Why I won't take my kids to SeaWorld

8/7/2013

As a mother, the new documentary Blackfish, about SeaWorld and the whales it confines, hit me especially hard. The film inspired me to write this post with the hope that after reading it, other parents might make the informed, compassionate decision to avoid SeaWorld and other places that house animals for entertainment purposes. So for all the whales living in these artificial facilities right now, please share this post far and wide.

I recently saw the new movie, Blackfish. I left the theater heartbroken, but also inspired to help whales living in miserable parks like SeaWorld. The movie is an expose about SeaWorld (with interviews from many former trainers) and it focused on Tilikum (Tilly), the orca whale who killed his trainer in 2010 (also linked to two other deaths). It's the backstory to Tilikum's life, from the beginning. There were a few things from the movie that I can't get out of my mind.

When Tilly was two years old he was captured in the wild-- just swimming with his mother in the ocean one minute, and the next he was literally being chased down by boats and pulled away from his mother's side by a net. In the movie, an orca hunter expresses his deep regret over capturing numerous whales years ago. (see below).

Baby Tilikum-- scared, confused, terrified-- was hoisted onto the boat with other babies and shipped to a shoddy marine amusement park in Canada. His life changed forever from that day forward, and he never saw his mother or anyone else in his family again. And he never will. This was 1983, and Tilikum is still in captivity. It's been 30 long, miserable years. It reminds me of the recent horrible case where three girls were kidnapped and held hostage for years in that house of horrors in Cleveland. Just like them, Tilikum was also kidnapped.

Whales are one of the most social animals on the planet. In the wild, they live in close family pods-- the adult offspring stay with their mothers forever. They can travel up to 100 miles a day, so can you imagine what it must be like for them to live in a tiny, concrete pool at SeaWorld day in and day out? Just like humans, whales have a limbic system in their brain that's responsible for emotions, however in whales the limbic system is extended, so scientists believe that they possess emotions that we can't even begin to understand. The complexity of their emotions goes way beyond what humans even feel. The suffering they must experience in captivity is inconceivable.

When Tilikum was first captured thirty years ago, and sent to a Canadian marine park, he was bullied by the other whales. Whales in captivity have no relation to eachother-- they're just thrown together in unnatural groups. This causes stress and confusion, so often the whales engage in a behavior called "raking" where they aggressively bite/scratch one another, causing bloody wounds that resemble long rake marks. Tilikum was severely raked while at this park. I think the most heartbreaking part of the documentary was hearing about (and seeing) where Tilly spent most of his time....for many years. Everyday when the park closed (from 5pm to 7am the next morning) Tilly was put into a small, underwater steel box where he couldn't even turn around. It was pitch black. A torture chamber. I can't imagine the frustration, stress and loneliness that he must've felt all alone at night?

A former SeaWorld trainer in the film remembers one of the babies, Kalina, being separated from her mother, Katina in the tank in the middle of the night. She was shipped to another park where she'll likely spend the next 40 years living in a concrete pool and performing for visitors, just like her mother. The trainer remembers that this mother whale was always so quiet, but on the night that her baby was taken and the days following, he heard noises come from her that he'd never heard before. Screeching, screaming, crying. After that, she floated for hours every day in the corner of the pool just shaking.

If you are a mother or a father (or grandparent, aunt, uncle, or any human being), please don't support this industry that treats animals as mere property, with no regard for their emotional (and physical) well-being. Don't buy a ticket or give your money to places like this. SeaWorld tears families apart, and deprives one of the most social creatures on the planet a natural life in the ocean. By taking kids to places like SeaWorld, we teach them that it's OK to use animals for our entertainment-- and to forcefully take them out of their wild environment, separate them from their families, imprison them in tiny unnatural enclosures and force them to do tricks for paying customers by depriving them of food. If we want to teach our kids how majestic and wonderful whales are, take them whale-watching.

