
Dawn Brancheau, the head trainer at SeaWorld was the ultimate star trainer with her dream job. She was a physically fit, motivated, experienced, safety-conscious whale lover and respected employee. Having trained with SeaWorld since she was eighteen years old, she had developed many strong connections with the whales and had an especially close bond with SeaWorld’s largest male whale, Tilikum ("Dawn Brancheau's Death: The Shocking Truth”). Dawn specialized in amazing dives and encounters with the whales during the “Shamu” show, delighting audiences with her unique ability. On February 24, 2010, however, everything went wrong. In the earlier shows of the day, an audience member stated the whales seemed tense and were misbehaving, refusing to do many routine tricks. This made head trainer Dawn stressed, but even more determined to perform well in the afternoon shows. In the later performance, Dawn was thrilled that she managed to execute the challenging, “Dive with Shamu” stunt with Tilikum. Post-show, Dawn had her typical one-on-one session with Tilikum which involved rubbing the whale's back and rewarding the whale for his wonderful performance. There sat Dawn,  celebrating her success, rubbing his tummy, oblivious to the event that was about to occur:  Suddenly, as Dawn was lying on the ledge of the pool, Tilikum dragged her left arm into the water. Powerless to the awesome strength of the whale, Tilikum violently pulled her under water and began spinning, thrashing, and dragging her with a bold force.  Sadly, Dawn was unable to escape the attack and was killed. To further magnify the horror of the event, Tilikum would not let go of her body after the attack happened. Other trainers had to draw the whale away with food and nets. When they finally removed the body from the water, Dawn's body was massively damaged. The autopsy showed that her scalp had been detached from her body, her right arm had been twisted over her shoulder, her spine was broken, her left arm was missing, and she had several fractures to her body (Blackfish). This was a heart-breaking and devastating event that has changed SeaWorld forever. Is the entertainment really worth the cost? 

The magical amusement park with marine animals, known as SeaWorld, comes across as an exciting aquatic adventure, but what many people do not know is the hidden problems with SeaWorld’s killer whales. Captivity of killer whales is extremely cruel and leads to endless problems for these mammals. These struggles include bathtub-sized tanks, negative health effects, aggressive behavior, and an all-around unhealthy environment for the whales. Due to their mistreatment of these whales, SeaWorld needs to be stopped from holding whales in captivity. SeaWorld’s actions indicate that all SeaWorld cares about is making revenue and profit from these money­making and fascinating animals. To solve these issues in SeaWorld, the government must implement standards regarding size of killer whale tanks, ban breeding in SeaWorld, stop the Shamu shows, and create a better living environment for the whales. These actions will ultimately lead to the end of killer whale captivity in SeaWorld. 

One major problem of having killer whales in captivity is the harsh environment in which they live. The tanks the killer whales swim in are so incredibly small. The dimensions of a tank at SeaWorld Orlando are 36 feet deep, 220 feet long, and 70 feet wide. To better understand this from a human’s perspective, the tanks are like large bathtubs that humans would use to bathe in. Can you imagine spending your life in a bathtub? Killer whales swim up to 100 miles a day; with tanks this miniscule, it is impossible for them to get the exercise they need. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), is working to protect the safety and well-being of whales and dolphins across the world. Their website proclaims, “At SeaWorld, you would have to swim the circumference of the main pool 1,400 times to match the distance in the wild” ("The Fate of Captive Orcas"). The big question is why does Sea World not have bigger tanks for their whales? This is mainly because funding a huge renovation and adding hundreds of feet onto these tanks is incredibly expensive. Finding the money for this is very difficult, not to mention that it is also hard to find space for these larger tanks. All SeaWorlds (Orlando, San Diego, San Antonio) are in urban environments whereby the land is densely populated. Overall, it is sad and upsetting for the whales to be in such small tanks. They often become aggressive, depressed, or sick due to the confined space they are put it.

Due to this stressful environment, whales are becoming aggressive towards each other and trainers. Whales exhibit this behavior out of fear of other whales that are higher up on the social ladder. If a whale is having conflict with another whale, the natural instinct is to escape. When they have nowhere to run and cannot swim away, they may get cut, ranked, or rammed against the tank by another whale higher up on the social hierarchy (Anderson). Tim Zimmerman, a Washington- DC based writer of history, news, and politics, came out with an article about violence between the whales in SeaWorld. He included multiple pictures and videos displaying the aggression between the whales at SeaWorld. One picture shows a whale bleeding out. He explains the incident between the whales by saying:

In one particularly brutal example, Kandu V, a female orca at SeaWorld of California (SWC), bled to death after 11.9 years (4332 days) in captivity when an artery was severed at the upper jaw. The wound was self-inflicted as she collided with another whale in a display of dominance. Over the next 45 minutes, and in view of the public, she slowly bled out, spouting blood from her blowhole until she died (Zimmermann). 

