There’s nothing like going out on a free weekend and visiting orcas in the not so wild. Marine parks and aquariums would not be the same without captive orcas and dolphins trained to do tricks in a puddle. Comparing their tank to a puddle is no exaggeration in comparison to their vast home the ocean. Thousands of people pay to watch the exploitation of these whales and never know what goes on behind the scenes. Not knowing allows these guests to spend their money in places like SeaWorld with no hesitation. SeaWorld likes to argue that keeping these animals captive is beneficial to their safety, but I would like to support the evidence that proves them wrong. I do not believe that having animals captive and trained for human entertainment benefits us or these animals. We are only making these animals suffer and we are not paying attention to their needs while trying to fulfill ours. This only causes their suffering for our pleasure.

Many say that we “need” to capture animals like orcas to learn about them and educate ourselves on their behaviors. I agree that we need to learn about animals and educate our future and current generations on the other beings we share this world with. There is a fine line though, where we decide that enough is enough. I understand that it must be easier to study orcas in captivity because they are at immediate reach. The thing is, those studies are not accurate because these animals are being forced in an environment they are not meant to be in. They can not develop naturally, therefore all of this research is useless. “The mental, emotional and physical stress that a captive whale or dolphin suffers can weaken their immune system and make them prone to disease” which is what researchers are determining results from. That makes the tests and results false because naturally a whale would not react or live that way. We need to stop pretending that having an orca live in a puddle is an accurate representation of what their life would have been in the ocean. On the contrary, those scientist who research orcas in the wild learn about “ [their] different populations, [their] different cultures” (“Panel Discussion”). If the so called scientists at SeaWorld are doing their job correctly they would have known that separating these mammals from their families is a bad idea. They choose to ignore these facts to benefit them, especially economically. Dr. Duffus from the University of Victoria, Canada explains how “the results are mostly never used in [SeaWorld] management.” This proves that the research developed from captive whales are not at all beneficial or necessary. Marine parks “profit off keeping orcas...in captivity -- despite evidence that captivity not only induces unnatural behaviors in whales, but also endangers trainers.” (“SeaWorld To…”) All they are experiencing is pain, and we are gaining nothing. Being caged up, fed food they are not used to and being trained by humans who supposedly care does not seem like a place I would live happily at. See, I am not a whale and you are not a whale but it does not take rocket science to try to put ourselves in their place. No wonder they are attacking their trainers, and no wonder they aren’t following the “rules.” They are being raised in an unnatural environment causing them to act unnaturally, go figure. Their dorsal fins are hanging low, which only happens to those whales who are hurt or considered unhealthy. They are also becoming vicious against humans which only when the whales are in captivity and not in the wild (“Killer Whales…”). Let’s do each other a favor and save humans lives while also saving whale’s lives.

The fact of the matter is that I do not agree with the capturing of orcas and I truly believe they should be let back into their homes. We were all put on this earth to share it but we treat each other so horribly. We get to live our days outside of a confined space with our families and an opportunity to make decisions for ourselves. It is not okay that we are taking that away from our fellow creatures. These animals cannot survive without their family, their culture, and their environment. There is so much proof that shows their altered emotions and personalities after being enslaved for so long. We need to grant them the opportunity to live in their habitat. They should live their life with the opportunity of inherent freedom as we live ours. Our entertainment should come second, and our decision to preserve and give life should be first.