In captivity, whales are denied everything natural and important to them, including their own babies. They spend their days lonely, stressed-out and frustrated. Whales who've been separated from their families grieve and suffer in ways that we can't even comprehend. Companies like SeaWorld (and the visitors who support it) have ruined the lives of countless whales, all for the sake of human entertainment. It's tragic, but we can help end it. Don't take your families to SeaWorld or other facilities that house animals for entertainment purposes, and tell your friends and family to do the same. See the movie Blackfish, and encourage others to. Spread the word.

Here are a few kids books from Vegbooks all about whales:
My Friend Whale by Simon James
Here Come the Humpbacks by April Pulley Sayre
The Whales' Song by Dyan Sheldon
The Secret World of Whales by Charles Siebert
Baby Whales Drink Milk by Barbara Juster Esbensen

48 Comments

Lorel link

8/7/2013 10:06:33 pm

Thank u so much for posting this. I couldn't agree more. I learned about a lot of animal cruelty a few years ago. Animal rescue organizations that save animals from the abuse in the circus, the separation & abuse involved to "swim with dolphins" ... and of course, factory farming. I am a huge animal rights supporter and I can't thank u enough for this heartfelt post.

RaisingVegKids

8/9/2013 11:14:20 am

Thanks, Lorel!

Teresa Wagner link

8/8/2013 11:47:37 pm

Bravo, bravo and thank you for this post!! And thank you for being vegan.

RaisingVegKids

8/9/2013 11:14:55 am

Thanks-- you too!

Valerie

8/9/2013 02:35:34 am

Thanks so much for posting this information. I find animals in cages depressing, not entertaining. To truly appreciate the beauty of any animal you must observe it in its natural environment. I can not write here what I would do to someone who stole one of my children, but we regularly capture innocents of other species without a single thought. Certainly the darker side of our nature. I will be sharing this on all my networks.

Valerie

8/9/2013 02:37:45 am

Your FB link at the top of the page doesn't work, otherwise I would already be following you.

RaisingVegKids

8/9/2013 11:15:48 am

Thanks, Valerie!

RaisingVegKids

8/9/2013 11:16:58 am

Thanks--I'll look into the link not working. Not sure what's going on?

Lydia link

8/12/2013 02:29:57 am

Love the post. I have yet to see Blackfish, but wrote a very similar post when I saw the documentary, The Cove. I truly hope the more people become educated that they will make the right decision and not support these industries.

Tim Langdon

8/12/2013 02:30:08 am

Thank you Lorel for posting this.It breaks my heart to see animals in captivity.I often wonder what's going on in their minds.I live in Newfoundland,Canada and whenever I want to see animals I take a walk into the wilderness and take photo's of them.As far as I'm concerned Sea World is getting rich from the people that are not informed properly of where and how they get their animals.I want to tell the world of such abuse and have this banned forever.

Birgit Caminada

8/12/2013 03:14:40 am

Please never be silent ...

Denise

8/12/2013 03:30:36 am

Extremely well said. Thank you for taking the time to raise awareness. I have shared your story on FaceBook in the hope of spreading the word.

Howard Garrett link

8/12/2013 06:23:11 am

Thank you for posting, and of course I agree with all you say here wholeheartedly. Just one historical note though, John Crowe didn't participate in Tilikum's capture. In Blackfish he talks about his experience of the 1970 capture in Penn Cove, Whidbey Island Washington, where Lolita and six others were abducted. Only Lolita survives to this day.

Cornel

8/12/2013 01:49:26 pm

http://vimeo.com/25377868

Angel

8/12/2013 01:53:19 pm

I couldn't agree more with everything you've said in your post. My husband & I learned about the whale & dolphin slave trade through watching "The Cove". Prior to that we never gave a thought as to how these cetaceans came to be at Seaworld and similar facilities. I actually thought these whales were once injured or gotten beached and Seaworld was rehabilitating them! So educating the public is important! Now we boycott all things Seaworld and places that have swim-with-the-dolphins.

