Without a doubt, killer whales (Orcinus orca) are by far among the most intelligent and socially complex creatures on the planet. They live in close-knit family units each with unique social structures, hunting techniques, and even vocalization. A wild orca is a sight to behold, gracefully gliding through the waves, enjoying being the powerful, elegant creature that it is. However, some orcas are not so lucky. The captive killer whale industry is mainly monopolized by the SeaWorld corporation, which has made billions off of the exploitation of orcas and their “Shamu” shows. Only recently have the secrets behind the world famous Shamu stadium come to light, and the results are shocking. Since the film Blackfish was released, SeaWorld has been …show more content…
These incidents have ranged from lunging at control trainers to full on attacks. This raises the question, “Is it safe for people to be in the water with these animals?” The evidence clearly says no. Parks with orcas have been dealing with this ever since they started keeping orcas captive, and the intensity of these incidents have been increasing. Whenever these events would occur at a SeaWorld park, the orca trainers at other parks would be given very little information about the incident, or they were not told at all. When SeaWorld first acquired bull whale Tilikum, he had already had one trainer death on his record. SeaWorld trainers were not aware of this. They were told he had nothing to do with it. If I were working with a killer, I would want to know. Also, trainers employed at SeaWorld are not given the choice to work in Shamu Stadium. Former trainer Kim Ashdown said, “I voiced my preference to not ever move to Shamu Stadium,” (qtd. in Kirby 418), but she was transferred there anyway. Ashdown tried to request a transfer out, telling her bosses how she could neither sleep nor eat and was constantly stressed from working where life and death hangs in a balance. She was rebuffed with a threat of termination. Two months later, Tilikum killed his trainer Dawn Brancheau during a “Dine with Shamu” show. He pulled her in and mutilated her, ripping off her scalp and completely swallowing her arm. It took emergency responders hours to retrieve the body. Tilikum’s former trainer John Jett told the filmmakers of Blackfish “…I’d been expecting somebody to be killed by Tilikum, I’m surprised it took as long as it