Banner image courtesy of Banksy
Petition – “Tell SeaWorld to stop being hypocrites and end all orca shows!” – Phoebe Goldstein
During a recent (9 November 2015) presentation to SeaWorld Entertainment Incorporated Investors, President and Chief Executive, Joel Manby shared SeaWorld’s plan:
“to build on the company’s strong business fundamentals by evolving the guest experience to align with consumer preferences for experiences that matter — to learn more about the natural world, the plight of animals in the wild, along with family entertainment and attractions.”
It struck me (and many others I assume) that Joel/SeaWorld are worried (or most likely, want to be seen to be worried) about “the plight of animals in the wild.” But seemingly, Joel/SeaWorld remain unfazed by their own company’s (and others) continued exploitation (for profit) of animals taken, by them from the wild and held captive. Does that not seem hypocritical to you as well? Yes, I thought you might agree.
When will SeaWorld finally grant some dignity to those orcas it’s held captive and exploited for so long and release them into the care of a safe sanctuary, far away from human exploitation? A sanctuary where Joel and his ilk can no longer abuse these animals for their own personal benefit in the name of providing “family entertainment.” Has the public not been “entertained” enough by unwittingly watching animal exploitation/abuse and believing the hype that it’s all somehow alright?
Any plans SeaWorld has “to End Killer Whale Shows in San Diego” are shrouded in scepticism, as SeaWorld has no track record of seeking anything but profit (and what about the rest of the locations/shows where SeaWorld exploits captive animals?).
If SeaWorld had any genuine concern/conscience, it would close all its animal exploitative show (not aim to restyle, or rebrand them) and ensure that the animals it has abused for profit can finally seek sanctuary at SeaWorld’s enduring expense. Perhaps Joel should discuss that with SeaWorld Entertainment Incorporated’s Investors, rather than the next money making scheme.
SeaWorld is also under the delusion that it is “a global leader in animal welfare, training, husbandry and veterinary care.” One only has to look at the plight of Tilikum, a performing killer whale that has killed several people while in SeaWorld’s imprisonment/captivity (where the orca’s life expectancy is halved, not enhanced as SeaWorld would suggest).
Tilikum still remains in SeaWorld’s ‘care/punishment’ and dragged out for the “public’s entertainment.”
‘Blackfish’ highlights in graphic detail, the hypocrisy in SeaWorld’s claims, Tilikum’s plight and how SeaWorld continues to try to delude the public (and always will it seems).
“SeaWorld – You can delude some of the people, some of the time. But you can not continue to delude all of the people, all of the time.”
Comments 3
Killer Whales should NOT be held in captivity to perform in front of an audience.Tilikum was moved from Victoria, British Columbia, I believe, to Sea World in Orlando, Florida shortly after his trainer slipped and fell into the pool and THREE whales, including Tilikum, submerged her until she drowned in February 1991.This was in front of a horrified audience. These whales are severely stressed as a result of having to live in a few small pools instead of the ocean where they belong.
Nootka 4 was moved to Sea World in Orlando, Florida after this incident. Haida 2 and her baby were moved to Sea World in San Antonio, Texas. The owners of Sealand of the Pacific (1969 – 1992) in Victoria, British Columbia closed their doors permanently in November 1992. Sea World in San Diego should be concerned about the plight of ANIMALS KEPT IN CAPTIVITY! Sea World does indeed EXPLOIT captive animals for ONE reason only and that is MONEY!! These animals will kill again. Is Sea World not concerned about its so – called trainers? Obviously NOT!! Sea World should shut down completely. They should also be responsible for finding a sanctuary/ sanctuaries for these captive whales so that they can live the rest of their lives in peace and with dignity.( If it is possible for them to be released back into the wild and survive, then they should be released. After all of this time, it is not likely that they would survive in the wild. They have been ruined, unfortunately.)
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You’re close! Tilikum was only 2 years when he was captured, taking him away from his family pod and his mother. When the incident with Dawn happened at SeaWorld (Dawn was the trainers name), he got interested in her ponytail and started playing with it. He then pulled her under, not knowing what he was doing. 2 other whales decided to play too. They worded the incident terribly bad. To me, what Tilikum did was a simple accident. If you watch Blackfish, there are older clips of Tilikum and Dawn playing together and you can see they had a great bond. Tilikum wouldn’t just ruin that, it was a mistake. Even if it wasn’t a mistake, they are always stressed because of sitting and swimming around in circles all day long. Then when they get to perform, people ride on their heads and back and do tricks on their backs. Not only does Sea World not take their health seriously, but they also force whales and dolphins to breed and they have killed many of our beautiful whales and dolphins including Tilikum, The original Shamu, Taima, Ariel, Khloe, and many more to come if we don’t stop them!