SeaWorld is an aquarium amusement park founded in 1964 by George Millay, Milt Shedd, Ken Norris, and David DeMott that is worth over two billion dollars and are in three different cities in the United States: Orlando, San Antonio, and San Diego. This franchise has acquired over fifteen species of marine animals at their facilities. Their main attractions include: dolphins, sharks, beluga whales, and killer whales (History). Many people question whether killer whales should be allowed to held captive for human entertainment. Animal rights activists claim that SeaWorld mistreats their killer whales. However, SeaWorld reports that the killer whales are only treated with the best of care. Although SeaWorld reports only positive aspects of the park, overwhelming public dissent exists due to the long-lasting effects of captivity. SeaWorld had to announce they will no longer keep killer whales at their facilities. The franchise will keep the whales they have there now until they die, but after that, there will be no breeding or adopting of new whales. Because the killer whales have lived in captivity for years, a question arises about life after such captivity. Could these whales live in the wild after such treatment and human contact? SeaWorld announced, “they will live long and healthy lives under love and care of our dedicated veterinary and other trained specialists where they can inspire this and future generations to be conservationists around the world through natural presentations that are fun, exiting and will educate guests about the plight of orcas in the wild” (SeaWorld to End Orca Breeding Program). The reason SeaWorld will not release the killer whales they have now is because the cooperation cannot afford to get rid of their highest earning exhibit. Although this is a step in the right direction, the killer whales should be released of their duties of preforming in marine shows. Although killer whales have been the main attraction to SeaWorld for decades, recent studies have shown that these whales experience overwhelming negative effects from life in captivity and performing in marine shows

Killer whales are at risk in and out of SeaWorld. Although this species is not on the endangered species list, their population is decreasing due to natural and unnatural threats. In the wild, killer whales are faced with commercial-hunting, habitat pollution, excessive noise, decreased prey, problems with fisherman, and climate change. These are all serious issues; however, their level of intelligence is the killer whales biggest threat. Their intelligence enables them to learn aerobatics easily, which makes them appealing to humans (Killer Whales Endangered). Killer whales are captured and transported to aquariums for entertainment exhibits. The population of killer whales depends on how we as humans treat them.

The killer whales at SeaWorld have not been receiving the treatment they deserve. In 2013, a documentary, titled Blackfish, revealed the truth about what happens behind the closed doors of SeaWorld. This film showed evidence of how the killer whales in their care were not in proper health and were miserable. After this shocking news, more data started coming out about the mistreatment happening to the killer whales. A website called “SeaWorld of Hurt: Where Happiness Tanks” was created to inform the public of the injustice happening within SeaWorld. Many killer whales at SeaWorld experience premature deaths. Killer whales in the wild have a life span of around thirty to fifty years. However, captive killer whales at SeaWorld are only estimated to live about thirteen years. By using killer whales for the public’s entertainment, their life expectancy is cut in half. Killer whales also become more aggressive when they are brought to perform at SeaWorld. There has only been one report of a killer whale harming a human in the wild, but in just twenty-five years, three humans have been killed and many injured by these animals at SeaWorld. Killer whales are also injuring one another. The tight quarters of the tanks cause tension to break out between the killer whales resulting in violent fights. Killer whales usually swim up to one hundred miles a day. Despite this, SeaWorld put the killer whales in tanks that they would need to swim over one thousand laps in a day, to achieve the normal amount killer whales swim in the wild. The tiny tanks do not allow the space the killer whales need to get from one another, resulting in the killer whales getting injured during fights. 

