Marine Mammals
SeaWorld gives you the opportunity to feed and swim with dolphins, watch jaw-dropping whale and seal shows, pet stingrays, see all types of sharks, exotic fish, and so much more! But my views have recently changed after I saw the tragic death of a Sea World trainer on the news; the cause of death being one of the parks very own orca whales. This horrific news brought me to research why the whale turned on its trainer and the information I found made me change my outlook on animal captivity completely.
In the ethical debate over marine mammals in captivity there are many conflicting views. The public theme park industries advocate that marine mammal exhibits provide an important role in educating, entertaining, and conservation; they see nothing wrong with captivity. An increasing number of scientists counter this view and believe that animals should flourish naturally and are too intelligent to be held captive. Animal protection groups also have taken notice that these mammals in captivity develop severe health issues and should be in the wild. There are other organizations that believe in absolute welfare of these animals, whether it is best
suited in confinement or in the wild. Lastly there are associations that agree with captivity for some cases, just not when animals are exploited. Above all I agree that the more knowledge we have about marine mammals, the more mankind can do to help find the most beneficial option for specific marine animals.
When thinking about aquatic parks one in particular comes to mind for most people, Sea World. According to its website, “SeaWorld has a world-wide reputation for providing unique, up-close animal encounters designed to bring more than 20 million guests each year closer to wildlife and the world we share” (“Sea World”). Parks like this also affirm that one of their main goals is to educate people through seeing live animals in person such as dolphins, whales, seals, and penguins. Marine parks around the world,
In the ethical debate over marine mammals in captivity there are many conflicting views. The public theme park industries advocate that marine mammal exhibits provide an important role in educating, entertaining, and conservation; they see nothing wrong with captivity. An increasing number of scientists counter this view and believe that animals should flourish naturally and are too intelligent to be held captive. Animal protection groups also have taken notice that these mammals in captivity develop severe health issues and should be in the wild. There are other organizations that believe in absolute welfare of these animals, whether it is best
suited in confinement or in the wild. Lastly there are associations that agree with captivity for some cases, just not when animals are exploited. Above all I agree that the more knowledge we have about marine mammals, the more mankind can do to help find the most beneficial option for specific marine animals.
When thinking about aquatic parks one in particular comes to mind for most people, Sea World. According to its website, “SeaWorld has a world-wide reputation for providing unique, up-close animal encounters designed to bring more than 20 million guests each year closer to wildlife and the world we share” (“Sea World”). Parks like this also affirm that one of their main goals is to educate people through seeing live animals in person such as dolphins, whales, seals, and penguins. Marine parks around the world,