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Captive Killer Whales at Seaworld
Unnecessary cruelty towards animals
Animal cruelty introduction
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Recommended: Captive Killer Whales at Seaworld
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
Should killer whales be kept in captivity? Killer whales are mammals that travel in schools. These mammals eat large fish, seals, and even other whales. Killer whales can be dangerous, and are really big animals. When looking at all the evidence about killer whales in SeaWorld, laws and actions need to be enforced with this dangerous activity.
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...
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.
An orca, more commonly known as a killer whale, is currently one of the largest marine animals held in captivity. Countless arguments are being made, supporting and opposing captivity of orcas to be exploited as circus animals in theme parks around the world. Throughout recent history, Sea World trainers have been injured and killed by the orcas and the whales, and the whales themselves have been observed as severely depressed. If Sea World releases the whales, they would undergo an immense economic downfall and the whales would be too weak to survive in the wild if they were freed. Since the first Sea World park opened in San Diego, California in 1964, common questions have arose concerning the well-being of orcas in captivity, the dangers of humans training them, the physical capability of whales theoretically being released, and the psychological differences between whales living in the wild versus whales living in Sea World's confinement.
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.
“… building a tank the size of Rhode Island wouldn’t be large enough for a six-ton male killer whale such as Tilikum, an animal capable of swimming 100 miles a day,” states an anonymous whale expert. Whales have been in captivity since 1861 when P.T. Barnum displayed the first live whale that was captured in Canada. However, Barnum had no idea how to care for the mammal and it died after only a week in captivity. (Animal Legal and Historical Center, 2014) Being up close with killer whales could give us some clues about how they interact with each other, including physical behavior, their dialect, and how their pods work together as a family unit. However, what we are finding is that whales who belong in the wild are suffering in captivity. Killer whales have no record of ever harming a human being in the wild. In captivity, there have been many incidents of killer whales harming or even killing their trainers. What would cause them to do this in captivity, but not in the wild? They have been known to resort to aggression toward themselves and each other, in what scientist believe to be a stress induced behavior. (Animal Legal and Historical Center, 2014) Evidence against having these wild animals in captivity is increasing and we need reevaluate the value of capturing and holding killer whales for our educational purposes, enjoyment, and profit.
Orcinus orca is the scientific name for the massive marine mammal. Orcas are not rare, but have declining numbers in some areas (Martin.) Orcas are found from the Artic Ocean to the Antartic Ocean. (Britannica) They belong to the Delphinidae, or dolphin family, which is the largest of their species. Female orcas grow to be at the most 15 feet, and weigh up to 4 tons, but the males can grow as large as 20-30 feet, and weight up to 8 tons. (Martin) The color of the orca is white in some spots, black on the majority of the body, and gray just behind the dorsal fin. It is white on the chin, belly and the eye. The white patch above the eye is usually mistaken for the eye, and may confuse their prey, but acts as a camouflage for the eye. The name “killer whale” makes people tend to believe that this is a viscious man-eating mammal, yet it is one of the most shrewd, docile and playful species of the marine mammals. The orca is sexually mature at 10-15 years of age, much like humans, which is 12-13 years of age. They tend to mate year round, and is able to have a calf every two years. It is interesting to know that lactation of the mother lasts 12 or more months (Wynne.) The life expectancy of orcas is 45-50 years of age.
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
The whale Tilicum who is responsible for multiple deaths of trainers is still in captivity and still performs in shows. He now has no life left in him and for hours will still sit in the same spot. This is no way to treat a living thing and in no way should wild animals like this be put into captivity. The bottom line is that these animals are living mammals and should not be put into situations where they are starved and kept in extremely small spaces to live out their lives. Companies like Sea World should no longer have whale shows and should release all of the whales that will be able to survive into the wild. Sea World would be able to survive without their whale show, and even though it is one of the biggest sources of revenue the park can make money in other endevures.
Orcas, commonly known as killer whales, are actually the largest member of the dolphin family. They were given the name “killer whale” by sailors who often observed them attacking and killing seals, sea lions, walruses, penguins, dolphins, polar bears and even other whales (Orcas).
This argument about Orca whales is very important. The abuse that these animals go through is unbelievable and uncalled for. They face starvation, dorsal fin damage, and withdrawals from not seeing their family if they were taken from the wild. Orca whales love to play but it is hard when they are being abused. Whales in the wild have dorsal fins that stand straight up (Killer Whales Don’t Belong In Captivity). The whales at any marine park have dorsal fins that
Captivity is the state or period of being imprisoned, confined, or enslaved, according to Wiktionary. Every year, marine parks and aquariums, like SeaWorld, make billions of dollars through ticket sales. SeaWorld estimates about 70% of their total revenue is due to their performing killer whales (Jeffs). People visit from all over the world to encounter killer whales up close. “Their beauty and power, combined with willingness to work with humans, have made them legendary performers” (Gorman). In recent years, humans have gained the ability to tame and train these creatures. Killer whales should not be kept in captivity simply because it is cruel, unnatural, and dangerous.
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.