Mel

8/12/2013 03:26:38 pm

Actually, Angel, SeaWorld does participate in the rescue and rehabilitation of many animals. They also work hard to try and keep these animals comfortable. Its not nearly as bad for them as people make it out to be. No professional company, especially one as large as SeaWorld, would risk harming their animals and destroying their reputation or, more importantly, killing their "entertainers." This may be a cruel way to look at it, but this is a business and the fastest way to run their business into the ground would be to jeopardize the well being of their animals. Furthermore, I live in the Orlando area and know many people who have worked or do work for SeaWorld. They have bachelor (or higher) degrees and a lifelong passion for marine biology. They would not merely stand by and watch animals be mistreated. There is also the fact that these animals perform- do you really think that an animal as great as a killer whale would perform silly little jumps or allow humans to climb on them if some part of them didn't want it? They could squash a human in an instant. And don't try to say "0h, they have had deaths," because those were due soley to the humans (one of whom was a drunk person who didn't even work there) harassing them. As to the subject of babies being ripped from their mothers- it may have happened before, but it is not a usual case. SeaWorld has had many different animals in their parks give birth and their families remain together and grow together, including killer whales.

Sherie link

8/12/2013 08:23:35 pm

Mel - I provide you with some of the names of the mothers, and how many of their living calves they live with:
Kastaka - lives with 3/4
Katina - lives with 2/4
Takara - lives with 1/3
Stella - lives with 2/4

Of the 4 mothers, Kasatka is the luckier one, but in the original post above, it was Kasatka who was so grief striken when her daughter Takara was taken from her. And Takara's first daughter was taken from her and her baby was only 4 years old! There have been alot more cases of families being broken apart (most of the whales are dead now), but the figures I show to you above are a horrible representation of what happens in captivity, and doesnt happen in the wild at all.

May

8/12/2013 10:51:15 pm

SeaWorld does participate in the rescues to only show the world they are helping the animal to camouflage what they are doing behind audience. You don't understand Mel, the captivity is already harming the animals. Why don't you live in the box for few years, then you will know how they feel.

Valentina Vayntraub link

7/21/2015 12:10:21 am

These animals should be left in the wild. Period. The rest is garbage.

Cynthia

8/12/2013 03:48:52 pm

Good try Mel but please, give us break. Whose intelligence are you trying to insult with that baseless comment? Everyone's? I agree with 1 thing you stated however, "this may be a cruel way of looking at it but it is a business." Just exactly who do you think YOU are to speak on behalf captive cetaceans??? Your quote, "It's not nearly as bad for them as people make it out to be." Really? Thanks Lorel! GOD bless you and all dolphins doomed to die in September in the name of greed.

Rachel

8/12/2013 04:08:13 pm

Seriously Mel? Tilikum killed when only being harassed? Are you naive? Dawm was performing a relationship building exercise many trainers, including herself, had performed with numerous orcas when Tilikum grabbed her and pulled her in. In Blackfish, every video account of orca attack had NOTHING to do with the orca being harassed, it was all behaviors the orcas had been exposed to plenty of times before. I can't help think youre a spokesperson for Seaworld, which is truly a vile, evil money loving corporation. To think otherwise is naive (otherwise they wouldn't keep such large social intelligent animals captive, all in the name of greed.)

