy/

"KillerWhale(Orca)."
NationalGeographic
.Web.
<http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/killerwhale/>.

"SeaworldParks&Entertainment."Web.<https://seaworldparks.com/>.

Worrall,Simon."FormerTrainerSlamsSeaWorldforCruelTreatmentofOrcas."
NationalGeographic
.29Mar.2015.Web.
<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/150329orcablackfishseaworlddolphinskillerw
halesngbooktalk/>.