At least 161 orcas have died in captivity at Seaworld due to the small enclosures and dangerous training. Seaworld is a marine resort that captives water related animals such as orcas, dolphins, and flamingos. They train the animals to put on shows and do tricks that they would never naturally do. Tilikum, a 22 foot, 12,500 pound orca, was captured in November of 1983 when he was just a calf. Trainer Keltie Byrne was pulled to the bottom of a tank by Tilikum and drowned. After then being bought by Seaworld, Tilikum drowned Daniel P. Dukes in 1999 and Dawn Brancheau, an extremely cautious trainer, in 2010. Seaworld should not be able to use possibly dangerous animals for our entertainment.
First of all, the largest tank for orcas at Seaworld is 36 feet deep, 90 feet wide, and 180 feet long. In order to survive comfortably, orcas need water that is at least 300 feet deep. When swimming near the surface, orcas usually stay below water for less than thirty seconds at a time, according to Seaworld’s Animal Infobooks. However, orcas are sometimes forced to stay underwater for over 15 …show more content…
Many of the orcas have chewed the metal bars of their tanks due to stress. This wears down their teeth, which will only worsen. The dental pulp, the living tissue of their teeth, is exposed and can attract germs, which may lead to heart problems, pneumonia, sepsis, and death. Also, Dr. Ginneken says that less than 1% of orcas in the wild have collapsed dorsal fins, but in captivity, all male orcas have collapsed dorsal fins, due to stress and the lack of space. Collapsed dorsal fins are caused by the orca slowly ‘circle-swimming’, instead of straight and fast like they would in the wild. Out of captivity, the pressure of the quick-moving water keeps the dorsal fin upright, but when in captivity, it has no support. This proves that orcas are better off in the wild than in captivity. We should properly care for orcas, not endanger
First of all, the largest tank for orcas at Seaworld is 36 feet deep, 90 feet wide, and 180 feet long. In order to survive comfortably, orcas need water that is at least 300 feet deep. When swimming near the surface, orcas usually stay below water for less than thirty seconds at a time, according to Seaworld’s Animal Infobooks. However, orcas are sometimes forced to stay underwater for over 15 …show more content…
Many of the orcas have chewed the metal bars of their tanks due to stress. This wears down their teeth, which will only worsen. The dental pulp, the living tissue of their teeth, is exposed and can attract germs, which may lead to heart problems, pneumonia, sepsis, and death. Also, Dr. Ginneken says that less than 1% of orcas in the wild have collapsed dorsal fins, but in captivity, all male orcas have collapsed dorsal fins, due to stress and the lack of space. Collapsed dorsal fins are caused by the orca slowly ‘circle-swimming’, instead of straight and fast like they would in the wild. Out of captivity, the pressure of the quick-moving water keeps the dorsal fin upright, but when in captivity, it has no support. This proves that orcas are better off in the wild than in captivity. We should properly care for orcas, not endanger