Mary Ann

8/12/2013 05:32:28 pm

I love all mamals, not just whales , but dolphins as well. I was the generation that remembers the TV show "Flipper". My protest started when I read the story of FLipper's X trainer. He said he left the show at it height for another job. When he heard the show was cancelled, he came back to find his friend Flipper and at that point it was already 3 years after the cancellation. He found Flipper in a dark tank and dead fish was thrown at him for dinner. Rick was so sad to see his friend in these conditions. He got upset but the people around him said, for God's sake it is just a fish. FLlipper recognized Rick immediately and was so happy to see him. Rick went into the water with all his clothes on to caress his old friend only to discover Filpper had sores all over his body. Rick cried and said over and over again, "I am sorry." And cradled in Rick's arms content and happy to be with his friend again, Flipper died in Rick's arms. After that Rick swore to be an activist against captivity of any dolphins or whales. Rick being a trainer of course known how intelligent and human-like these animals are. He is an activist today and the man is well into his 70's. I lived in Vallejo the home of Marine world. I had just learned the native american flute and I wanted to go to Marine world to play for the orca and dolphins. My husband was Pacific Northwest Indian and they believe their chiefs come back as Orcas. I felt compelled to play the flute and so I did. I went below so I can see them swim underwater. The dolphins could tell what was piped in music and the real music. They swam to the window I was at and danced and blew strange beautiful bubbles from the tops of their head. Of course the children caught on and loved to see the dolphins and the dolphins began to interact with the children. Then all of the sudden the Orca dives down to see what was going on and she never comes down. She looked at us with her one big eye. I was convinced she heard the flute. Then a lady came down to see what was going on. She saw me and said, "Oh so you are the one playing the flute" I thought oh oh I am in trouble now. But she said she wanted me to go with her, so I did. She opened the top gate and let me in to see the orca. There before me was this huge beautiful black and white orca. She had me feed her some ice cubes and her large mouth was enormous. Then she told me to play my flute. I was surprised but very happy to do so. The Orca let out the most horribly LOUD noise. It scared me and I thought she was mad. By that time all 3 trainers were out and they laughed at me when I asked if she was mad. They told me no and that she was singing to me. So I played again and sure enough she was singing with me. That loud noise I remembered I heard from time to time when I played my flute below. All this time it was her singing. Then all the sudden it came to mind that this lovely orca remembers the music of her people. I got emotional and had to leave. She should be free. It broke my heart she was confined in this little space. She must of remembered. I never went back again. From them on I am supporter for the prevention of capturing whales or dolphins for any kind of entertainment.

Diane

8/12/2013 05:38:02 pm

I think you are fooling yourself if you can't see the is outright cruelty to these beautiful creatures.How unnatural fo these whales to be cooped up in a concrete tub,this is not their natural habitat.Someone close to me has made me more aware of what goes on withe whales and dolphins.I am horrified with the treatment they receive.Seaworld is nothing but a commercial business making much out of these poor creatures suffering!

Mel

8/12/2013 11:53:51 pm

You guys don't seem to understand that SeaWorld isn't stupid enough to risk harming their animals and throwing their profits away. They also aren't oblivious to the fact that they have to meet certain requirements, and abusing animals would only ruin their business. You also don't understand that a multiple ton killer whale is not going to do what he or she does not feel like doing just because some little human being wants them to. As to the female trainer being killer, it was her own fault. She was wearing her hair in a ponytail - something she is explicitly not supposed to do - and the whale thought that he was playing, as they are trained to. I'm not saying it isn't unfortunate that they are separated from their children in SOME instances, but maybe next time you consider that or human companionment as your main argument, you should consider the cat/dog/hamster/fish/snake/bird or whatever animal you have sitting in your house right now.

Fiona henderson

9/28/2013 04:36:50 am

Mel. How much are Seaworld paying you? Ok i will come to your house tonight, steal your kids and lock you in your bathroom for the rest of your life. Beginning to compute yet? Probably not i fear....

Maria

6/5/2020 09:51:45 am

I totally agree, Mel. SeaWorld, for your information, is my favorite place on Earth. They have rescues 36,000 animals and yet they are under criticism for keeping orcas and dolphins in tanks that are NOT chlorinated. I visit SeaWorld every other day to see my precious orcas!! I will always support SeaWorld and am planning on becoming a killer whale trainer.
BTW Fiona... People with hearts actually care about SeaWorld and all the good they do.

Monica Gilbert

8/13/2013 12:48:42 am

Mel, you have obviously drunk from the SeaWorld kool-aid cup. Dawn Brancheau was NOT pulled in by her ponytail. SeaWorld originally said that she was but it was then retracted when video evidence plainly showed she was pulled in by her arm. Tilikum had been desensitised to trainers wearing ponytails because both female and male trainers wore them.

As for your argument about companion animals, they are domestic animals. They haven't been ripped out of the ocean and taken from their close families and thrown into mismatched pods in a concrete tank. Orcas are wild animals. They are not meant to be in captivity. They are not domesticated. Just because they can be trained doesn't mean they can be tamed.

I think if you read David Kirby's book "Death At SeaWorld" you might be a lot better informed than you are now.

