SeaWorld

[AnimalAvenger]

Discuss SeaWorld here.

[Black Dove]

I find there to be no problem with SeaWorld. They treat those animals better than most humans are treated and they educate the public. Yes, I've heard rumors and blah blah blah. I went in November to the one in Orlando, and it was almost a moving experience. The trainers explained how they train and that it is all based on the rewards. There was a bond between animal and trainer that you could see clearly.

So, I see nothing wrong with SeaWorld. They educate, conserve (there were manatees that they had rescued from the gulf there that would not be able to survive in the wild ), and are very good to the animals, as far as I can tell.

[AnimalAvenger]

From an animal rights point of view, the animals they use for shows are still slaves, even if they are treated "right."

[AnimalAvenger]

Hmm, found this:
blog.peta.org/archives/2010/06/protest_seaworld.php

[dynastygal]

Seaworld is just another excuse for using animals for entertainment. Whales, dolphins etc roam miles, not metres. Glass cages is all they are.

[Black Dove]

I understand about the tanks being too small. I understand that that is cruel, and not natural. So, obviously I don't agree with that.

I don't believe SeaWorld is out for the money. Possibly with them having to build an amusement park with the animal-part, but truly, there are turtles, manatees, and penguins who were all injured in the wild. They would have never made it, had SeaWorld not taken them in and healed them. The ones who are still on site, I was told were unable to return to the wild, or were still healing. So, yes the enclosures are small, but they have good intentions. They need positive encouragement, and not all this nasty hate they're getting from some protests.

So, leave an injured animal in the wild to die, or save it, feed it, and eventually (if plausible) release it back into the wild?

[dynastygal]

You don't need to use animals for entertainment to care for them.

If they had good intentions they wouldn't train the animals to do stupid routines and leave the poor things in tanks on their own when they're freaking social animals.

Seriously, profit is their aim. Not caring for animals. If they weren't for profit, they'd be a charity.

ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/03/former-sea-world-trainer-whale-captivity-grossly-unjust/

www.huffingtonpost.com/david-phillips/seaworlds-actions-represe_b_481067.html

www.wspa-usa.org/pages/1348_the_case_against_marine_mammals_in_captivity.cfm

www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=63

[Black Dove]

^ Wow. Those articles are really eye-opening. I think I might be reconsidering...

[AnimalAvenger]

I e-mailed them during PETA's virtual protest that PETA had a few weeks ago. This was their response:

Dear Angela;



While we appreciate hear from you, and thank you for your email, we completely disagree with your assessment. Your comments are based on an emotional projection and not scientific fact, first-hand knowledge or experience.



All of us at SeaWorld feel very strongly that displaying marine mammals in a park like ours for millions of people to see every year is extremely important. It is and has always been our philosophy that firsthand experience with marine life is the finest way possible to create a lasting appreciation and respect. But with that comes the obligation to provide these animals, who are ambassadors for their species in the wild, the best care possible. There is no organization in the world more committed to the physical, social and mental welfare of its animals than SeaWorld. This is an obligation we take very seriously and all of our trainers, animal care staff and veterinarians are tremendously passionate in caring for our animals. Because of this, we have long been recognized as having one of the finest animal husbandry programs in the world, and due to the high-quality care we provide to our animals, they live as long as or longer than those in the wild.

Because of their social nature, we have a daily schedule of enrichment and training activities for all our animals. Throughout the day, we supplement the time the animals spend socializing with each other with multiple training and enrichment sessions. These enrichment programs also include important husbandry training and other activity to ensure the animals are receiving proper health care. The animals willingly cooperate with our veterinarians and animal care staff, and enjoy these interactions. Working intimately with our animals on a daily basis and from decades of experience, we know that they are not stressed. We also have peer-reviewed scientific research that demonstrates they are not stressed. Even their participation in shows or interaction activities is a positively simulating exercise. Our training program with all the animals in based solely on positive reinforcement. The the animals are never forced to do anything they don't want to do and they are never mistreated or deprived food. The relationships our trainers and handlers have with their animals are also very strong. It is critical that the trainers develop strong relationships and bonds with the animals. Our staffs not only love the animals, they have tremendous respect for them.