Another example Zimmermann talked about throughout his article was, “This year at SeaWorld, two killer whales named Kalina and Kayla have not been getting along. When Kayla initially rammed Kalina, she put a gash right above her eye” (Zimmermann). These animals are having a huge problem getting along with each other, a large reason being that they are in small tanks and have no space to go. Besides being aggressive towards each other, whales are aggressive towards trainers. SeaWorld has had multiple incidents of trainers being killed or attacked. The most famous attack was when Dawn Brancheau was attacked my Tilikum at SeaWorld Orlando. Unfortunately, Tilikum was involved in killing two other people. First was a trainer at Sealand, Keltie Byrne, in 1981, when she fell into a pool with three orcas (one being Tilikum) and was drowned by all three whales. The other death was a pedestrian that snuck into Tilikum’s pool after SeaWorld closed and was attacked by the whale ("Over 30 Years and Three Deaths: Tilikum's Tragic Story”). These whales are not meant to be swimming and training with humans; they are wild animals that cannot be predicted. If these whales were not allowed in captivity, those three lives would have been saved along with the whales that have died at SeaWorld fighting with other whales. 

Aside from whales being aggressive, they are experiencing negative health effects from being held in captivity. To start, killer whales have a big dorsal fin on the top of their body. In captivity, these fins are collapsing, yet only 1% of dorsal fins collapse in the wild. Male whales are 100% more apt to have collapse fins in captivity. This is because the whales do not have the correct amount of space to swim, which makes the tall fin unbalanced and leads to collapsing of the fin. It also can be from the unnatural dead fish diet that they are fed (“End Captivity”). Furthermore, killer whales in SeaWorld are damaging their teeth. When the whales are kept in such cramped tanks, the whales have anxiety, get stressed, or feel bored. This causes them to start chewing the sides of the tanks, to try and get out. Chewing on the tanks not only causes damage to the walls, but results in many negative effects for the whale’s health. The chipped teeth may seem superficial, but having a hole in the mouth can create opening for infections to spread, which can be life-threatening. These hollow teeth are not filled in and must be flushed and cleaned daily by staff to prevent disease. Flushing the teeth cause tremendous discomfort for the whales causing them to gnaw on their other teeth. Gnawing makes the other teeth cave in and puncture the mouth, resulting in a lifetime of pain for whales (Schelling). 

Due to these health effects, small tanks, and aggression, killer whales are living significantly shorter lives in captivity. There are currently fifty-five killer whales in captivity. There are one hundred and sixty dead orca whales that were previously kept in captivity. Out of the hundred and sixty whales that died, zero died from old age. For example, Canuck (M), an orca at SeaWorld San Diego, died at the age of six, from a Kidney Disease. Sandy (F), at SeaWorld Orlando, died at the age of eleven from a cerebral hemorrhage. Katerina (F), at SeaWorld San Antonio, died at the age of ten from severe hemorrhage with a pneumonia infection ("Deceased Orcas by Location"). This contrasts strongly with the wild, where male orcas live an average of 30 years, maximum 50-60 years. Average age for females is 46, maximum 80-90 years (“End Captivity”). The question is why are whales dying so young in SeaWorld? There are several reasons including infection, disease, and unexpected premature deaths. Whales are more apt to catch a disease or illness in captivity, and they often are not curable. For example, Tilikum, SeaWorld Orlando’s famous killer whale got sick suddenly and died of a persistent and complicated lung infection on January 6th, 2017. The infection was suspected to be caused by bacteria that lives in the water and soil of zoological settings (Evans). As this information proves, SeaWorld is killing off these animals as they stay in captivity. There must be a change to protect these whales’ lives and value to our oceans.

