SeaWorld’s popularity has found itself on the losing end of a downward publicity spiral over the years due to a viral documentary based on the story of Tilikum, a captive killer whale that has taken the lives of many trainers because of the impact captivity has had on him. The sea park industry has faced numerous complications due to the deaths of trainers and marine animals being held captive. Recently, though, SeaWorld Park in San Diego has stepped away from this trend. The Park in San Diego has ended killer whale shows; a step in the right direction toward ending the tourist culture that has typically been associated with SeaWorld, despite the cost the animals in captivity have had to bear. I completely support the idea that SeaWorld in
…show more content…
With all the negative headlines regarding SeaWorld Park and their captive animals, I strongly believe SeaWorld should not be a tourist attraction even at the expense of killer whales and other marine animals being held captive. At the same time, people of all ages enjoy experiencing a wild animal splash a wave of water right in front of them. Most people aren’t conscious of the fact that these animals are tortured and are living in a tank that cannot sustain their size for the rest of their lives. The Blackfish documentary released in 2013 gave the public a wide perspective of reality in which these animals and trainers face. After the break out of the documentary, admission to the park started to decline. The public broke out with heavy protests and arguments. Many questions were raised about whether or not orca captivity at SeaWorld is considered modern day slavery. According to Australasian Reflections on Modern Slavery, presently, orcas are not considered modern day slavery, but this scholarly journal is saying otherwise (Hocking). The text claims that society is becoming amenable about what slavery …show more content…
According to the book Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity, it was inspired by the tragic death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010, when a captive male orca pulled her into the tank and she later died due to blunt force trauma (Kirby). The killing was live during a performance and was caught on camera in the audience. SeaWorld tried to cover up the incident and blame it on the trainer so that their company and brand would not fall into the negative media more than it already had. They also did this because they did not want to lose money and their settlement on letting trainers swim with orcas (Kirby). The killing of Dawn Brancheau caught many people by incredulity that it was seen as a freak show and is often overlooked by society. Society is accustomed to thinking of Shamu as an endearing national figure, with children thinking a killer whale living in a fish tank is normal. The social construct that the world has portrayed on these animals has clearly shown through society’s reactions and actions. The public fails to realize that these orcas are still wild animals and that they not only need to be able to roam free but that they also deserve that opportunity. The environment that these animals live in is not only unsafe for orcas, dolphins, and other marine mammals, but it is also unsafe for
With all the negative headlines regarding SeaWorld Park and their captive animals, I strongly believe SeaWorld should not be a tourist attraction even at the expense of killer whales and other marine animals being held captive. At the same time, people of all ages enjoy experiencing a wild animal splash a wave of water right in front of them. Most people aren’t conscious of the fact that these animals are tortured and are living in a tank that cannot sustain their size for the rest of their lives. The Blackfish documentary released in 2013 gave the public a wide perspective of reality in which these animals and trainers face. After the break out of the documentary, admission to the park started to decline. The public broke out with heavy protests and arguments. Many questions were raised about whether or not orca captivity at SeaWorld is considered modern day slavery. According to Australasian Reflections on Modern Slavery, presently, orcas are not considered modern day slavery, but this scholarly journal is saying otherwise (Hocking). The text claims that society is becoming amenable about what slavery …show more content…
According to the book Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity, it was inspired by the tragic death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010, when a captive male orca pulled her into the tank and she later died due to blunt force trauma (Kirby). The killing was live during a performance and was caught on camera in the audience. SeaWorld tried to cover up the incident and blame it on the trainer so that their company and brand would not fall into the negative media more than it already had. They also did this because they did not want to lose money and their settlement on letting trainers swim with orcas (Kirby). The killing of Dawn Brancheau caught many people by incredulity that it was seen as a freak show and is often overlooked by society. Society is accustomed to thinking of Shamu as an endearing national figure, with children thinking a killer whale living in a fish tank is normal. The social construct that the world has portrayed on these animals has clearly shown through society’s reactions and actions. The public fails to realize that these orcas are still wild animals and that they not only need to be able to roam free but that they also deserve that opportunity. The environment that these animals live in is not only unsafe for orcas, dolphins, and other marine mammals, but it is also unsafe for