Freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi claimed that “the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” SeaWorld currently holds 23 killer whales in all three of its parks in the United States ( The ORca Project-Raising Awareness of the Captive Orca Industry, 2014). Orca whales are being unjustly deprived of their natural resources by being raised for entertainment in tight spaces with limited interaction with other Orca whales. Theses cruel and inadequate living conditions puts the mammals in a dangerous state of aggression.

     SeaWorld’s killer whales are raised in small tanks after being stripped of their right to live in the ocean amongst their family. 38 Members of Congress wrote in a letter to Tom Vilsack that orcas “swim up to 100 miles a day.” The pools that the whales reside in at SeaWorld are not big enough each whale to get that much exercise per day.  In the film adaptation “Blackfish”  directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, 11 year old Tilikum was placed in small holding pool, separating him from other Orcas, because of his violent relationship with his past poolmates. Orca whales grow up in a matriarchal pods; Tillikum was harassed by his two pregnant female pool mates at his previous location at SeaLand ("A Whale of A Business." PBS.) The same Orca brutally injured and drowned his trainer, Dawn Brancheau “in front of a horrified audience at a SeaWorld show ("Advocacy for Animals." Advocacy for Animals Captive Orcas Finally Have the Attention of Congress Comments.) The lack of satisfactory living space and interaction with Orcas of other pods led to aggression in Tilikum at an early age.

In addition, Orcas were often captured at a young age because they are considered easier to transport. Since Orcas travel in pods of close knit families, many adult orcas die while trying to protect their children. As humans we are given certain rights once we are born, those of which include being protected from crimes such as kidnapping. The same protection should be offered to these wild creates. Often times killer whales are placed in pods with other whales of completely different lineage causing many vicious and brutal “raking” incidents. Raking is when killer whales scratch each other with their teeths leaving permanent marks on their skin or bleeding in extreme situations.

On the other hand, SeaWorld corporations disagreed with “Blackfish”’s claim of “SeaWorld is harmful for killer whales and for trainers working with [them.]”( SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment 2014.) They claimed that the creators of “Blackfish” got interviews from inexperienced trainers who didn’t work at SeaWorld long enough to judge the inner mechanisms of the corporation. They also refused to be interviewed for documentary most likely because it went against everything they believed.

Overall Orca whales are a majestic species that deserve to be in the wild with their own families where they can swim in an incredible and vast ocean. These creatures should not be raised in captivity and perform silly tricks for our mere entertainment. As humans with individual rights we should work to allow animals such as the Orca whales to have theri own rights. The community should work together to start a movement to free to young orcas while they still have chance of surviving in the wild and treat the older ones like our neighbors from the sea rather than a circus act.

"The Orca Project." The Orca Project. 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. .

"A Whale of A Business." PBS. PBS. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.
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"Advocacy for Animals." Advocacy for Animals Captive Orcas Finally Have the Attention of Congress Comments. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. .

"Blackfish: The Truth About the Movie." Blackfish. 2014 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. Web. 25 Feb. 2015. .

"Synopsis." Blackfish Official Film Site. Web. 25 Feb. 2015. .

Wells, Stephen. "Advocacy for Animals." Advocacy for Animals Captive Orcas Finally Have the Attention of Congress Comments. 25 June 2014. Web. 25 Feb. 2015. .

"Stories of Captive Killer Whales." PBS. PBS. Web. 25 Feb. 2015. .