Mel

8/13/2013 01:10:01 am

Oh yes, of course. My mistake. Dogs and cats and reptiles etc. totally originated inside of peoples homes. They weren't taken out of their habitats at all. Haven't been taken from families, seriously? Last time I checked, most people have a couple of pets at most, not an entire litter. As for the trainer being dragged by the arm, who cares? There's no evidence that the whale didn't think it was playing with her, as this is similar to a move that they used to be trained to do in every show. Either way, its a risk that these trainers accepted with the job.

Jane Cartmill

8/13/2013 05:14:01 am

Anyone interested in a very informative look into the corporate mentality of SeaWorld should read "Spectacular Nature" by Susan Davis, a former University of CA professor. It is a very eye-opening book that reveals how incredibly calculated SeaWorld's actions are.
The books also indicts the public for its willingness to buy into the myths of education and conservation that SeaWorld presents. Movies like Blackfish, fortunately, are changing that public naivete. Another excellent film is A Fall From Freedom, which I believe can be viewed online, and also the documentary Whale of a Business. Each of these films reveal more details about the direct and indirect involvement of SeaWorld in capture operations, as well as portraying the miserable lives of the captive marine mammals. As for SeaWorld's rescue and rehab efforts, remember JJ the juvenile grey whale they "rescued" and later released when they could no longer keep her due to her increasing size? She was actually rescued in the Laguna Beach area by a group called the Whale Rescue Team. They called SeaWorld to come for her because they knew she needed more care than they, a small stranding network, could provide. SeaWorld refused, telling the team they would have to figure out a way to get her to SeaWorld. So the WRT leader, Peter Wallerstein, created a makeshift whale sling on a rental truck and they drove her to San Diego. They notified local media before arriving so that the media were waiting when they got to SeaWorld. Of course SeaWorld the appeared eager to accept her with all the cameras on them. From that day forward they never admitted that the "rescue" was not a rescue at all but that they were hoodwinked into taking her. SeaWorld certainly could be a very successful organization if they did nothing more than rescue, rehab and release of marine mammals in trouble, but they would never make as much money as they do now, so don't hold your breath. The only way they will stop captive display is when the public stops paying to see it.
Anything that comes from the corporate mouths of SeaWorld officials is suspect, such as the claim that Tillikum was playing with Dawn Brancheau. Really? Take a look at the autopsy report and then decide. He battered that woman savagely, ripped off her scalp, broke virtually every bone in her body, and ate her arm, yet SeaWorld and the compliant press refer to it as a drowning. As far as I am concerned when anyone representing SeaWorld speaks, watch his or her lips. If the lips are moving, the person is lying.

Rachel

8/13/2013 08:33:05 am

Mel, seriously are you comparing a several thousand marine mammal to a dog or cat? And I lovevthe irony of the remark "the trainers know the risk when they took the job." And what choice does the orca have? ZERO. I'd bet all the money on the planet those orcas would rather be free than locked in a small tank performing tricks for the rest of their sad, sad lives.

lior

8/13/2013 10:16:23 am

Excellent post!
Just the promo made me mad, which kind of got me scared of watching the whole thing, but now that I know about it, I must watch it!

Monica Gilbert

8/13/2013 02:14:19 pm

"Dogs and cats and reptiles etc. totally originated inside of peoples homes. They weren't taken out of their habitats at all." So should everyone who has a dog or cat just let them go? Release them back 'into the wild'? There is no wild left for them to be released to. That's the definition of 'domestic'. And as for trainers realising the risk when they accepted the job, SeaWorld deliberately did not inform the trainers that Tilikum had been involved in the death of two people prior to his arrival at SeaWorld.

I don't think you are giving enough credence to the intelligence of orcas. The way Tilikum treated Dawn Brancheau was his way of saying 'I'm pissed off at being stuck in a bathtub for 30 years'. Once again, I say to you, read 'Death At SeaWorld' by David Kirby before you spruik the lies you are being fed by SeaWorld. It really is a revelation. It's not just about Dawn's death, it has so much history on the way orcas have been captured and how they've been treated in the last 50 years. Please, inform yourself.

