For years now Seaworld has come under a great deal of controversy as it is one of the few places in the world that has such a huge range of captured sea animals, with fish that really break the mould such as Killer whales, orcas, beluga whales and dolphins who are all kept in tanks that are far too small and have far to few visual and social gains for the animals. Alongside all this, they are worked very hard and have a history of dying way too early compared to if they were out in the wild, having illnesses that should not occur and behavioural problems which has led to the deaths of multiple trainers at sea world, which is all shown on various documentaries such as Black Fish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKmCnh0Xgd0
Petitions and protests have been going on for years but for the first time, Sea World has finally listened and is about to change for the better. So what have they agreed to do? Sea World has agreed that they will no longer breed the Orcas, so the fish they have in captivity are the last of their kind and once they have all passed away they will no longer have Orca shows or exhibitions. This is a huge step considering whilst it is one of the most controversial animals they have in captivity, it is one of the main attractions for the park as curiosity leads the public and this is a species we wouldn’t otherwise normally get to see.
Sea World said, “Why the big news? SeaWorld has been listening and we’re changing. Society is changing and we’re changing with it. SeaWorld is finding new ways to continue to deliver on our purpose to inspire all our guest(s) to take action to protect wild animals and wild places. The orcas will continue to live at SeaWorld for many years to come, inspiring guests in new and natural ways. They will continue to receive the highest-quality care based on the latest advances in marine veterinary medicine, science, and zoological best practices.” So although this doesn’t eradicate the problem entirely and doesn’t give the captive Orcas a shot at a happier life in the wild, it does show a step in the right direction.