Finally, there are tremendous problems with the breeding program at SeaWorld. First, SeaWorld inbreeds their whales. Inbreeding is when animals mate with closely-related animals. SeaWorld inbreeds their whales because the ratio of females is much higher than males. Nalani was the first inbred orca in 2006. Her parents were Katina and Taku; Taku was Katina’s son (Patton). SeaWorld has done an incredible amount of breeding with Tilikum. Today, Tilikum’s genes are in fifty-five percent of all SeaWorld whales in captivity. This is wrong because not only will these whales all have similar genes susceptible to the same physical health problems, but they are also all at risk for inheriting behavior problems, given Tilikum’s aggressive behavior. And clearly, SeaWorld is breeding their whale’s way too early. This can potentially cause a miscarriage. The healthy breeding age for Orca Whales is usually around fourteen years of age, but SeaWorld is having whales breed as early as eight years; this is not natural (Patton). Additionally, there have been twenty-five broken bonds between mother and offspring, from SeaWorld’s breeding program. SeaWorld will take away the new offspring from its mother at a very young age. This is because mother and baby whales will not be able to perform well in shows if they are kept together ("The Fate of Captive Orcas”). This is cruel and wrong. In the wild, mother and baby whales stay together at least five years; most end up staying together all their lives. Pods are a very close knit, social family like humans. Can you image having your child ripped away from you when he/she was only one or two years of age? Taking away babies from mothers makes them depressed. According to the Blackfish documentary, when SeaWorld split up mother (Katina) and offspring (Kalina), the mother was heartbroken. She would cry out loud moans and refused to perform for several days. Another issue is that when orca whales are bred in captivity, there is a risk that the offspring will be rejected by the mother. For example, Lindsay Patton, a journalist that was published on the website One Tree Planet, talks about a mother whale abandoning her calf, “In 1998, Taima and Tilikum (yep, that Tilikum) birthed Sumar. When he was three months old, Taima attacked and rejected Suma, causing SeaWorld to ship him off to another facility, away from the only family he knew” (Patton). This is not common in the wild because the whales are naturally bred and always have strong relationships with their offspring. Without a doubt, SeaWorld should not be allowed to breed their whales. 

Due to the many problems of Orcas in captivity, there have recently been several changes and new laws to better the living conditions of the whales. The first regulation placed on SeaWorld was a ban on trainers swimming with whales. After Dawn Brancheau died from being attacked my Tilikum in 2010, SeaWorld was brought to court and was fined sixty-three thousand dollars by Federal regulators for violating safety regulations. The Hill, a news website that reports on new issues focused on policy, environmental, and financial issues, states, “The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia voted in a 2-1 decision to uphold safety requirements issued by the Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 2010 that prohibit SeaWorld animal trainers from getting too close to potentially dangerous killer whales” (Devaney). This means, as of April 11, 2014, SeaWorld trainers could no longer swim, do tricks with the Orcas during the show, or be in close proximity to the whales, unless there was a barrier between them. SeaWorld tried to appeal that ruling by stating that professional orca trainers were not at any more risk than professional athletes. They claimed trainers have a risk for injuries, just as in professional sports. Lucky, the federal government shut this down saying that Orcas are unpredictable wild animals that cannot be trusted (CBS). 

Banning trainers from swimming with whales is a good start, but more action needs to be taken to create a better environment for the whales. One of these changes is expanding the Orca tanks.  CNN did an article about SeaWorld’s big news to expand their tanks, in October 2015. They announced that, “The California Coastal Commission unanimously approved SeaWorld's $100 million plan to double the size of its killer whale habitat, despite the pleas of animal activists to release the behemoths into the ocean (O’Neil). The project was called Blue World. Blue World was a huge renovation that would construct new orca tanks, with a new underground viewing, and double the size of the existing tanks now (McCabe). There were mixed reviews of this project when it was in trial because some animal activists found it just a way for SeaWorld San Diego to make room for the new whales they were planning to breed. As stated in the quote, animal activist wanted the whales to be released into the wild. This is not realistic because most of the whales at SeaWorld were born there and have no experience living in the wild. Therefore, the whales would die if released. There is some proof of this back in 2003 when Keiko, the Free Willy orca star, died. The Orca was released back into the wild after filming the Free Willy movies and found dead shortly after (Kirby). On the other hand, some SeaWorld supporters thought the project was going to benefit the whales, making them happier, with more space. The whales wouldn’t have the same amount of space as they do in the wild, but it would make a big difference. Unfortunately, as of last year (2016), California Coastal Commission (CCC) sent a letter to SeaWorld San Diego officially confirming that they will no longer be authorizing an expansion of the tank for the Orcas. This is extremely strange and disappointing because the CCC confirmed this renovation in the past. SeaWorld San Diego had planned to begin the expansion in 2017. At the end of the day, this was not SeaWorld’s fault; it was the California Coastal Commission. Fortunately, given the hundred million dollars SeaWorld had allocated for the defunct project, they have now promised to incorporate new attractions that will better the Orcas. 