Monica Gilbert

8/13/2013 02:14:31 pm

Mel

8/14/2013 01:39:49 am

No wild left for them to be released to? So I guess all those snakes or turtles or fish in the lake in my backyard don't really exist then. They only exist inside people's homes now. As for employees not being informed, that's a load of shit. Even if they hadn't been told, it would have been easy to find out. In either case, it doesn't matter if they were informed. No matter how well trained an animal may be, accepting a job with one, especially one on the scale of an orca, places you at risk. They know that when they take the job. Even her friends and family have been interviewed multiple times as saying they didn't want the video released because it isnts the public's business. Their daughter died doing what she loved, with a whale that she loved, and they respect SeaWorld and the other trainers decision to put Tilikum back into the show.

Monica Gilbert

8/14/2013 05:24:00 pm

Mel you have obviously closed your mind to any constructive discussion. If you had bothered to actually see "Blackfish" before spruiking the rubbish that SeaWorld have fed you, you would know that there are no scenes of Dawn's death. It is treated respectfully .. much better in fact than her life was treated by SeaWorld. Yes, Dawn did die doing what she loved but would she have continued to do so had she known all the facts?

So many ex-trainers have come forward to tell the general public the lies and inaccuracies SeaWorld told them to tell an unsuspecting public and the way both animals and staff are treated by the corporation. But you wouldn't know any of this because you refuse to be informed.

You can continue along the way you're going and remain ignorant to the truth or you can do some research yourself and find out the truth. It's your choice, but please don't insult the intelligence of those commenting here with your petty arguments about cats and dogs and turtles and snakes and comparing them to an orca.

Four people have been killed by orcas in captivity. If SeaWorld deems it's safe to put trainers back in the water with Tilikum, the clock is ticking as to when, not if, it will be number five.

Monica Gilbert

8/14/2013 05:24:31 pm

May

8/15/2013 07:40:27 am

No point arguing with you to waste our time as you have NO FEELING for those wild animals. You are ONE OF SEA WORLD, You can catch and kill those dolphins in Taji, you can catch and put wild Orca into tiny pool to make money. Shame on you !!!!!

Maria

6/5/2020 09:56:08 am

As a SeaWorld supporter I completely agree with Mel. The rest of you have been fed PETA propaganda.

Marilyn

8/14/2013 02:22:51 am

i can't get the "small dark concrete tank" out of my mind. It made me cry. Marine animals swim for miles a day. And I always wondered how someone could train a huge animal to do mundane circus tricks. I'm afraid it is going to be gut wretching but I'm going to watch Blackfish and support our ocean friends more. I'm really happy to read that attendance is down at SeaWorld. We humans are the stewards of this planet. We're all in this together.
STOP THE VIOLENCE TO ALL LIVING THINGS!!! STOP SCREWING UP THE PLANET!!!

Michelle

8/14/2013 04:31:11 pm

Don't forget about Lolita... So, so sad! Her pool is so tiny. Performs twice a day, every day, 365 days a year.
http://www.miamiseaprison.com/lolita.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGxMLiL1uZI

And poor Hugo http://www.miamiseaprison.com/Hugo.htm

Educate yourself Mel.

Mel

8/15/2013 12:59:29 am

I never said there was footage of Dawn's death in the movie. Maybe you should pay attention to what you're reading. I'm talking about the homevideo that everyone keeps throwing around. Why do you guys even care if she died, she supported the thing you're trying to fight against. I'm surprised you're not attacking her family with pitchforks. I don't know why I even bothered to come here. Trying to talk sense into a bunch of self righteous vegan kids is about as useful as trying to talk to a bible thumper about gay marriage.

Monica Gilbert

8/15/2013 03:41:13 pm

My apologies Mel for referring to the actual topic of the blog. I have never seen any video off Dawn's death "that everyone keeps throwing around". I don't go looking for gore but it's obvious that you do. I care for all life, human and non-human. And why on earth would anybody attack Dawn's family with pitchforks? It's not Dawn who is the guilty party. I am as saddened by her death as anyone. She didn't deserve to die. I am even more saddened by the fact that Tilikum has been kept in a puddle for 30 years of his life when he could have been swimming in Icelandic waters with his family. And for what? Greed by SeaWorld. All hail the mighty dollar!

