Inside the Tanks: Should We 'Free Willy' or Support SeaWorld?

When an adult reminisces on their youthful summers as a child, they often picture fun childhood memories. Some of these memories include riding bikes up and down the block, playing in the park on a sunny day, running through a sprinkler, making lemonade stands, and various other activities. For me, I think about my summer vacations that allowed me to see different parts of the United States. One trip that I frequently think about is my road trip to Florida in 2003. I remember driving there with my mother and father in the front seat and my younger and sister and I, excited as could be, in the backseat. We were headed to the popular tourist attraction known as SeaWorld. I loved marine life as a child and was thrilled over the thought of being up close with a ginormous killer whale and being able to hand-feed a dolphin. As I got older, I began to realize that SeaWorld was not the place that I once knew and loved – It’s something very different.  

           

SeaWorld in San Diego, California opened its gates to the public for the first time in 1964. It was originally planned to be an underwater restaurant, but founders George Millay, Milt Shedd, Ken Norris and David DeMott wanted to take the concept a bit further. They decided to make SeaWorld into a marine zoological park. The park became increasingly popular as time went on. It was, and is still believed to be, the perfect place to bring the kids on a warm summer day. But is this tourist trap really fun for everyone in the park?

           

SeaWorld is home to many types of marine life including killer whales, dolphins, fish, sea lions, etc. These animals are captured from their mothers in the wild and brought to live out the rest of their lives in huge saltwater pools at SeaWorld. Many of the mammals give birth here, leading their calves to live their entire lives in SeaWorld.

Despite the many deaths of orcas and the death of a trainer, who was killed due to a stressed whale who attacked her, SeaWorld continues to put the lives of these mammals and humans at risk.

The mammals that are placed in these tanks are basically denied everything that is natural to their lives. For example, dolphins can swim up to one hundred miles per day in the ocean. Being in the tanks at SeaWorld, they feel the vibrations of people banging on the glass all day long and become too scared to swim as much as they naturally would in the ocean.

Not only are these creatures taken away from their homes in the wild, they are reluctantly forced to learn tricks in order to get treats that they would easily catch themselves if they lived in the ocean. According to the trainers at SeaWorld, withholding food from orcas and dolphins that are unwilling to perform is a common and practical method often used during training and shows. This ‘practical method’ results in orcas, dolphins and sea lions becoming upset and harming one another. They will even bite the steel cages that hold them in, consequently breaking their teeth. 

Many of the animals at the park are already violent due to their living conditions. They are forced to have calves at young ages, which ultimately adds fuel to the fire. The orcas are forced to breed at around the age of eight, when in reality they are supposed to breed at around the age of fifteen. This becomes problematic for both mother and baby. These orcas are born inbred, which leads to key problems for survival.

On the other side of the spectrum, many customers see no wrongdoing here and take the side of SeaWorld. For one, they believe that if the mammals are set free now, they won’t be able to fend for themselves and live a normal life in the wild. The mammals that dwell in SeaWorld parks form bonds with their trainers, which makes it very difficult for either of them to part each other.

Dolphin and whale training is a dream that many have had from when they were younger. “I’ve told my husband many times that if I ever died by interacting with a dolphin or whale, then I died doing something I loved!” said Callie Pate, a writer and advocate of SeaWorld.

Folks often argue about the living conditions regarding the sea life that inhabits SeaWorld. It is well known that the living spaces of dolphins and orcas are much too small. One might argue that this isn’t any different from the living conditions of animals at zoos and aquariums. If SeaWorld was to shut down completely, shouldn’t all of these types of locations be shut down?

                       

One of the main respectable actions by SeaWorld is their wildlife rescue program. They are one of the leaders in rescuing wildlife who have been injured or sick in their natural homes in the wild. Their primary goal when rescuing these innocent animals is to be able to release them back into the wild.

People are beginning to realize the truth about SeaWorld. In 2009, a documentary called Blackfish was released and exposed SeaWorld and all of the practices that go on behind closed doors. Petitions by PETA have circulated throughout the world in hopes to change the policies at SeaWorld and have so far been productive. Only time will tell what’s in store for the vacation destination's future.

Now you make the call: Will you support or boycott SeaWorld?