Moreover, putting killer whales in captivity strips them of anything that is natural to them, which produces a great deal of stress. Not only does captivity make killer whales aggressive, it also jeopardizes their health. All the adult male killer whales at SeaWorld have a collapsed dorsal fin. However, SeaWorld released a counter argument stating that this condition is common among most killer whales, but a collapsed dorsal fin is almost never seen in the wild. This is a sign that the killer whales do not have enough space to swim openly and are fed a diet of dead fish (8 Reasons Orcas Don’t Belong at SeaWorld). SeaWorld also gives their killer whales a protein called gelatin, to try to keep the whales hydrated to enhance their performance skills. In captivity, killer whales cannot attain water from their food like they can in the wild. Gelatin is unnatural for the killer whales to ingest. Additionally, the killer whales’ stress level is so high that they are breaking their teeth by biting on the iron bars. This action causes the killer whales to have painful dental drilling done to their teeth. SeaWorld also makes killer whales suffer mentally. Killer whales are used to swimming in groups of up to fifteen individuals. Killer whales always stay with the mothers because each killer whale family has their own language that they all understand. However, killer whales brought to SeaWorld are separated from their family putting them with whales that speak a different language. This causes the whales to stress and become lonely (8 Reasons Orcas Don’t Belong at SeaWorld). This is just one of the many articles full of evidence about how killer whales should not be used for marine shows. Eliana Dockterman, graduate of Yale University wrote an article in which she described a killer whale named Morgan who lay motionless on a concrete slab for ten minutes during a show. Activists say this was her trying to beach herself, which indicates she was trying to commit suicide. If whales stay on land too long their organs and muscles will be crushed by their own weight. However, the amusement park company claimed that this was completely natural behavior (Dockterman). It is apparent from this data that killer whales should never have been put in captivity. Although SeaWorld has rights to these animals for the remainder of their lives, putting an end to marine shows would help prevent horrible instances, like a killer whale trying to commit suicide, from happening. 

Amusement parks will say and do anything to keep the killer whale shows because they bring in the most profit. Sarah Fischbeck is a former SeaWorld employee that came forward about the mistreatments happening to the killer whales to The Dodo, a website committed to sharing animal videos and stories. Ms. Fischbeck worked for SeaWorld for six years throughout various departments. She left the company in 2013 due to all its injustices towards the animals. She reported shocking news about the killer whales’ violent fights. One morning, Ms. Fischbeck came to work and one of the killer whales was in a tank that had been locked. The killer whale had somehow hoisted herself over a metal grate with painful nubs on top and pushed into the locked pool. Ms. Fischbeck found large black pieces of skin on the bottom of the pool. The killer was being picked on so badly, she felt her only option was to force her way into the locked pool cutting up her stomach. Some of the workers even took the torn off pieces of her stomach home as souvenirs. The killer whales did not only pick on one another; they became very aggressive towards the birds. It was normal for Ms. Fischbeck to find pieces of massacred birds floating around in the pool. The birds were not the only ones unsafe from the killer whales, drivers were in jeopardy too. Ms. Fischbeck said, “the whales were aggressive toward us…they'd see us on the other side of the gate. I had more than one occasion where they got angry and started ramming the gate… you couldn't get within arm's reach of the gate because they'd try to suck you in” (Schelling).  The killer whales seem to resent the drivers because they are the ones who make the whales practice for and perform in marine shows. The divers were also never given any safety protocols about swimming with the killer whales. Ms. Fischbeck was not taught what to do if something went wrong with a whale while she was in the pool. Former SeaWorld staff members reported that the killer whales were being dosed with valium. Valium is a drug used to treat anxiety disorders, alcohol withdrawal symptoms, or muscle spasms. SeaWorld gave the whales this unnatural substance to keep them calm during the performance (Schelling). From all these various negative effects SeaWorld has on killer whales, one can clearly see why their killer whales shows should be put to a stop.