Combining the fact that they live in large pool complexes which range from hundreds of thousands to millions of gallons (at or beyond what is required by federal law), with extensive social enrichment programs, high quality food, no contact with predators and the world's best medical care, we know our animals are content and in excellent physical and mental condition.

Another demonstration of the healthy and stress-free living environment for our animals is their regular breeding activities. We have had many killer whale, dolphin, walrus and other animal births at our park. Animals are normally reluctant to engage in breeding activities when they are under stressful conditions.

As an aside, SeaWorld has also not collected any animals from the wild in nearly 25 years. We have one of the finest marine mammal breeding programs in the world. The vast majority of animals in our zoological population, more than 80 percent, were born in our park.

We also have one of, if not the most extensive marine mammal rescue program in the world. At our park alone, we rescue hundreds of ill, injured and abandoned marine mammals from the beaches of San Diego County each year.

Our key core values revolve around animal education, conservation and habitat/environmental protection, research and animal rescue.



Education: For the last 45 years, SeaWorld San Diego has given more than 130 million people from around the world the opportunity to see, learn about and be inspired by marine animals. Our animals are integral elements of our park's renowned educational program. Each year, more that 20,000 school children participate in our camp and sleepover programs, more than 100,000 students participate in our in-park educational field trips, more than 60,000 visitors take advantage of our behind-the-scenes public educational tours, and tens of thousands of guests participate in our interaction programs -- each leaving the park with experiences and information which cannot be taught on video or in books. Our surveys and research indicate that a visit to our park as well as participation in our unique educational programs not only provide our students and guests with a greater understanding and appreciation for marine animals, but also inspire a deeper respect and the desire to conserve and protect them.



Animal Rescue: As briefly mentioned above, SeaWorld has one of the most extensive rescue, rehabilitation and release programs in the world. We have tremendous compassion for ill, injured, stranded animals, and rescue between 150 and 200 marine mammals every year at SeaWorld San Diego. Fortunately, we are able to release between 60 and 70 percent of those animals rescued. We take great pride in giving these animals a second chance at life. It's more than just a job for our animal care team, it is a passion. So far this year, we've rescued more than 160 marine mammals from the beaches of San Diego County. Our veterinarians and animal care staff are also able to use the knowledge learned from treating rescued animals and apply it to the animals in our own collection. Vice versa, the decades of experience gained from caring for our animals has been critical in helping save the lives of thousands of rescued animals.



Research: Literally thousand of research projects, large and small, have been conducted with animals in parks like SeaWorld -- research that could never be done in the open ocean. Because researchers and scientists have had access to these unique animals, in controlled environments, the academic and research communities have been able to gain vast amounts of knowledge on these animals. This knowledge as allow us to better understand things from simple physiology to complex reproductive process of marine mammals. This is extremely valuable information that is also used to help those same species in the wild.



Conservation: SeaWorld's commitment to animals goes beyond the boundaries of our park. Each year, we provide direct support to countless local, national and international environmental and conservation groups. Since its creation in 2003, the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund has granted more that $6 million to more than 500 conservation organizations in 60 countries to assist with projects related to animal conservation, animal protection and rescue, habitation protection and conservation education.



I can’t restate more emphatically that the well-being of our animals is most paramount, and at SeaWorld, we take our stewardship of these animals very seriously.



We feel that the existence of a marine-life park like SeaWorld is very ethical, for all the reasons stated above. What would be unethical would be to operate a park like SeaWorld, or any other zoo or aquarium, and not provide the animals the finest physical, mental and social care possible. SeaWorld will continue to provide the enriching educational and entertainment experience that has done so much in the last four decades to advance and enhance the appreciation for marine mammals around the world.



We certainly have no issue with you holding an opinion or belief that is opposed to animals living in a zoological environment like SeaWorld. That is your prerogative. However, if you believe for an instance that their life with us is in any way cruel, or that these animals are unhealthy, stressed, depressed or insane, or that their living environments are substandard, then you are buying into the extreme and unsupportive hyperbole that animal activist organizations have and continue to deceptively and irresponsibly advocate.





I'll leave it to you, but I hope someday you’ll decide to visit our park and understand that we are as passionate about making a difference for animals as any organization committed to their care can be. Our work proves that again and again. We are very proud of what we do regardless of the false or inaccurate comments made by those with other motives and agendas.