Everything that has been said on here about keeping orcas in captivity is true, whether you like it or not. And YOU were the one who chose to come here.

As for "trying to talk sense into a bunch of self righteous vegan kids" says a lot about your openness to discuss the issue of captivity and just how you view the animals held captive by SeaWorld and all marine parks. You don't give a damn about them. All you want to do is be able to go along to the shows, which after all are so close to where you live, and watch enormous, amazingly intelligent creatures perform circus tricks for mindless, ignorant human beings. You won't pick up a book and read the facts about what captivity does to orcas and you're simply following the SeaWorld party line.

By supporting SeaWorld you are just as guilty as those who go out and participate in drive hunts to capture and kill thousands of dolphins each year. All those countries who are still legally able to capture marine mammals and keep them for just a little while in some tin shed with no sunlight and no stimulation, so that some company like SeaWorld can say they are being loaned "for breeding purposes" when in actual fact, they are engaging in whale-laundering. This is just the same as the 18 wild-caught belugas that were being held in Russia. Thankfully, the NOAA denied Georgia Aquarium's permit to import them. Did you know that SeaWorld actually pay the Inuits cold hard cash to collect the semen from the carcasses of belugas they hunt and kill?

SeaWorld is guilty of animal cruelty inflicted on the animals under their stewardship by keeping them in less than 1% of their natural habitat, forcing them to eat dead fish packed full of drugs, making them live in unnatural pods and treating them like clowns, to name just a few of the crimes.

The world is a big place Mel. Broaden your horizons and open your mind. But of course you won't. You'll continue to live in your own small-minded world eating the poisoned fruit that SeaWorld will continue to feed those who are quite happy to see these magnificent animals abused and ultimately discarded like yesterday's trash. Wise up!

Terri link

8/20/2013 11:14:22 am

I'm so happy to read your article. I too feel passionately about the way these incredible creatures are being treated but you have put it in far better words so I'm sharing far and wide. I live in the Caribbean, I've been Whale watching, it is an awesome experience to be in the world of the sea creatures, on their terms. I could never, ever go to any place where the Whales or Dolphins are being used for entertainment and treated so cruelly. May this article enlighten many others and those terrible businesses be shut down.

Mel

8/21/2013 07:16:51 am

"Its not Dawn who is the guilty party," yet "By supporting SeaWorld you are just as guilty as those who go out and participate in drive hunts to capture and kill thousands of dolphins each year." So I suppose by working there, she in no way supported SeaWorld? Fascinating.

Monica Gilbert

8/21/2013 05:04:56 pm

Dawn wasn't the guilty party. She didn't support SeaWorld, she worked for them, to her own demise.

Yes, YOU are just as guilty as those who go out and participate in drive hunts to capture and kill thousands of dolphins each year.

What is fascinating is that you can't see it.

But then I guess if you believe in all the tripe that SeaWorld dishes up you must live in your own little fantasy world anyway.

Amber

10/25/2013 01:31:25 am

The documentary was on CNN last night followed by a panel who discussed this issue. It is heartbreaking to see what humans are capable of (to both animals and other humans). It is not right to have these animals taken from their families. If the purpose is research or understanding or preservation, that is a different conversation. What we are talking about here is taking these animals for the purpose of entertainment and that is not right. Thank you for starting

Amber

10/25/2013 01:32:18 am

(my last sentence) - Thank you for starting this conversation.

Valentina Vayntraub link

7/21/2015 12:08:19 am

This is a great post full of fantastic information ready to share with parents and people in general to educate themselves of what actually goes on behind closed doors once the show is over. What these poor souls go through to entertain us. They are literally dying to do so. It's despicable that we, the human race, have driven animals to suicide in some cases which is the most unnatural thing to them in the world.

I have just written a similar article on Why My Kids Will Never See a Circus Performance -- EVER and have included a link to your site as well as some of the fantastic info you've shared here.

You can find the post here: http://www.beeamom.com/boycott-circus/

Thanks again for taking on the tough subjects.

Love,

Bee

Why I won't take my kids to SeaWorld

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