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Paean Wang
Professor Haas
Writing 39C
12 August 2015
Orca Captivity Needs To End
The first modern zoos were created to in the 18th century, during the age of
Enlightenment; a period in European History when science, reason, and logic were promoted as
ideals of society and government (Natl Geographic 1). Early zoos were similar to museums
and consisted of living animals cramped in small display areas. However, nowadays, zoos are
meant to entertain and educate the public but have a strong emphasis on scientific research and
specific conservation (Natl Geographic 1). Needless to say, modern day zoos were created with
good intention. Human curiosity has led us to build the astonishing world we live in today.
Consequently, it is important that we take responsibility for the consequences of our actions. On
the Captive Animals Protective Societys website, it explains that, Zoos cannot provide the
amount of space animals have in the wild. This is particularly the case for those species who
roam larger distances in their natural habitat (10 facts about zoos). The Ornicus Orca is a perfect
example of an animal trapped in captivity for entertainment purposes without sufficient space to
live freely. Studies show that there are more negative effects on orcas in captivity rather than in
the wild. Contrary to what SeaWorld might claim, the infamous killer whale is meant to be left in
the wild.
In a review of a book called Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer
Whales in Captivity by David Kirby, a journalist for over 20 years with several awards and
recognitions, Mark J. Palmer, the Director of the International Marine Mammal Project of Earth

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Island Institute as well as an activist against animals in captivity, states that one of the negative
effects of orcas in captivity is that Orcas in the wild virtually never attack humans. But they do
in captivity (Palmer 1). One famous incident that really brought light into the issue of orcas in
captivity was the tragic death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010, when a male orca,
Tilikum, grabbed her and pulled her into the tank with him. Dawn Brancheau died from blunt
force trauma (Palmer 1). That incident also inspired a famous documentary called Blackfish.
The documentary exposed the many kept secrets of SeaWorld while telling the story of Tilikum,
the killer whale, who killed more than just one trainer in captivity.
The people responsible for orca captivity are the corporations who are making millions at
the expense of intelligent and highly social creatures. A study conducted in 2007 by A. Rus
Hoelzel from the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Jody Hey from the University
of Durham, Marilyn E. Dahleim from the Department of Genetics at Rutgers University, Colin
Nicholson also from the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Vladimir Burkanov from
the National Marine Mammal Laboratory of the National Marine Fisheries Service, and Nancy
Black from the Monterey Bay Cetacean Project. Hoelzel and his fellow colleagues studied the
evolution of the killer whales population structure. The study states that, The killer whale is a
highly social resource specialist, so their social structures tend to be pod-oriented (Hoelzel et al.
1407). When killer whales are held in captivity, they are not able to interact amongst one another
and experience social networks compared to killer whales in the wild. There have been many
incidents where SeaWorld has tried to advertise that what they are doing actually benefits the
orcas as opposed to harm the orcas. The Dodo, an organization For The Love Of Animals proves
that SeaWorld advertisements are all manipulated facts. In an article found on The Dodo website
called SeaWorlds Newest Commercial is Bogus and Here Are The Numbers To Prove It by

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David Neiwert, an investigative journalist, states that, All the care in the world cannot
compensate for the stress brought on by placing a large, highly mobile, highly intelligent, and
highly social animal with a complex life into a small concrete tank. However, after all the
negative press SeaWorld received after the documentary Blackfish came out, exposing
SeaWorlds wrong doings, SeaWorld says that they will be making changes to the size of its
tanks. SeaWorld is implementing a new tank plan for its San Diego park that would change the
way we see, and the way it treats, killer whales (SeaWorlds New Killer Whale Plan: Bigger
Tanks but the Shows Go On). SeaWorld is planning on a pool expansion where they will double
its tank size to a 10 million-gallon size tank up to 50 feet deep. This new space is going to be
called the Blue World initiative and will be used not to showcase orcas performing tricks,
but instead give an insiders look at how the whales live and play and interact (qtd. in
(SeaWorlds New Killer Whale Plan: Bigger Tanks but the Shows Go On). However, this
expansion is only changing a tank that, to them, are the size of a bathtub to the size of a pool (8
Reasons Orcas Dont Belong at SeaWorld). In Figure 1., there is a sketch of what the new Blue
World initiative will look like. This new attraction is supposed to allow the orcas to live in a
natural habitat and for visitors to view the creatures from three different levels, which include
the shore level, the shelf level, and then the bottom level. Even though SeaWorld is building this
new attraction, it is still going to have its infamous orca entertainment shows.

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Figure 1. Sketch of SeaWorlds Blue World initiative for a 1.5 acre attraction, incorporating a
three-tier experience for attendees. Image by SeaWorld, found on takepart.com.

