If you have been watching the news during the last few weeks, you will have heard about a whale that drowned a trainer at SeaWorld in Orlando. The death of Dawn Brancheau is tragic, and it should never have happened because Tilikium (Tilly) should not have been in captivity in the first place.
This was not Tilly’s first attack on a human. In fact, Tilly has been implicated in a total of three human deaths. As a result, Tilly is forced to live in solitary confinement except for the short period of time he was performing before an audience.
Nancy Foster, the director of SeaWorld’s Office of Protected Resources, said in a letter to SeaWorld’s vice president of Zoological Operations, that “prudent and precautionary steps necessary for the health and welfare of Tilikum were not taken by Sealand or SeaWorld.”
Furthermore, in 2007, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health issued a report stating that another attack on a SeaWorld trainer, which would lead to death, was certain to happen. This report concluded that another fatal attack was not a matter of “if” but “when.”
Why was another fatal attack inevitable? It is because whales and other captive aquatic animals, such as orcas have no place being subjected to the confines of a tank. These animals belong in the ocean. Their lives in nature are dramatically different than the ones they lead inside a tiny tank. In nature, orca whales and dolphins swim up to 100 miles a day. SeaWorld reported that orca whales have excellent eyesight; however, trainers reported that the chlorinated water eventually deteriorates their eyes. SeaWorld stated that orca whales have incredible hearing; however, the sound of thousands of people moving in the stands vibrates the tanks and creates tremendous noise. Dolphins and whales rely on sonar as their main sense. However, in a glass tank, these animals are virtually blinded.
SeaWorld even admits that these creatures are incredibly intelligent and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) reported that orca whales have precise decision making skills, very high intelligence, and have a strong sense of self. These are sentient beings that feel emotion, pain, stress and pleasure. The World Society for the Protection of Animals concluded that marine mammals in captivity live stressful and unhealthy lives.
The torment of living in captivity has a profound effect on the lifespan of orca whales. According to the Center for Whale Research, two thirds of whales do not live longer than ten years in captivity. In their natural environment, the HSUS reported that whales are expected to live 60-80 years on average. However, in captivity, whales will only reach around 20 years of age total, part of which they were living free in the wild before capture.
Also consider how these animals were captured for human entertainment. The 2009 Academy Award winning documentary, “The Cove,” reveals that many of the dolphins captured for human amusement entertainment are herded into shallow water and either slaughtered for human and pet food, or shipped off to aquariums to be “trained.” Once they have been stranded in shallow water, they are either stabbed to death with spears or they are violently transported for captivity. The HSUS reported that the stress of transportation is so great that many of these animals die before they ever reach their destination.
Many nations around the world have begun to ban the captivity and display of marine mammals such as whales and dolphins. Costa Rica prohibits the capture and display of all whales and dolphins. Brazil released all of their captive dolphins back into the ocean and no longer has a single captive-dolphin facility. Similarly, Chile has banned the public display of most marine-mammal species. Many other countries have banned the import or export of dolphins and whales, including Mexico, Cyprus, Hungary and Vietnam.
In captivity, all natural activities are denied to these intelligent animals. They no longer hunt, swim long distances great lengths, or have natural behavior patterns and relationships like in the wild. Sentient animals have no place in captivity. It is unethical to keep an intelligent, self-aware aware being locked up in a glass prison for human amusement.
Please, do not support institutions like SeaWorld and other zoos and aquariums that take animals away from where they belong and put them into confinement for our amusement. These animals were not born to serve as clowns for us; their lives belong to them alone.
If you are interested in learning more about animal rights please come a meeting for The People to End Animal Cruelty and Endangerment (PEACE). These meetings are held in Harold White on Mondays at 3:00 p.m. in room 126.
Summer Hallaj, Special Contributor
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