Seaworld Effect On Animals

Animals once worshipped like gods are now abused and used for entertainment. The circus and SeaWorld, two places common for entertaining children, display their animals in grand shows, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg of the truth. Hidden, are the cruel practices, immoral punishments, and unhealthy psychological effects that most of the animals experience. There is a reason why animal rights activists protested. There is a reason why Sea World is ending its world famous Orca whale shows. There is a reason the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is shutting down, after touring the United States for 146 years. Before announcing its official end, the Ringling Bros. circus was constantly touring the country and showcasing elephants

Famous Orca whales such as Tilikum and Shamu were not magically acquired out of thin air. In fact, SeaWorld bought Tilikum from Sealand even though he killed his trainer, but before that Tilikum was captured after being forcefully separated from his family. Shamu was also captured in the wild, separated from its family, and shipped thousands of miles away to SeaWorld. These Orca whales are not kindly taken from their families. Humans cannot speak their language, so the capturers could not ask the family for permission to take the calf. During the capture of both Tilikum and Shamu, they were almost inseparable from their families; the capturers had to use a net to forcibly separate them. Even when the net was lowered to release the family, they did not leave the calf, instead the whales exchanged long, high-pitched squeals, whistles, and screams, that the capturers recalled as sounds of grief. In the documentary “Blackfish”, Lori Marino, neuroscientist, states,”They’ve got a part of the brain humans don’t have. A part of their brain has extended out right adjacent to their limbic system, the system that processes emotions.” This supports the claim that Orca whales bond with each other with another level of emotion. Unlike a shark, a mother Orca whale will stay with her child until she dies, very similar to human behavior. For years,

Knowledge, is the reason why SeaWorld is losing customers, money, and revenue. Action, is the reason why SeaWorld is cutting its Orca shows and the Ringling Bros. Circus is closing down.”There has been a huge backlash against SeaWorld ever since Blackfish premiered. Average Joes and celebrities alike continue to speak out against the cruelty at SeaWorld.” seaworldofhurt.com gives thirteen examples of famous celebrities that openly spoke out against SeaWorld. Matt Damon, for example, stated,”So I’ve never been a fan of places like that..I think they should just shut them all down.”Awareness caused the backlash, and protests caused progress in favor of animal rights activists. The Last Chance for Animals (LCA) campaign and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are only two examples of the many organizations responsible for the occurring change. Their impact has been recognized nationally, ABC news reporter, Martha Sugalski stated, “SeaWorld only made changes after trainer Dawn Brancheau’s death outraged the public.” The power of the people was proven as soon as change was even considered, because before the protests, there were not many people making claims against SeaWorld or the Ringling Bros. Circus, which allowed them to easily deny any negative allegations. However, once the public started speaking, everything changed, Joel Manby, CEO and President of SeaWorld stated, “Society’s attitudes have