Argumentative Essay On Orcas In Captivity

When I was very young (and naive), I dreamed of becoming a dolphin trainer. What would be a better career than training orcas, the face of SeaWorld? I used to imagine the smiles that performing shows could create, perhaps hundreds of them all at once. Lately, I’ve been wondering the cost of those smiles. A long-running controversy has arisen over orcas in captivity. Since the 1960s, there have been over thirty incidents involving captive orca aggression towards humans. Four of these attacks resulted in human death. In wild orcas, there have only been a few cases of attacks, but there have been no recorded fatalities. So, this raises a question: What’s different about these captive orcas? Orcas are extremely social creatures, living
I spoke with my father, Eric Ethier. Growing up in California, SeaWorld visits were a huge part of his childhood.
“It’s different for people who have actually seen the orcas,” Ethier said. “Someone who’s never experienced it for themselves might not support SeaWorld in keeping the whales.” I asked him for his thoughts about the controversy. “I think it’s a good thing to have some orcas in captivity,” Ethier said. “It’s a good way for them to be studied. I just think that they were very careless with Tilikum. He was exposed to a lot of stress and abuse that eventually made him crazy.” Tilikum is still kept at SeaWorld today. Many protests and boycotts have been staged over the last three years. “Free Tilly” has become the new “Free Willy.” Should something so large and intelligent be kept in captivity? Is it possible for SeaWorld to provide better enclosures and conditions for these animals? Or is this a real-life Jurassic Park? Maybe humans shouldn’t be trying to control something that belongs in nature. Or, if we do, we should be trying to provide the best resources and conditions for them so that they can feel at ease, no expenses spared. One thing for sure is that there is a problem. But for now, orcas remain the face of