KaileighNickel

Ms.Robillard
L.A.8Hour2
12March2015
TheHorrorsBehindtheTank
Anorcacalfisswimmingaroundthebottomofthetankunderwhoyouthinkisher
mother,butisreallyanorcafromtheothersideoftheworld,thiscalfhasjustbeenrippedaway
fromhermotherwhowaskilledrightbeforehereyes.Theorcathatisswimmingoverher
protectingthisyoungcalffromtheharshsunandthecruelmalesthatalsoliveinthesametank
isonlysevenyearsold.Shehasalreadyhadtwocalvestakenfromhertodifferentaquariums,
sheislikelytoneverseethemagain.Awhistleisblownandthetwofemalesalongwiththe
malesswimtothesurfacetoperform,youseethatbothmaleshavefullycollapseddorsalfins
andtheyoungfemaleorcasdorsalfinisbeginningtocollapse.Thisisthelifeofananimalin
captivityhidfromthestrangersthatliveinyouradoptedpod,protectyourselffromthe
elements,performforthecrowds.Whatkindoflifeisthat?SeaWorld,alongwithmanyother
aquariumsaretakingperfectlyhealthyanimalsfromtheirrightfulhomeintheopenoceantotiny
habitatswithartificialsaltwater.Theseanimalsareforcedtoperformmeaninglesstricks,all
fortheirfood.Thoughtheseplacessaythattheyareeducatingtheguestsabouttheanimalsand
thattheyhavetakeninandhealedinjuredanimals.Capturingwildanimalsandforcingthemto
performiscruel.
Lifespansofcaptiveanimalsareshorterbecausetheanimalsarehavingtheirworld
flippedupsidedown.AccordingtoCaptiveKillerWhalescaptiveorcasreceiveantibiotics,

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vaccines,andothermedicationthatarenthealthyforthem.Thesetreatmentsaresupposedto
helptheanimalsandpreventdiseasefromspreadingandkillingthem.Whenreallythe
medicationsarewhatiskillingthem,theyareweakeningtheanimalsimmunesystem.The
treatmentsaregivenfromthedaytheyentertheaquariumtothedaytheydie.Thehealth
conditionsoftheanimalsaregreatlyaffectedbytheirenvironment.Thegivenmedicationsarent
availableinthewildandareunnaturaltotheirsystems.Allmalecaptiveorcashavecollapsed
dorsalfinsbecauseoftheshallowtanksandbeingforcedtofloatonthesurface.Theconfined
spacesthattheyliveinreducetheirnormalswimmingdistancegreatly,thisaffectstheiractivity.
Captiveorcasdieprematurelyintheirlife.Theseearlydeathsarecausedbymanythingsin
captivity.Someincludeunnaturalwater,medications,andthefoodthatisgiven.Fightsbetween
theanimalsalsocausedeaths,theanimalsaredrivenmadbytheharshtreatmentandforced
lives.Captivitytakesawaythemanythingstheseintelligentandbeautifulanimalsneedto
surviveandthrive.
Marineanimalslikeorcasanddolphinsareveryaudio,theyuseecholocationfor
everythingandtheyneedittosurvive.Captivitytakesawaymarineanimalsneedfor
echolocation.AquariumsandMarineParkssaysthattheconcretetanksarentgoodforthe
specialsonarthattheseanimalsuse.Theconcretetanksbouncethesoundwavesbacktothe
animalsconfusingthemandleavingthemvirtuallyblindanddeaf.Theycantchaselivefoodso
theyarefedtreatedfishandotherseafood.Thetanksdontcontainanyvegetationoranimalsfor
theorcasanddolphinstonavigate.Orcasaregivenfoodthathasbeenpreparedforthemby
humans.Theanimalsarefedfishthathasbeentreatedbytheworkersattheaquariums.Thefish
arentnaturallytreatedandthechemicalscanharmtheanimals.Themarineanimalsarehandfed

