Blackfish and why it is important

Hello,

as somebody that watches documentaries on animal rights and vegetarianism pretty frequently, I was introduced to the documentary Blackfish late last year. The documentary focuses on Seaworld and how they treat their killer whales, and how their killer whales treat them. 

Animals in captivity is always a tricky subject, but I have myself been to Seaworld in 2011 and did not think anything of the Orcas that were performing there. The instructors at the shows that I went to see where very clear that the animals 'love' to perform and that they are very happy doing the tricks that we see. I believe that this is an outright lie, and Blackfish also looks into this further. 

The documentary tells us how Seaworld begun as a smaller park, named Sealand of the Pacific and held Orcas there to do tricks for the public (back then, seeing a killer whale would have been a very new experience). To get Orcas, they have to be hunted down and stolen away from their families (they are very sociable animals) this is how one of the present Seaworld Orcas, Tilikum was obtained. Tilikum has so far been held accountable for 3 deaths at Seaworld, however there are no records of humans being killed by Orcas in the wild... The reason behind these deaths is pretty plain to see. He went crazy. And who can blame him? Every single day of his miserable life he needs to perform tricks for dead fish, in a tiny concrete tank, none of which is natural behavior for these animals. Seaworld can try as much as they like but they will never be able to give him a suitable home, like the ocean where he would swim hundreds of miles everyday.

Photo from SeaworldOfHurt

The tanks are shallow and the animals can get sunburn, the music and crowds are noisy and this is made worse for the animals under the water. Food can be given to them in rations if they do not perform to a proper standard, before the first attack at Seaworld trainers would stand on the Orcas heads and show them no respect at all.

No matter what Seaworld or supporters of Marine Parks can say, there are no good reasons why these amazing, intelligent and beautiful animals have to spend their entire lives entertaining US. They do not belong in captivity and it is time that keeping them for shows is made illegal, it already is illegal to keep them here in the UK which I'm glad about. It's scary how much Seaworld are going out of their way suddenly to call Blackfish propaganda and to call anybody sticking up for Killer Whales as extremists...

I love animals. I love them more than being sources of entertainment, they deserve better lives than circus acts. I am not oblivious, I know that Seaworld does a lot to help conservation and rescuing animals and I believe this is what they need to concentrate on doing, build a sanctuary with larger pools and let the Orcas that can no longer function in the wild live and be looked after there in peace. Watch Blackfish and Whale of a Business and make your own decisions, these are my own opinions.

Rachel X