Back when the CCC approved Blue World project, they added a condition. The condition stated that SeaWorld San Diego would no longer be allowed to breed whales, stopping the breeding program completely. Even though the Blue Project has been terminated, the ban on breeding stays in place to this day and was recently made a state law called California Orca Protection Act, as of 01/07/2016. This act states that it is illegal to breed whales, place any new orcas in captivity for any purpose, and transport orcas out of California (“California Legislation”). Banning breeding will stop separation of baby and mother whales, stop inbreeding in the parks, and prevent the Orca program from continuing at SeaWorld. The president of SeaWorld responded to this condition negativity, saying, “We are disappointed with the conditions that the California Coastal Commission placed on their approval of the Blue Project, and will carefully review and consider our options. Breeding is a natural, fundamental and important part of an animal’s life and depriving a social animal of the right to reproduce is inhumane” (McCabe). Breeding may be a fundamental and important part of an animal’s life, but it is not humane to strip baby orcas away from their mothers or to inbred whales. There’s nothing natural about this and it would never happen in the wild. Therefore, what SeaWorld is claiming is completely ridiculous. The reason SeaWorld wants to keep their breeding program is not to for social or natural reasons, it is so they can continue the Orca program at SeaWorld and continue to make billions of dollars off animal cruelty. Where does this leave the Orca program? It doesn’t. There will eventually be no more Orcas in SeaWorld San Diego. The new law states that, “Orcas possessed prior to January 1, 2017 will be grandfathered in, and may be kept until their death” (“California Legislation”). This will be the last generation of Killer Whales at SeaWorld San Diego. Once all their whales die, it is illegal to breed or capture any more whales, so the program will be over forever (O’Neil). 

While there has been multiple reform and action taken against SeaWorld San Diego, there needs to be change for SeaWorld at all parks. California, being an extremely liberal state, has many animal activists protesting and wanting change. Protests and awareness skyrocketed after the Blackfish documentary came out in 2013, making visitors much more educated on Orcas in captivity. This is why the California Orca Protection Act was created and passed. Unfortunately, this is a state law that only regulates California. In order to make sure that SeaWorld or any other organization will NEVER be able to hold new Orca whales in captivity; Congress has introduced a bill called the ORCA Act or the Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement Act.  It was introduced in November of 2016. The bill was created by House of Representative Adam Schiff. If the bill is passed, it will be a federal law that will apply to all parks in the United States, making it illegal to have whales in captivity after this generation of whales (Schiff). We can hope that it will be passed in the future. Luckily, in March 2016, SeaWorld publicly announced a “Happening Now” video, highlighting the new plans and reform of SeaWorld’s future. They stated that this will be the last generation of Orcas at all SeaWorld parks and they will no longer be breeding whales at any of their parks. They also stated that they will be phasing out of theatrical shows in SeaWorld San Diego in March 2017 and at SeaWorld Orlando, San Antonio in 2019 (SeaWorld parks and Entertainment). Why did SeaWorld do this without the ORCA act being passed? This is because SeaWorld wants to protect their image and is finally listening to the public. Sales have decreased ever since the documentary, Blackfish, came out. Visitors do not want to pay money to see the whales suffering. 

Phasing out of theatrical shows is a huge and exciting announcement from SeaWorld. The Orca shows now at SeaWorld Orlando and San Antonio is called One Ocean. One Ocean is a glamorous, theatrical show with lights, fountains, sound effects, animation screens, and lots of tricks. The whales perform, including splashing, flipping, and waving. This is a show that animal activists dislike and are protesting. They claim the show is unnatural, forcing the whales to do tricks so the park can bring in large revenues. Because of these animal activists and public voice, SeaWorld San Diego has introduced a new show called, All Day Orca Play, debuted on March 18, 2017.  Guests are able to get up close to the whales, ask questions, talk to orca behaviorist, and learn about the unique personalities of each whale. SeaWorld is trying to promote a more natural and interactive show. The show is temporary and will only last for two months until the new show, Orca Encounter debuts (Hessedal). As the “Happening Now” video stated, SeaWorld Orlando and San Antonio will also be introducing the new Orca Encounter show in 2019. Orca Encounter is a new show that will focus on the natural behaviors and education of how whales interact in the wild. At the show, guests will learn about why whales breach, how whales hunt, communication codes between whales, and what the natural behaviors are like in the wild. This huge new change will include a remodel of the tanks. The lights, animations, and sounds in the stadium will be removed and replaced with rocks, trees, and waterfalls. This will make the tanks look more like where Orca whales live in the wild. SeaWorld is excited about this positive change and hopes that guests leave with a respect for these amazing animals (“Happening Now - SeaWorld Makes Huge Announcement”). This change is ground breaking! The whales are finally getting the respect they deserve. 

In Conclusion, the Orca captivity era is coming to an end. Soon, there will no longer be any more Orcas in captivity. The power of voice and passion for these whales made it possible for SeaWorld to be forced to end their Killer Whale program. It is sad that over two hundred whales had to live their lives in SeaWorld, but we now know that no unborn whale will ever have to experience this. Additionally, with the end of this program, SeaWorld has changed their mission statement on their website, saying they are now partnered with the Humane Society of the United States to protect oceans and marine animals ("SeaWorld: Our Mission”).  This is huge because it shows SeaWorld’s shift from money maker to animal activist. The real impact is yet to be known. It will be fascinating to see if other marine life in captivity will benefit from the public example of SeaWorld, as controversy surrounds many aquatic creatures besides killer whales. Regardless, the vast changes at SeaWorld are a clear win and show the awesome power of the public voice and opinion to change our world for the better! 