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thefishbecausetheyarentgivenanylivefishintheirtanks.Thetanksthattheyliveinare
equivalenttothesizeofbathtubs.Theholdingtanksarethesizeoftheperformancetanks
sometimes.Theanimalsonlyhavetheroomtoswiminasmallcircleandtheyareextremely
shallowtoo.Theseanimalsoriginatefromswimminghundredsofmilesadayanddivingtodeep
depths,butinthetankstheycannotdothat.Anotherthingtheseanimalslivewithorcasthat
arentfromtheiroriginalpod.
Orcasliveinlargefamilyunitscalledpods,everyadultorcainthepodhelptakescareof
thecalvesandprotectsthem.Familiesareseparatedwhentheanimalsarecapturedandsentto
differentaquariums.Garciastatesthatonlytheyoungerandhealthieranimalsaretaken.When
theanimals,orcasforexample,arebeingtakenfromtheoceantheirpodsaretrappedand
separatedwithnets.Theolderorcasarelefttodiebythemarinecowboyswhiletheyounger
orcasareboundanddrivenofftoshore.Theorcasthatfightbackarekilledinstantlybythe
cowboys.Animalsthatarenttakenareusuallyinjuredfromthenetsandboats.Whenthe
animalsarebeingcapturedandtheonesthatareneededhavebeenhauledawaytheleftover
animalsarestilltryingtoescapeandfightback.Theanimalsarehurtbyboatsandthenetsthat
maytanglethem.Theanimalsarealsohurtbytheircapturers,whetheriftheyareshotbya
harpoonorcutbyaspear.Familiesareseparatedduringthedistributionofmarineanimals.
Whenfamiliesofanimalsarecapturedtheyaresenttodifferentaquariumsallover.Theanimals
arelikelytoneverseetheirfamilieseveragain.Thefamiliesthatareseparatedarelargeand
complex,theyarentusedtonotbeingaroundananimalthattheyarerelatedto.Livingwith
completestrangers,forcedtoperformuselesstricksforfood,andbeingmercilesslyabused
withouttheknowledgeofitleadstopentupstressandpressure.

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Itistruethattheseaquariumsdohelptheinjuredanimalsandtakesthemin.SeaWorld
wasoneofthelargestaquariumsthatwouldtakeOrcasfromtheocean.
"KillerWhaleCare"
on
theSeaWorldwebsitestatesthatSeaWorldhasnttakenanymarineanimalsfromtheoceanin35
years.Thisisbecauseofthebreedingandmatingprogramthattheyrunwithintheaquarium.
SeaWorldhasthelargestbreedingprogramoutofalloftheircompetitorsandmostoftheir
animalslivetotheirlate30s.Theyalsosaythattheydontseparatethemotherandcalfbecause
theyknowhowimportantthatisforthegrowthanddevelopmentofthecalves.Eventhoughthe
animalsarenolongertakenfromtheoceantheyarestillforcebredincaptivity,theanimals
donthaveachoiceoftheirmatesandsometimesevensiblingsarebredtomaintainthesame
genes.SeaWorldhasmadethefirstofmanychangestohowtheytrainandperformwiththeir
Orcas.PatestatesthatSeaWorldnowhasprohibitionsagainstitstrainersswimmingwiththe
Orcas.SeaWorldunderstandstheimportanceofthesafetyofitstrainers,theyhaverulesagainst
swimmingwiththeOrcas.Dotopastincidentstheyhavemadenewrulesandchangedolder
onestoadapttocurrentsociety.Theorcashavebeenlabeledasunsafeandunpredictablefor
swimmingwithduringtrainingorperformances.Thoughtheaquariumshavetheserulesand
regulationstherehavebeen140injuriesanddeathsbycaptivewhalesfrom1967to2012
("IncidentsbetweenHumansandKillerWhalesinCaptivityaLongerListthantheParksWould
liketoTellYou!").
Totakewildanimalsfromtheirnaturalhabitatandbreedthemincaptivityisinhuman.
Capturementofanimalsseparatesfamilies,injuresanimals,poisonsthem,killsthem,andforces
themtoliveinalifewheretheywillneverfeelthecurrentsoftheseaandfreelyswimthroughit.
Itisimportanttosaveandprotectouroceansanimals.Theseanimalshaveeveryrightto

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freedomandtolivingalongandhappylife.Imaginehavingtoliveinabox,survivingonthe
hopethatsomedaysoonyouwillbefree.Slowlygoinginsanewitheachpassingday,bulliedby
theotheranimalsinyourtankandlivingonpraisefishforthestupidtrickyoudoforthe
crowdsofpeople.Whathasanylivingbeing,humanoranimal,donetoliveinaworldof
tormentandhate?

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WorksCited
"AquariumsandMarineParks."
PETA
.N.p.,n.d.Web.11Feb.2015.
"CaptiveKillerWhales."
Wikipedia
.WikimediaFoundation,n.d.Web.02Mar.2015.
Garcia,Jason."SeaWorld,ActivistsMakeQuestionableClaimsonKillerWhaleLifeSpans."
Newsela
.Newsela,9Feb.2014.Web.3Mar.2015.
"KillerWhaleCare."
HowWeCareforOurKillerWhales(Orca)atSeaWorld
.SeaWorld,n.d.
Web.05Mar.2015.
Pate,Calley."ReasonsWhyIWon'tBeBoycottingSeaWorld."
ATampaGreenLivingMom
BlogClothDiapersDIYDisneyTravelFamily
.TheEcoChic,20Jan.2014.Web.11
Mar.2015.
"IncidentsbetweenHumansandKillerWhalesinCaptivityaLongerListthantheParksWould
liketoTellYou!"
IncidentsbetweenHumansandKillerWhalesinCaptivity
.Orca
Home,n.d.Web.07Mar.2015.