Andie Gonzales

Eng.1010-34
Instructor T.Smith
08/07/2014


Mr. Atchinson, 08/07/2014
I am reaching out to you because it is in my opinion that orcas, among other animals, do not
belong in captivity in the entertainment industry. Orcas, living in captivity or in the wild, deserve to live
long healthy, meaningful lives. The only acceptable situation for an animal, such as the killer whale, to
live in captivity in a theme park should be for rehabilitating purposes only.
After reading an article on seaworlofhurt.com, I have come to the conclusion that orcas do not
belong in captivity for several important reasons. The first and most important reason is that captive
orcas lives are shortened drastically. In their natural habitat, a wild orca has the average lifespan of
approximately thirty to fifty years, with males typically living sixty to seventy years, and females eighty
to one hundred. When placed in captivity in a body of water equivalent to a bathtub, the orcas lifespan
is shortened significantly to approximately nine years. My question is, what do these whales look
forward to in their shortened lives in captivity?
The second reason concerns the orcas health and well- being, compared to wild orcas. The
biggest difference between the captive and the wild orca is in the dorsal fin. According to The National
Marine Fisheries Service, the collagen and tissues inside the dorsal fin weaken and cause the fin to
collapse or lean to one side. In addition to the possibility of an unnatural diet, when orcas swim in circles
around their tank, the unequal water pressure presses on the fin and weakens the collagens and tissues.
Thirdly, orcas are known for their strong and life lasting social bonds. Such bonds prohibit
violence and fighting with one another. The stress and anxiety seen in captive whales is due to tight
confinement, often with incompatible orcas. By placing two captive orcas from different regions and
different families in a tank together, the stressed whales, having no room to flee, fight and injure
themselves.
In the defense of your parks and the image that your company is trying to maintain, Sea World,
despite the ongoing controversy, is a beneficial and educational place. Your parks have left a multitude
of people aware of the severity of the need to preserve the world and creatures around them. Sea
World has made significant changes in the past years, especially after the death of one of your trainers,
Dawn Brancheau, in 2010. Since the release of the propaganda-based movie Blackfish, your company
has been under scrutiny. I dont believe that the movie is justified. The documentary doesnt contain any
interviews containing positive feedback from happy guests or former employees. The film makers make
it seem as if there has never been a single happy guest with a positive experience from SeaWorld, which
is untrue.
So my question is why do people visit Sea World and various other animal theme parks and
zoos? As human beings, we are very visual and love to experience things hands on. Without these places
in our local settings, many people would not have the opportunity to see creatures up close and
personal. We are a very fortunate society to be able to take a short drive to the zoo or an animal
themed park to see such magnificent creatures that we wouldnt normally see every day in the city
setting. Many people make visits for research purposes, or simply for entertainment. A second question
arises: Does this still make it okay to keep these animals in captivity?
That is where the Orca Welfare Safety Act, introduced by California state assemblyman Richard
Bloom comes into play. If this act is successfully passed, it will do great things to ensure better lives for
orcas currently held in captivity. It will prohibit the use of orcas for performance based entertainment,
put an end to breeding programs, and stop the import and export of genetic materials and orcas in the
state of California. Along with these restrictions, it will require all current captive performance-based
orcas to be retired to sea pens. To be fair, it will allow retired orcas to stay on display for educational
purposes, as long as they are not used for performances. If this bill were to be passed, what would you
and your company do to hold up to its standards?
Despite efforts being made to provide orcas with fair living conditions in captivity and the good
that Sea World brings to our world, I stand firmly with my opinion that orca captivity for the use of
entertainment should be made illegal. Orcas, both captive and wild, deserve to lead long, healthy, happy
lives. Being the social animals that they are, they need to be surrounded with those of their own species,
and be able to roam as they please, not confined to an unhealthy lifestyle for the sake of the
entertainment industry.
Sincerely, a concerned former visitor.