There are several documented cases of psychological abuse committed against orca whales held captive in SeaWorld parks. With the lack of swimming space available, whales are forced to swim in the same patterns every day. Doing the exact same routine every day does not foster growth, or enrichment. Typically, the only time enrichment objects (balls, toys, etc.) are present in pools are during shows. A study performed by the International Journal of Comparative Psychology (2002) concluded that “environmental enrichment programs that use objects should adopt variable schedules of object presentation in order to avoid the effects of habituation” (p. 9). With that being said, SeaWorld is not doing their best to provide enrichment for the sake of
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SeaWorld has divided families before, and left the mother stricken with grief resulting in loss of appetite, depression, and aggressive behaviors. In the documentary Blackfish, the event of separating a calf from its’ mother is shown. The effects on the calf are not shown; however, the mother is depicted as a lifeless figure floating in the corner of a pool (Cowperthwaite, 2013). Often times captive orcas die as a result of loneliness after being separated from their kinship. SeaWorld breeds orcas for profit, not for conservation or “doing a good deed.” Not once has a news broadcast ever shown a clip of SeaWorld releasing a majestic orca into its natural habitat. SeaWorld does despicable things to their orcas, for the simple pleasure of a “good” show. Of course, SeaWorld denies such claims, but the evidence proves them wrong. Any person can see that the animals are under mental duress; red rimmed eyes, rake marks, and submissive behavior. SeaWorld is like a poorly run state penitentiary of sorts. When a new whale does not perform correctly it is punished through starvation, driving the orca into depression and physical stress. Wild orcas are not submissive, they are at the top of the food chain in their environment, and taking orders from a tiny human seems fairly unreasonable. Wild orcas also are accustomed to traveling large distances daily, and living in small tanks creates severe amounts of stress. Like humans, orca whales can develop stress-related illnesses, like stomach ulcers, from being in small tanks as well as being subjected to noises and vibrations from pumps and filters. Curtis (1992) wrote “when a popular performing cetacean dies, the facility that owns it usually just obtains another and gives it the same name as the one that died (p. 55). This shows that SeaWorld has no respect in regards to the well being of their captive orcas. SeaWorld declined
SeaWorld has divided families before, and left the mother stricken with grief resulting in loss of appetite, depression, and aggressive behaviors. In the documentary Blackfish, the event of separating a calf from its’ mother is shown. The effects on the calf are not shown; however, the mother is depicted as a lifeless figure floating in the corner of a pool (Cowperthwaite, 2013). Often times captive orcas die as a result of loneliness after being separated from their kinship. SeaWorld breeds orcas for profit, not for conservation or “doing a good deed.” Not once has a news broadcast ever shown a clip of SeaWorld releasing a majestic orca into its natural habitat. SeaWorld does despicable things to their orcas, for the simple pleasure of a “good” show. Of course, SeaWorld denies such claims, but the evidence proves them wrong. Any person can see that the animals are under mental duress; red rimmed eyes, rake marks, and submissive behavior. SeaWorld is like a poorly run state penitentiary of sorts. When a new whale does not perform correctly it is punished through starvation, driving the orca into depression and physical stress. Wild orcas are not submissive, they are at the top of the food chain in their environment, and taking orders from a tiny human seems fairly unreasonable. Wild orcas also are accustomed to traveling large distances daily, and living in small tanks creates severe amounts of stress. Like humans, orca whales can develop stress-related illnesses, like stomach ulcers, from being in small tanks as well as being subjected to noises and vibrations from pumps and filters. Curtis (1992) wrote “when a popular performing cetacean dies, the facility that owns it usually just obtains another and gives it the same name as the one that died (p. 55). This shows that SeaWorld has no respect in regards to the well being of their captive orcas. SeaWorld declined