The documentary successfully exploits visual and emotional rhetoric in order to cause its audience to question the treatment of whales and the habit of caring for these orcas in captivity. By observing the dilemma of captivity amongst orca whales, it produces emotions that range from empathy to resentment. This film powerfully influences its viewers to want to take action and possibly join efforts to help killer whales in captivity…
On Friday, The California State Legislature approved a historic bill that banned the breeding of captive killer whales and orca performances in the state, the only exception would be for educational purposes and not entertainment, display, or performance purposes. The bill also prohibits the export or collect captive orcas coming from any place in California to another state or country, unless approved by federal law, and importing their semen or embryos of any orcas held in captivity for artificial insemination. The legislation passed 26-13 with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposing. The bill required that the killer whales be sent to sea sanctuaries for retirement in the United States or Canada. Sea World are actively lobbying against the bill, calling it unnecessary since they had already planned to do this and had announced…
Although there have been many animal advocates protesting against SeaWorld, there are other people who don’t mind the Orcas being at SeaWorld. “Shamu the show and the marine parks’ collection of orcas have been inextricably linked to SeaWorld since the San Diego park’s origins more than a half century ago” (San Diego Union-Tribune 1). The killer whales have been the face of SeaWorld for many years. The Orcas are one of the main reasons people go to Seaworld. Shamu is the famous name that all the Orcas are known as, because of the captive killer whale that appeared at shows in SeaWorld San Diego in the 1960’s. “She was the fourth orca ever captured, and the second female, after her death, the name Shamu continued to be used in SeaWorld…
Keeping these types of animals in captivity is inhumane and dangerous for the whales and the humans. At the beginning the documentary a family of orcas are shown in a peaceful environment, calmly swimming side by side. This causes the audience to make a warm connection with the orcas…
The first story I heard that referred to orcas being held in captivity, was about a young orca named Tilikum. He was ripped from his family when he was only two years old when he was only 13 feet long. After his capture, he was kept in a cement holding tank for close to a year at a marine zoo in Iceland as he waited to be transferred to a marine park in North America. He was held captive against his will, all he could do was swim in small circle and float aimlessly at the surface of the water. Tilikum was very far away from the expansive ocean where he would swim over 100 miles a day alongside his family members. Finally, he was transferred to the rundown…
There isn’t a reason to put people/trainers in harm, because orcas are always going to be wild animals that need their own space. As humans, people should understand how dangerous behaviors toward these innocent mammals shouldn’t be allowed, and not to directly come in contact. Sea World is to blame, and people need to stand together and have a say or voice in this world, on what is wrong and…
There are two sides of every argument, in particular SeaWorld. Should animals be held captive for research and entertainment or should they be only held for rehabilitation purposes and released? SeaWorld currently holds twenty-two Orcas in each of its three…
Most of the times, there are orcas that are sometimes aggressive towards the other orcas in the tanks and are forced to do tricks and entertain an audience in order to get food. Captivity is flat out cruel and it needs to be brought to an end. Wild orcas have an average lifespan of 30 to 50 years, and females can live to be 80 to 100 years old (males live 60 to 70 years). The average…
In the stride of greed in this world human beings have been thriving off of almost anything to get what they believe is obtainable. Within the human endeavor to acquire currency some actions taken by SeaWorld are morally wrong and discerning. The ethical dilemma of the exploitation of wild orcas at SeaWorld has become a controversial topic with the idea of freeing the orcas to be the most morally understood solution. SeaWorld has repeatedly displaced orcas from mothers for different attractions or to ship to other parks. This occurrence is followed by the mother producing disturbing long range calls to attempt to locate her baby, described by a neuroscientist in Blackfish. The conditions these majestic orcas endure can only damage their…
I picked my essay about orca whales in captivity, specifically in SeaWorld. I made some researches about that and looked at several documentaries about whales in captivity as well in wild life. I found a very interesting article in Los Angeles Times, which I want to analyze. The first SeaWorld Park opened in 1964 orca whales were not popular; they were even hated and also hunted. Half a centaury later people came to SeaWorld and learned about these animals and started to like orca whales, which led to, that visitors don’t think orcas belong in human care. The California Coastal Commission, which is a state agency, wants to ban breeding orcas in SeaWorld. SeaWorld declared they are ending the breeding program with orcas and the theatrical shows…
The cruel act of confining Orcas to bathtub sized pens is not only inhumane, but also a hazard to current and future Orcas by affecting their physical, mental, and social health. Orcas, who are more commonly known as killer whales, can grow up to twenty to thirty feet on average and swim up to 100 miles a day, keeping their body healthy and fit. Aside from their large and strong body structure, Orcas are highly intelligent and social animals that work together in pods when hunting while even being capable of swimming as deep as thirty feet. So why in captivity, are Orcas being kept in pools that range from eighteen to twenty-eight feet deep?…
These animals have lived in captivity for so long and in such brutal conditions that they would never be able to survive in the wild. They wouldn’t know how to live with their own species as it is completely unfamiliar to them. Several would not have seen another Orca in…
Who does not love to see dolphins and whales flipping and doing tricks? Although the animals look happy and unharmed, there is a dark truth behind the captive marine life in amusement parks and zoos. Yes, attending zoos and marine life amusement parks are a part of childhood; but recently researchers have discovered just how cruel the environment is for the marine life in captivity. After studies of comparing the quality of life of marine animals in the wild and in captivity, there are multiple examples shown in Blackfish, PETA, and the Animal Welfare Institute that show that animals prosper and live longer in their natural habitats. Due to the cruelty endured by the captivated Orcas, all the SeaWorld parks should be shut down and the Orca whales should be set free to prevent further demise to their species.…
Orcas, also known as killer whales, have been in captivity for over fifty years. The magnificent stunts the animals are trained to do is jaw dropping. Killer whales, on the other hand, do not seem to feel the same positive regard. Infact, they have killed or injured more than one-hundred people during their stay in captivity. Keeping killer whales in captivity not only threatens the whales, but harms humans as well.…
Humans are on the very top of the food chain, they have the supremecy over everything and anything, including wild animals. Wildlife that will never be in their natural habitat, and live their entire life in an artificial enclosure. Where they live out their lives in fear, and with all eyes on them (Carnivores in Captivity.) Many activists try to shut down zoos, and find any evidence of cruelty they possibly can to do so. Although the activists are unsuccessful, the attention needs to be diverted to the existing roadside zoos. Tony the tiger suffers everyday of his life in a cage that is not big enough for him to lie down in, along with other tigers. Some of the tigers end up dying from the toxic fumes of the gas and diesel (Tigers in America.) Human beings who run roadside zoos, know that they aren’t providing the necessary amount of care for animals that do not deserve to live in captivity. Some of the zoo owners are only in it for the profit, so they breed and bring in baby animals to attract more visitors. While other zoo owners actually care about…