Imagine having to play, eat, sleep and live out your whole life in a room the size of a bathtub. Sounds horrible right? Well that has been the reality for Orcas at SeaWorld since their doors opened in 1959 but things, finally, are about to change.
As you may already know, SeaWorld hit the headlines in February 2010, after a highly experienced trainer, Dawn Brancheau was killed by an Orca during a live performance. The marine mammal park was again thrown into the spotlight in 2013 after Blackfish, a controversial documentary, gave an insight into the apparent dark side of SeaWorld. The documentary explained how young Orcas were taken away from their families in the wild and lived out a life in captivity, which in some cases led to all sorts of unnatural behaviour traits and physical deformities.
Although SeaWorld has been disputing the documentary ever since its release, it appears the damage has already been done and has influenced many animal-lovers to stay far away from the park.
Katrina Hardman, 38, an animal lover, was planning a holiday to SeaWorld in 2013 before she watched Blackfish.
She said: “I was excited to take my daughter there. She loves whales and dolphins so I thought it would be the perfect way to show her their true beauty in a safe environment. I had always heard great things about SeaWorld but after watching the documentary there’s no way we’ll be going anymore. I was so shocked, I always thought they were a respected organisation dedicated to helping animals in need. I don’t want my daughter to think that animal-cruelty is acceptable. I’m not surprised that less people are visiting SeaWorld after seeing the documentary.”
Like Katrina, it seems many people have lost their respect for SeaWorld with visitors deserting the park and their profits plummeting by 84%. The CEO and president of SeaWorld, Joel Manby, said that he expected profits to improve now that their reputational campaign has gained momentum.
But do people actually believe that SeaWorld has changed? The global organisation has been trying to rebuild its reputation ever since the release of the documentary. In defence of the film’s claims SeaWorld released a document stating 69 ways that Blackfish was misleading or showed inaccurate content. The company called the film propaganda and have published a number of press releases to let the public know that what the film presented as facts, were actually false.
Ian Mottram, who has been a certified vet for over five years in Warrington, thinks that Blackfish misrepresented how SeaWorld actually treats their animals.
“I think it’s all been blown out of proportion. The whales are getting a better life in captivity with a good supply of food and constant care and attention. What people don’t know is that they do a lot of conservation work and rescue animals that would otherwise die in the wild.”
The SeaWorld vs Blackfish debate is still at the forefront of many people’s minds as multiple petitions have appeared online campaigning to stop the captivity of the Orcas and other marine animals at SeaWorld.
Environmental and animal rights activist, Serena Patel, said: “Blackfish finally gave a voice to the Orcas held captive in the tiny tanks at various SeaWorld locations across the world. I hated the idea of SeaWorld before the documentary even came out but the startling footage from the film just proved my concerns and that’s why I’ve signed nearly every petition out there. Things need to change and most importantly, we need to redefine our relationship with, not just the Orcas, but animals everywhere.”
But there is end in sight, as SeaWorld are beginning to listen to public demand as, animal rights activists welcomed the news that SeaWorld has put the end to their breeding programmes, ending the captivity and exploitation of Killer Whales at their amusement parks.
This is a huge step in the right direction for SeaWorld who are re-imagining the way guests will experience these beautiful creatures. They’ve even been offered help by scientists who are currently constructing a sea sanctuary, where the Orcas can retire and live out the rest of their lives in large sea pens, a lot bigger than the small pools they’re used to.
It will take a lot of dedication and commitment for SeaWorld overcome the wave of bad publicity it’s received over the years, to once and truly redeem their reputation in the eyes of animal lovers and activists, but for those who have forgiven SeaWorld, trips to the park will be a new, cruelty free experience.