Seaworld Essay

SeaWorld is a family oriented, recreational theme park where individuals can pay around 80 dollars for one day admission to experience live orca shows, ride roller coasters, and visit animals in the aquarium exhibits. SeaWorld is an entertaining vacation option; especially for families. Although, many people who have visited SeaWorld do not know the behind the scenes care of the orcas in captivity. SeaWorld mistreats orcas, which in turn creates stress, and a shorter, unhealthy, and unhappy life for the whales in captivity.
A component of the mistreatment the orcas undergo at SeaWorld is “the stress of captivity” (Over 30 Years) which has caused many of these majestic creatures to display “abnormal, repetitive behavior” (Over 30 Years), such as “chewing at the metal gates and concrete sides of the tanks” (Over 30 Years). These aberrant actions have “worn down the teeth of some of the orcas at seaworld” (Over 30 Years), including Tilikum, an orca that has been in captivity at SeaWorld for over 30 …show more content…
At SeaWorld, “all male orcas have collapsed dorsal fins as adults” (10 Things You). Collapsed dorsal fins are yet another indication of the neglection orcas receive at SeaWorld. Collapsed dorsal fins “are caused by the unnatural environment of captivity and are rarely seen in the wild” (10 Things You). It is uncommon for the ordinary orca to have a collapsed dorsal fin, as Tilikum does. The collapsed dorsal fin shows the symptoms of an unhealthy and unhappy orca. Orcas demonstrate indications of unhappiness at SeaWorld not only through collapsed dorsal fins, but also by “floating listlessly in the water for hours at a time” which is “a behavior never seen in wild orcas” (Over 30 Years). If these orcas were free, they could live their lives naturally and happily. SeaWorld should not imprison these animals who have just as much of a right to happiness, healthiness, and this Earth as humans