Everyday we make decision based on principles and morals and find ourselves trying to do the right thing. This is a fact that seems to have slipped through the minds of SeaWorld employees and representatives. For longer than three decades SeaWorld has kept countless sea creatures captive in their buildings with little space, limited food, and less than ideal conditions to live in. SeaWorld needs to stop this inhumane treatment and be punished for their ongoing issues.

I want to not only stop the capturing of new orcas from the wild, but also release the orcas that are currently held in captivity. SeaWorld has continually tried to evade sanctions for upholding these practices for over 30 years and has been able to do so without problem. This is a problem because we are taking a huge step back from all the progress we have made with the animal rights movement. It is so important because most people don't realize it is happening. Unfortunately this leaves all the animals under SeaWorld's control left living in extremely harsh circumstances. These animals are left in fish tanks that leave them with no room to swim and cause them to float around with nothing to do. The issue is that human lives have been at risk when dealing with these animals in captivity. Although these animals are majestic and provide lots of entertainment for us and give us a chance to learn about their brains, SeaWorld has tired to achieve this in an inhumane way. This needs to be stopped now. All of this is troubling because SeaWorld still wants to make money and there is the problem of laws not being in place to stop them from continuing their practices.  In the wild, we see healthier whales that do not attack or harm humans, while in captivity their behavior changes because of their treatment. While treatment continues to improve at SeaWorld and we have the ability to learn more about how to keep the whales healthy both physically and mentally; simply put, this is still not enough for these creatures. SeaWorld has taken a step forward, but much more must come. Ingrid E. Newkirk from the "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals" added that some orcas "can be successfully transferred to sea pens that mimic their natural environments and potentially released back into their home waters, depending on the needs and abilities of each orca individually. (Chan, Sewell)." This means that a well revered scientist, understand that SeaWorld has the ability to take this approach but they still decide not to. 

Former trainers specifically have come out and spoken about their relationship with the whales. Although they had a very nurturing quality and felt they were trained well to deal with these large creatures, many of them stopped working because after developing a relationship with the whales they realized how unhappy and problematic the whales were. This was apparent in the movie Blackfish (Cowperwaite & Oteyza, 2013), a documentary about SeaWorld Orlando, and the attacks that have happened there. All of the former trainers at that specific park took time to speak about their experience with the whales, and in particular a famous whale named Tilikum, the largest whale in captivity. Getting these animals into cavity was supposed to help us the intelligence of these animals and help us better understand how to interact with them. Research that was hopefully going to give us more information, instead turned into evidence that opposes keeping them in captivity, because it has proved that it diminished not only their physical features but also their mental health. A cat scan revealed that their brains have changed because of their boredom and that they are now depressed due to the fact they have no stimulation throughout the day of sitting in a fish tank. While SeaWorld will tell you its healthy for them to float around and sleep, the reality is it's a blatant lie. Orca Whales are almost never still and constantly are in motion (Blackfish). Physically about 70% of Orcas in captivity have flopped over dorsal fins, which is not very common in the wild as less than 5% have flopped dorsal fins (Blackfish). Almost all of the killer whales in captivity have skin lesions, which is an obvious sign of poor health (Blackfish). Unfortunately the only thing that SeaWorld has actually done is separate the trainers with a barrier from the Orcas during live shows (SeaWorld vs. OSHA, 2012). Of course this was only after hundreds of attacks against humans that Orcas have committed with some fatalities. One specific whale named Tilikum who has some genetic ties to at least 50% of all orcas that SeaWorld has in captivity (Blackfish). The problem with this is that Tilikum has killed three people in his time at SeaWorld but is still trained and continues to do shows with trainers (Blackfish). The only reason for his attacks is in the mistreatment of orcas, which have never been seen before in the wild. 

The argument against releasing these majestic creatures arises with their entertainment value and our ability to study and learn about the oceans creatures. SeaWorld has made millions of dollars off of animals that they captured for less to nothing and still don't have the decency to provide adequate living conditions and health services. SeaWorld would also argue they are not the only one benefitting from the shows and displays that orcas put on each and every day. They argue that people are able to see and learn about creatures they previously wouldn't have had the opportunity to do. Of course although this makes sense at first, the suffering of the whales does not equate to earnings by SeaWorld, or satisfaction in the case of the customers of SeaWorld. The popular Shamu show in which trainers accompany the whale in the water, with flips, tosses, and jumps all of which are between a trainer and a whale that weighs thousands of pounds. Of course things have gone wrong in the Shamu shows and incidents have ensued. There have been hundreds of accounts of attacks by whales with their trainers in the pool. These attacks range from no injuries to fatal injuries; either way there should have been preventative measures put in place in order to decrease if not eliminate any major injuries to trainers.

