Persuasive Speech On Orca Whales

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When someone says the word Shamu many of us think of a happy, active, go lucky orca whale. What if I told you that the orca whales at sea world are really lost, heartbroken, and most of them are unhealthy? Would you then stop supporting them? What would you think if I told you that Orca Whales are self aware, cultural, emotional mammals that routinely make decisions about their daily life? Because of the lack of conservation efforts on behalf of Sea World, the high mortality rates, and health risks; Sea World and all marine parks for that matter should release their orcas from captivity. Lets begin with profits versus conservation. Fred Jacobs the vice president of communications at sea world when asked why captivity says “ It serves as an invaluable educational purpose and provides experiences that not only raise awareness and appreciation for the animals, but also instills a passion to conserve them”. However, how can the company advocate conservation when they make minimal strides towards it themselves. Every 1 million dollars earned at sea world is equal to $600 in conservation efforts…about five cents a ticket. Sea world’s lack of concern for conservation is seen through the orca’s mortality rate. According to the humane society since their breeding program has begun the mortality rate is only 50%, which amounts to at least one death per year at sea world. 92% of the whales held in the parks do not live past the age of 25. If you ask any marine biologist that studies the animal they will inform you that their life span is 60 to 90 in the wild, 100 in the best conditions. With millions of visitors and profits being generated per year it is hard to believe that there is no way to change this. The most imp... ... middle of paper ... ... the ocean where he continued to be tracked by marine biologists. You can visit petitions.whitehous.gov or change.org and sign one of the many petitions to release orcas from captivity. Let your local legislatures know that this is not right and is animal cruelty at it’s finest. By doing this you can make a difference. To conclude my speech today I would like to leave you with a quote from Rick Obare former flipper trainer and producer of the award winning movie The Cove, “putting an orca in a concrete pool is like keeping a human being in a bath tub”. Whether you are a strict animal rights activist or simply a fan of Shamu I hope my speech today has altered your perspective on Sea World. If we take the correct steps to help stop the captivation of orcas at Sea World I believe we can help orcas all over the world. Thank you and please sign the petitions.

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