Another one of SeaWorlds claims, is that, government research shows they live just as
long as whales in the wild, the actual average lifespan of captivity is about eight and a half
years (The Dodo). In comparison to a wild killer whale with a lifespan that averages thirty-one
years for males and forty-six for females (The Dodo). Not to mention, of the 136 orcas taken
in captivity from the wild over the years, only 13 still survive (The Dodo). SeaWorld is known
for twisting the facts into claims that are true. However, killer whales are wild animals who are
highly social creatures and live in pod like social structures.

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Figure 2. Infographic showing statistics and negative effects of Orcas in Captivity. Image
from the official website for the UK Whales Dolphin Captivity Organization website.

In the infographic above, explaining the negative effects of orcas in captivity, one can see
that it again brings up the issue of how now orca can live a fulfilled life in a SeaWorld tank. The
numbers speak for themselves in the photo. Notice that,An orca at SeaWorld would have to
swim the circumference of the main pool more than 1,400 times to match the equivalent daily
distance travelled in the wild. That is only one of the many statistics explained in the
infographic that prove orcas are not animals that are meant to be held in captivity. Another
statistic in the infographic shows that orcas experience dorsal fin collapse when held in captivity.
Because orcas in captivity are spending their time on the surface of their tanks, gravity naturally
weighs down their fins. Dorsal fin collapse is something that only occurs in less than 1% of the
population; it is the orcas held in captivity who are victims of dorsal fin collapse. Another fact
the infographic state, are that wild killer whales do not kill humans, however, there have already
been 4 incidents of human deaths by captive killer whales. The most horrible fact of all on the
infographic is the fact that SeaWorld is not even trying to help conservation. Of every 1 million
dollars that SeaWorld makes, they are only putting $600 into conservation. SeaWorld is only
using 5 cents of every ticket sold to try and better our Earth and the animals they have taken
from their natural habitats. SeaWorld is disturbing the killer whales natural social network and
shortening the lifespan of killer whales. No wild animal is meant to live in captivity and used for
entertainment, the stress of confinement only results in negative effects on the animals.

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Sure, zoos were originally made for research, however more damage than good has been
done to these animals. The problem that we humans have, is that we fail to realize how intelligent
animals that we are holding captive are. Killer whales are complex animals with a very particular
way of life. Orcas need to be allowed to roam free in the wild like they are meant to be. No tank
is capable of giving any killer whale the life it has evolved to live. When we keep killer whales
in captive, or any animal for that matter, we change their natural way of life. Killer whales live in
groups of related matrilines called pods have unique vocal repertoires as well (Deeck et al.
629). In an article from PETAs campaign website against SeaWorld called SeaWorld of Hurt, it
states that: Orcas are highly social animals who live in stable social groups ranging from two to
15 individuals. In some populations, children stay with their mothers for life. In captivity, orcas
are forced to live with orcas from other family units who speak a completely different language
than they do and are constantly moved between facilities for breeding and to perform. Zoos have
become a part of our everyday lives and is now embedded into our society as a social norm. We
as a society need to stop allowing animals to be held captive.
Big corporate companies such as SeaWorld and other popular zoos are making so much
profit that they do not feel the need to make changes. It was not until SeaWorld experienced a
plummeting stock price and declining attendance that they decided to build a better habitat for
its captive orcas. It takes consequences in order for zoos such as SeaWorld to realize that what
they are doing is wrong. Ideally, animals held in captive should not exist, but even so, we all
know that change will not be happening for a long time. Yes, zoos are extremely educational and
I do believe in hands on learning experiences. Therefore, many changes need to be made so that
children can experience hands on education, while keeping animals safe and healthy. Granted
zoos will not be going away anytime soon, even small changes like what SeaWorld is making to

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the size of its orca habitats is a step forward. We cannot expect to pass a law to shut down all
zoos holding captive animals, as there are great consequences to that as well. If we have all these
animals held captive, and all of a sudden insert them back into the wild, they will not know what
to do and most will not survive.
There are many ways that we can start putting an end to animals held in captivity. If it
takes a declining attendance and a plummeting stock price for SeaWorld to start implementing
changes then that is what we need to do. Recently, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation also
known as WDC, a non-profit organization has campaigned to stop holiday companies from
selling trips to SeaWorld. WDC has launched a full campaign and petition against companies
selling trips to SeaWorld, and already Virgin Holidays has stopped sending anyone to theme
parks that continue to keep whales and dolphins taken from the wild (Stop Holiday Companies
Selling Trips To SeaWorld). WDC released a video that received over 100,000 views. It was able
to grab the attention of Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Holidays, so if the campaign grows bigger,
it will hopefully catch the attention of other vacation companies as well. The campaign is now
trying to get British Airways and ABTA, a UK Travel Association, to take part in the campaign.
Another way to slowly implement changes and put an end to orca captivity and then
hopefully animal captivity in general is to stop sending students to these places. At SeaWorld, the
orcas are taught to perform tricks, animals performing tricks is not an educational experience.
What the orcas are forced to do and perform at SeaWorld is not a part of their natural life. There
already been quite a few incidents where schools have decided to not send its students to
SeaWorld. As stated in Melissa Cronin, a staff writer with The Dodo, an animal awareness
incorporations article, Baylor University, the oldest continuously operating university in Texas,
has moved its annual Diadeloso summer alumni event from SeaWorld San Antonio to Six Flags