The biggest issue with keeping these animals in captivity is the morality of it all. In October 2011, PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld on behalf of five of the orcas that had been captured in the wild and forced into captivity. Their argument states that these five orcas were slaves and were subjected to involuntary servitude in violation of the 13th amendment of the U.S. constitution (U.S. Constitution. Art. /Amend. XIII). The 13th amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. All of these actions were only to the benefit of the Seaworld Company. These animals were taken from their families and confined to the equivalent of a concrete bathtub, where they are forced to put on shows to make money. They also are forced into breeding in order to produce more whales that can then perform for years to come. The goal was to release them into sea pens in order for them to assimilate to life in a more appropriate environment, and them eventually released into the ocean where they were first captured in hope they would be reunited with their pods. Unfortunately the court did not apply the 13th amendment to orcas, because they aren't considered human beings and it didn't extend to any other mammals. Of course the largest and most influential court case came in May of 2012 when the SeaWorld vs. OSHA court case was in the forefront of the national news. This case was OSHA suing SeaWorld for wrongful practice and putting trainers in danger of their lives. Although the monetary fines meant very little to SeaWorld, in the long run it meant they could lose millions of dollars. Although they could lose some of their profit because of this ruling they will continue shows because they are still making a sizeable amount. Judge Ken Welsch decided that the trainers were exposed to the risk of serious injury and even death, in turn he decided that the trainers should not return to the water with the orcas and will instead always have a barrier between them and the orcas. SeaWorld has tried to appeal more than one time, but has been unsuccessful each time. 

In a shocking decision, as of March 17, 2016 SeaWorld has decided to stop breeding Orcas that are currently in captivity and will start phasing out their Orca shows. This is an extremely important decision that SeaWorld had to make due to the continuing opposition from people and a decline in popularity and the shows. Joel Manby the president and chief executive of SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment spoke about the issue, "We need to respond to the attitudinal change that we helped create. (Allen, Greg)." The reality is that they still haven't really responded to help recreate a better environment. SeaWorld has 29 orcas, 11 in San Diego, seven in Orlando, five in San Antonio, and six in the Canary Islands.  SeaWorld also spoke about planning not to release the killer whales into the ocean, arguing that they would not be able to re-adjust and survive in the wild after so much time in captivity. This is a valid argument as there has been proof it doesn't work. After the film Free Willy was released, money poured in to construct a rehabilitation tank in Oregon to prepare Keiko for release into the ocean. But Keiko had to relearn how to be a whale, as Susan Orlean reported in The New Yorker: He lacked sufficient ability to hold his breath, swim robustly and catch food. Released in 2002, he was found dead in a Norwegian fjord the next year, felled by pneumonia. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an activist group that has been an unrelenting critic of SeaWorld, welcomed the move but argued that SeaWorld should go further and consider releasing the whales on a case-by-case basis. Scientist at PETA have a better understanding of how these orcas work and can see them surviving in the wild with the right training. "For decades, orcas, dolphins, beluga whales, seals and many other animals have suffered in SeaWorld confinement, and, to do right by them now, SeaWorld must open the tanks to ocean sanctuaries so that these long-suffering animals may have some semblance of a life outside their prison tanks," PETA's president, Ingrid E. Newkirk, said in a statement. Although they finally stopped the capturing of Orca's releasing them is another issue in itself. Sea pens could be introduced according to PETA that would allow the orcas more space to roam but keep them enclosed so that they wouldn't run the risk of death. Then once the whales were acclimated to the wild again they could be released and live a normal life. SeaWorld has been under fire after David Kirby's, "Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity," and the documentary "Blackfish," both of which assailed the treatment of the killer whales at SeaWorld. This is great news for the people against holding orcas in captivity, and this will be the last generation of killer whales held in captivity. Also, instead of the previous theatrical shows they produced, and will shift it to more natural orca encounters that will be healthier for the killer whales. Another important announcement came from the company, that they will have a five-year, 50 million dollar partnership with the Humane Society of the United state in order to improve educational programs, to teach visitors about animal welfare and conservation, while also expanding advocacy for marine life. There will also be continued efforts to rehabilitate the animals and try to continue to improve conditions for the killer whales. 

Over the past 20 years we have seen an increase in support for animal rights. In this specific case it has garnered national attention because of its popularity and the disregard of the morality of keeping these animals in captivity. Although there have been improvements people continue to push for this issue because it's meaningful and valuable to fight for. We have seen the magnitude of influence this support has provided as SeaWorld has decided to stop breeding orcas in captivity and will phase out their orca exhibitions. This decision is monumental and is the product of the ongoing fight by animal rights activists. Of course an activist's work is never really done, as you can always push harder for what you want. While orca's lives are in better shape then they were 10 years ago, I hope that I can keep pushing in order to make sure 10 years from now the only life they live is one that they choose. 