Again, thanks for your email and while it may not change your opinion, I hope the above information in some way gives you a better understand of our dedicated commitment to the animals in our care.





Sincerely,

Dave Koontz

SeaWorld San Diego

Oh, and this was what I had said, in case anyone is wondering:

Dear Seaworld and workers,
I am appalled at what happened to both Tilikum and Taimi, who were orcas at your resorts. Those who actually care about animals will not stand for such things. Keeping your animal s in such unnatural conditions is not the way to go. I will never purchase tickets to any of your parks, nor will I encourage others to. I'm sure many other people out there feel the exact, same way.

[dynastygal]

Lol @ the response. The evidence suggests otherwise to their claims.

And research not being able to be done in the open ocean? What bull. Just observing them in their natural habitat is a form of research. As is dissecting any that end up beached and dying of natural causes. You don't need to cage an animal to learn about it. In fact, a caged animal will wield wrongful results as caged animals behave differently to their wild counterparts.

[Black Dove]

Not to start anything, but dynastygal, how is the "evidence" any less propaganda than this response?? Their claims could be completely correct, and these other's claims could be the wrong, or vice versa.

I also don't believe in sending out mass emails to zoos and such, because all that is going to happen is they're going to get annoyed, and they won't do anything but send out these responses.

But anyway, dynastygal, you are correct about the quality of the results from the research they do on SeaWorld animals. There is a vast difference between wild and captive animals, and the way they live.

[dynastygal]

The evidence is what is clearly seen at sea world, contrary to what they claim. Being able to see the place and the appalling conditions and treatment of the animals isn't propaganda in the slightest.

Anyone with half a clue about wild animals, especially wild marine animals could easily see sea world is not animal friendly.

[AnimalAvenger]

If they get annoyed, they're going to want people to stop it. If they don't is when they may begin actually doing something. Of course, PETA's virtual protest was a one-time action on SeaWorld for most of the people (or at least that's what I am assuming.) It's better than doing nothing about it.

[AnimalAvenger]

Apparently, SeaWorld doesn't want to be investigated.

[Black Dove]

I still don't understand why SeaWorld has to be entirely hated. It's not like they do all bad things. Yes, they do have poor quality conditions for some of their animals, but it is an experience with nature that most people would never experience because they're too lazy to go out and see the animals in their natural habitat. Like zoos, I believe SeaWorld has good intentions, and does not purposely abuse their animals, though they could do something about the tanks. Do you think if these animals were sad or upset they would do the shows? (And no, I do not believe in making animals do shows, but atleast they get their exercise and mental stimulation.) I don't think SeaWorld is to blame for Dawn Brancheau's death. In her line of work, their are always risks, and for some reason, Tilly was angered. Yes, it's possible it could have been the fact he may have not been exercised, or that he was stressed from his living conditions. It could have been the trainer's fault, or Tilly could've missed a feeding. But it also could've been a mental lapse or a sudden illness. Correct me if I'm wrong, but did they ever find out why the orca attacked her?? Was it really SeaWorld's fault, or was it just a freak accident that could have happened to anyone?


Oh, and good for SeaWorld. If I ran a place that I personally felt accomodated to animals' needs (which does not mean that they are right), I wouldn't want to be investigated by an organization that is known for putting reputations down the drain. Why does PETA have to be so aggressive in their actions? I thought it was an organization that educates the public. All PETA is doing is making SeaWorld angry, and not doing crap about telling them proper living environments for these animals.


So, yes, you can say I still support SeaWorld. I don't support their animal shows, but I support their research and education.


EDIT: ^^ I think the solution to these problems is for places like SeaWorld to quit breeding their animals, which will eventually mean they die out, and then extend their tanks and make them less hazardous to the animals they contain. I also think they should quit entirely with anything associated with dolphins and orcas, UNLESS they provide all records of what they do with the animals, the tank, and training, as well as records listing the size of the tank that compare what the dolphins/orcas would have normally in their natural habitat, all available to the public outside of each tank. They would have to be current, and show all the raw details, even if they are unappealing or potentially hazardous to the animals.