Save the Orca Slaves: an op-ed against SeaWorld

My mother’s first job at 16 was as cashier at SeaWorld for a fish and chips stand. As a young child, I often went to SeaWorld when I visited my extended family in San Diego, California. When you are young and you absent-mindedly watch the circus shows put on before you it is easy to ignore that an intelligent animal with a complex social structure is being enslaved in a pool, deprived of the vast and expansive space it should have to explore.

After ignoring this enslavement for many years, I watched the documentary film Blackfish and it forced me to acknowledge many horrifying issues associated with orcas held in captivity. I have come to the conclusion, based on copious amounts of evidence highlighting orca health and the danger placed on trainers, that these animals should by no means be enslaved and exploited any longer. 

Besides the multiple deaths of humans caused by orcas that are held in captivity, scientists support the idea that captivity is harmful for orcas. The most obvious example of this is the life span of orcas in captivity versus the lifespan of orcas in the wild. The mortality rates of orcas in captivity is 2.5 times higher in captivity than in the wild. The average life expectancy in the wild for males is 60-70 years and for females it is 80-90 years. In captivity the average life expectancy of a male is 31 years and for females it is 46. 

 In addition to this, living in captivity causes orcas to develop psychological issues and chronic stress that in turn cause them to have an inadequate immune system, which often leads to lethal infections and other health problems, not to mention the whale on whale aggression that occurs as a result of living in close quarters.

The undeniable danger that exists for all SeaWorld trainers who are in the water is yet another reason why orcas should not be in captivity. Over the years, there have been over 100 incidents where orcas have acted aggressively towards their trainers. This includes the largest incident SeaWorld has ever faced, the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau. Before Dawn was attacked it is clear that Tilikum, the 13,000 pound orca, was under stress. Tilikum’s stress and psychological damage was a result of living for years in a concrete box.  Every time a trainer gets in the water with one of these psychologically damaged apex predators, SeaWorld is blatantly disregarding the risk to human life performing with the orcas entail all for the sake of greed.

The rampant exploitation that exists at SeaWorld towards marine life is mind boggling. The most powerful predators in the sea are being enslaved and forced to perform circus acts for an ignorant audience who think what they are watching is somehow animal friendly. What’s the endgame? Money. This slavery exists to exponentially fatten the pockets of the people who run this corporation. They are exploiting these amazing creatures and putting the lives of their trainers at risk while making it seem like a fun and family oriented place to bring your children. 

 The guilt I feel for ever being a part of this exploitation will haunt me for the rest of my life, so I will continue to advocate for the freedom of the these giant fish who possess their own cultural identities, much like you and me.