I feel strongly about this topic because I believe animals should live in their natural habitat and not be imprisoned in a cage for the rest of their lives. I think the concept of taking wild animals away from their natural environment is morally wrong; therefore going to zoos and even pet stores is intolerable for me. Wild animals should have the right to live in their natural habitat to meet all their needs physically and mentally, and taking that away from these animals without them having a choice is wrong. I am suited to write about the negative affects of animal captivity because it's a topic I'm truly passionate about and have witnessed first hand. 

The idea of animal captivity has been with me ever since I was little, but the issue was intensified when living in Hong Kong for a year because I constantly witnessed animal cruelty in the fresh markets. In order to get home from school, the fresh market couldn't be avoided, and this is when my perspective on animal cruelty peaked. Seeing live turtles, chickens, fish and even small mammals kept in inhumane conditions to sell for food made me realize the apathetic attitude people had towards animals. This topic has been an interest of mine for a long time, and I have researched and written about animals being in captivity in academic settings for years. Marine parks should not keep orcas in captivity because it is detrimental to their physical and psychological health, their living space is inadequate for proper development, and keeping these animals in captivity does not provide education to the public.

The variety of articles I came across had commonalities as well as differences, which help to support my argument in more than one way. The article "SeaWorld Dolphin's Death Reveals More Dark Truths" by Ameena Schelling voices the death of a dolphin named Betsy who died while being transported from one SeaWorld facility to another. The purpose of this article is to inform the reader that animal fatality is common among captive animals, and why taking animals from the wild needs to end. Schelling not only discussed the current death of this dolphin, but also other animal deaths having to do with SeaWorld in the past. In 2004, SeaWorld brought 10 wild-caught Commersons from Germany, and nine out of the ten died while being transported and the only survivor, Jogi, died only months after his arrival at SeaWorld. The article also mentions that death at SeaWorld isn't uncommon and discusses various incidents where animals died upon their arrival. The author and source are credible because Schelling has written about captive animal for years, and her opinions displayed in the article all come from scientists who have dedicated their lives to research these mammals. This article is mostly informative, and somewhat biased since the author is against captivity, but overall has rich information on the negatives of animal captivity.

SeaWorld and animal captivity has been a topic that has been talked about for the past few years, and Naomi Rose, a marine mammalogist who represents the Humane Society, has very negative views towards animal captivity as well as Ric O'Barry who represents Animal Advocate. This article is very much like Schelling's article, however, there is more focus on the interviewers' opinions and beliefs instead of just information. This would help my argument because both experts are credible scientists, and have strong beliefs and evidence that supports why captivity is damaging for wild animals. In the written interview "Anti-Captivity Views", both professionals discuss their feelings towards animal separation, the inadequate living space for captive marine animals, and the health complications in marine parks. The article consists of statistics about aquatic mammal death rates as they are brought into captivity, comparisons about mammals in the wild and captivity and how their habitat dictates their behaviors, which in this case is a negative behavior to those in captivity. Considering both scientists have devoted their lives to these animals and have written over 30 scientific papers about animal protection, the two being specialists are credible and knowledgeable about this topic. This work is strongly against animals being captive in zoos and for entertainment in marine parks.

The last article I chose discussed a completely different view about whales in captivity and looks at the bright side of their presence there. Even though this source supports the captivity of marine animals, it will strengthen my argument by allowing me to understand the opposing side and therefore build my argument with different perspectives. Finding information about the pros of captivity and the concept of caging animals in zoos and entertainment parks was difficult, which  resembles that most of our society is against it. In the article "Why Condemning SeaWorld is a Really Bad Idea" by Erin Mckinney, a trainer at SeaWorld, believes that shutting down the facilities would be disastrous for animal wildlife and research. He discusses that SeaWorld is the largest rehabilitation and rescue program in the world, that the staff are knowledgeable, and that millions of dollars are put into animal care. Erin Mckinney is a credible source because he has first hand experience with the animals themselves as well as the training, care, and health system within SeaWorld.

One of the most impactful films that questioned marine life in captivity was the documentary "BlackFish". This film, which came out in 2013, made people more aware about SeaWorld and what truly went on with the animals outside of performing for shows. Blackfish takes a lot of the arguments in the articles I found and puts them together in a visual format. This film not only provides information, but also tells real life stories through interviews and footage to make their arguments stronger. Blackfish was so successful and encouraged action against animal captivity within our society because pathos was used to trigger emotion within the audience. 

Marine parks should not keep orcas in captivity because it is detrimental to their physical and psychological health, their living space is inadequate for proper development, and keeping these animals in captivity does not provide education to the public. Throughout the research process, I found a variety of articles that supported and went against my argument, but these articles will contribute to a stronger paper because I will have supporting evidence. My research question could change through the research process concentrating on SeaWorld, rather than focusing on all captivity in marine parks around the world. By doing this, I will be able to find more specific evidence  and further narrow my topic. 