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in Fiesta, Texas. The private Christian University cited its Christian values as the reason for the
switch, according to the schools newspaper, the Baylor Lariat. The assistant director of
sustainability and special projects told the Lariat that, We firmly believe all that we talk and
preach here in the Office of Sustainability about caring for creation That means the beasts of
the land, the birds of the air and the fish in the sea or in this case mammals (qtd. in Cronin).
Baylor University broke a long time tradition in support for what they believe in. Surprisingly,
another incident where a school decided not to take a field trip to SeaWorld was when a 10-yearold student from Malibu, California begged the administration, saying, "I never want to go to
SeaWorld again (qtd. in Cronin). Similarly, in October of 2014, an eighth-grader in Colorado
persuaded her entire middle school to stop taking field trips to SeaWorld in favor of a more
educational experience (Cronin). The girl, Phoebe Goldstein, stated that her and her peer
discussed how our school wouldnt benefit by going to SeaWorld and supporting this atrocious
issue, and instead, they discussed how there might be other amazing activities to do on this trip
instead of going to SeaWorld (Cronin). It is great that not only are adults and educators taking
action in supporting this cause but also, children are working to make changes as well.
Furthermore, another campaigning organization, SumOfUs is a movement of
consumers, workers and shareholders speaking with one voice to counterbalance the growing
power of large corporations (This Is SeaWorld's Worst Nightmare -- Californians Are Saying
Enough to Orca Captivity). The goal of this petition is to enact the Orca Welfare and Safety Act
to make it illegal to hold orcas in captivity for performance or entertainment purposes. This
offers a solution to the issue of orcas in captivity in SeaWorld. If enough people sign the petition,
there could be a possibility that the captive orcas will be free from entertainment purposes.
However, this does not solve the issue of orcas in captivity. Yes, the orcas will be free from doing

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tricks for entertainment and performance, but that does not mean they will not still be held
captive.
The key to a solution in ending orcas in captivity requires small steps at a time.
Implementing a law that ends orca captivity entirely is probably out of the question at the
moment. Alternatively, we can slowly raise more awareness to the issue by showing that orcas do
not belong in captivity, or any animal for that matter. It is going to take time, but there are
already ways that we are fixing the issue, and if we keep progressing, the entire orca population
will hopefully be living wild lives like they are meant to live.

Works Cited
"8 Reasons Orcas Don't Belong at SeaWorld - SeaWorld of Hurt." SeaWorld of Hurt. Peta and
Peta2, n.d. Web. 20 Aug. 2015.
"10 Facts about Zoos." Captive Animals Protection Society. THE CAPTIVE ANIMALS'
PROTECTION SOCIETY (CAPS), 03 Mar. 2010. Web. 12 Aug. 2015.

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Cronin, Melissa. "School Ditches SeaWorld Over Park's Mistreatment Of Captive Orcas." The
Dodo. The Dodo, for the Love of Animals, 10 Apr. 2015. Web. 12 Aug. 2015.
Hill, Taylor. "SeaWorld's New Killer Whale Plan: Bigger Tanks but the Shows Go On."
TakePart. TakePart, 23 Jan. 2015. Web. 20 Aug. 2015.
Neiwert, David. "SeaWorld's Newest Commercial Is Bogus And Here Are The Numbers To
Prove It." The Dodo. The Dodo, for the Love of Animals, 14 Apr. 2015. Web. 12 Aug.
2015.
Noonan, Michael. "On The Behavior And Welfare Of Killer Whales In Captivity."
Journal Of Applied Animal Welfare Science 16.4 (2013): 394. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 6 Aug. 2015.
Palmer, Mark J. "Captive Time Bombs." Earth Island Journal 27.3 (2012): 55. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 6 Aug. 2015.
SeaWorld in Trouble Again? - SeaWorld of Hurt." SeaWorld of Hurt. Peta and Peta2, 01 May
2015. Web. 12 Aug. 2015.
"Stop Holiday Companies Selling Trips to SeaWorld." WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation.
WDC, n.d. Web. 12 Aug. 2015.
This Is SeaWorld's Worst Nightmare -- Californians Are Saying Enough to Orca Captivity."
SumOfUs. SumOfUs, 14 July 2015. Web. 12 Aug. 2015.

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