The people that choose to support SeaWorld using killer whales for marine shows, only see this species as something to entertain or humor them. People do not realize how important whales are to the environment. Whales stabilize the aquatic food chain and reproduction of another specie. Whales have a huge appetite and consume a lot of prey. It may seem like the other species is benefiting if they no longer having to face predators such as a whale, but eventually these animals will overpopulate. This could destroy the population of the other species that it feeds on. Without whales, there would be no way to keep the food chain balanced and prevent overpopulating. Whale waste also plays a role in balancing carbon emissions, which is crucial to have a healthy environment for land and marine life. The nutrients in whale waste sparks the growth of phytoplankton, which push carbon from the atmosphere. Additionally, the growth of phytoplankton also helps feed other species, such as fish, that depend on phytoplankton for their survival. This allows the fish to thrive and reproduce. Whales also help the global economy through tourism attractions such as whale watching. Tourists bring in billions of dollars by trying to get a glimpse of these fascinating mammals in their natural habitat (Why Are Whales Important?). By removing enormous mammals such as whales from the wild, the food chain is altered. These whales are the top predators in the ocean and when they are removed, animals beneath them struggle for resources. Whales provide positive biological aspects to sea life and when they are removed from the ocean, the way of life of all animals is disrupted. If a few whales are removed at a time, a slow decline in wild killer whales and all marine life will exist. These benefits show why people not view this vital creature for just marine performances. 

The advantages killer whales bring to our lives have made people start speaking out against organizations such as SeaWorld. A book called Killer Whales: The Natural History and Genealogy of Orcinus Orca in British Columbia and Washington State by John K.B. Ford, Graeme M. Ellis, and Kenneth C. Balcomb, explains the difference in opinions on killer whales when marine amusement parks did not exist to now. There was a widespread fear and hatred for the mammal for many years; they were even described as “an enormous mass of flesh” (Ford 11). As late as the 1970’s many thought they would “attack human beings at every opportunity” (Ford 11). In some parts of the world, people poached killer whales for their oil and meat, resulting in their population decreasing drastically. The attitudes surrounding killer whales did not change until when they began being displayed in aquariums around the world, in places like SeaWorld (Ford 11). Amusement parks like SeaWorld made killer whales loveable and desired to many through their killer whale stuffed animals and themed roller-coasters. In 1986, laws were made against executing killer whales to help their population rise. Without SeaWorld introducing killer whales to the public as friendly creatures, these laws might have never been made. Despite SeaWorld’s efforts to promote killer whales, accusations have been made against them resulting in a rebuttal articles like, “Why Blackfish is Propaganda, Not a Documentary.”  SeaWorld points out that if they did not have killer whales, scientists would not be as knowledgeable about them as they are today. The animals are monitored all hours of the day with the highest quality of care. This is not only beneficial to the killer whales at SeaWorld, but to marine science everywhere. SeaWorld is constantly discovering new things about these complex mammals. SeaWorld also claims they have changed the direction of their killer whale shows by making them educational rather than for entertainment (Why Blackfish is Propaganda, Not a Documentary). 

Although SeaWorld has done some beneficial things for the image of killer whales and marine science, it does not make up for all the negative impacts their corporation has had on this species with their marine shows. The most stunning story told about the injustices done at SeaWorld is shown in the film Blackfish. One of the killer whales, Katina had a baby named Kalina. Kalina often disrupted shows and did not want to cooperate to learn the tricks performed in the shows. SeaWorld decided to move Kalina, at four years old to another park to improve Katina’s perform ability. However, in the wild, babies never leave their mother. Once Kalina was transferred Katina started making noises that no scientists could decipher. Katina was making a new language because she was so desperate to find her baby Kalina. The noises Katina made in the film were heart breaking (Blackfish). This horrid act proves that SeaWorld’s number one priority is to make money with their marine shows, not the well-being of their whales. 

Although SeaWorld has acquired a negative reputation for mistreating their whales, the company has a great mission. Because of SeaWorld, mankind has grown to love these giant mammals. SeaWorld allowed for people to interact with these enormous mammals in a way that cannot be found anywhere else. However, as time progressed, scientific research and close observations have allowed people to understand the harmful effects of captivity on these whales. As mammals are facing extinction and endangerment, it is extremely important to do anything to prevent such animals from leaving this Earth. These orca whales belong where they came from. As amazing it is to see them put on live shows and interact with them, they were meant to live in the wild. Captivity has caused emotional and physical stress on these mammals that are deadly to the animals. Since these killer whales cannot be released into the wild, the least people can do is fight to stop the stressful marine performances SeaWorld uses these magnificent creatures for. 
