What SeaWorld SHOULD Do

By Mark J. Palmer

This blog originally appeared, in slightly different form, on Huffington Post.

SeaWorld can end the tragic legacy of orca captivity, deaths, and exploitation in North America. It’s time for SeaWorld to do the right thing and let the remaining captive orcas and other dolphins follow the pathway to freedom led by Keiko, Tokitae and their allies in the whale conservation community.

SeaWorld has been pummeled for years by revelation after revelation about their treatment of cetaceans: dolphins, orca whales, and beluga whales for which they are legally responsible. The most punishing blow came ten years ago from the shocking documentary Blackfish, in which several former SeaWorld trainers expressed their own anguish for the orcas in their care – SeaWorld insists on calling them “killer whales”.

One SeaWorld orca, Tilikum, was involved in the killing of three people over his lifetime, yet was still kept for public performances and, perhaps more importantly, for harvesting his sperm to artificially inseminate female captive orcas to force breed yet more captive orcas. Tilikum died January 6, 2017, at 29 just middle-aged for a male orca in the wild.

The documentary and subsequent incidents, such as children being bitten in dolphin feeding pools and videos of dolphins flopping out of their pools, have led to major changes in public perceptions of SeaWorld and other dolphinariums. SeaWorld’s stock market value plummeted in recent years and only revived after SeaWorld changed its promotions from performing orcas to thrill rides.

Well, SeaWorld, now that we have your attention…

SeaWorld initially responded by proposing to build new orca tanks that were to be twice the size of the current tanks, complete, according to an artistic rendering, with nice trees and even a water “treadmill” for orcas to swim against. All this was supposed to make things better for one of the smartest animals in the world, as if they were chickens that just need a bit bigger cage to live.

But finally in 2016, after the International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute and our allies urged the California Coastal Commission to ban breeding and import of additional orcas, SeaWorld changed course completely and accepted the restrictions on breeding or import of orcas in all three of their US parks.

The 18 orcas still left in SeaWorld’s US theme parks are the last generation in captivity, according to SeaWorld.

What SHOULD SeaWorld do?

Here are some ideas:

Stop the Lies: Parents take their children to SeaWorld to learn about the ocean and be entertained, but the information provided by SeaWorld is often distorted if not dead wrong. Captive male orcas like Tilikum have dorsal fins that flop over, though this rarely occurs in wild orcas. Yet SeaWorld tells visitors that the flopping dorsal fin is “natural”. One guide even told people that flopped-over fins were like some people having curly hair! Most cetaceans do poorly in captivity, but SeaWorld insists they live as long as in the wild. SeaWorld claims their goal is to make committed conservationists out of the visiting public. But as Dr. Susan Davis summed up in her book-length study of SeaWorld (Spectacular Nature), SeaWorld’s message to the public is falsely soothing: “Don’t worry; there are problems with the environment, but scientists and corporations are working together to solve them.” SeaWorld even outrageously says that by attending their park, people are contributing to protection of the oceans! Stop lying to the public, SeaWorld, and provide the public with the truth.

Stop ALL Breeding: None of the species of dolphins, orcas and whales held in captivity are considered endangered, and aquariums breed them with little regard for genetic purity anyway. The only reason SeaWorld breeds dolphins and belugas, and previously bred orcas, is to produce more cetaceans for their income-producing “shows”. Most of the breeding is done through artificial insemination and drugs that speed up the birth cycle meant for livestock, forcing dolphin mothers to produce babies at rates far faster than in nature. We call on SeaWorld to stop the breeding of all cetaceans, not just orcas.

No More Captures of Wild Cetaceans: The capture of wild dolphins, orcas, and belugas, which has been depicted in documentaries like Blackfish and The Cove, is a horrendous and cruel activity. Many animals, especially the young, die during such captures. SeaWorld now claims that they do not catch dolphins, orcas and belugas in the wild anymore, but they once did, including buying dolphins from the dolphin slaughter at Iki Island, Japan. Furthermore, SeaWorld was part of a consortium trying to import 18 beluga whales captured in the wild in Russia. In other words, SeaWorld doesn’t catch wild cetaceans anymore – they have a history of paying others to do it for them. Let us put an end to this deception and leave cetaceans in the wild where they belong.

Consider Seaside Sanctuaries: There is an alternative to the sterile concrete tanks that now hold captive cetaceans. In a seaside sanctuary, a spacious area fenced off from the ocean, several of which are under construction, a captive orca or dolphin can experience the tides, the currents, the fish and the seasons as if in nature. Veterinary care and feeding would still be given to the animals. Starting in 1994, the Free Willy/Keiko Foundation provided care for Keiko, the orca star of the hit movie Free Willy, in his home waters in Iceland for five years, most spent in a seaside sanctuary. This same location is now being used by two beluga whales rescued from a Chinese aquarium. Keiko was even taken out on the open ocean for “walks” in following a boat to and from his sea pen. And putting dolphins and whales in a seaside sanctuary does not mean ending public involvement – seeing these animals in a more natural habitat can only enhance the educational experience. Sanctuaries are a great option for cetaceans who cannot survive in the open ocean, and certainly far preferable to barren pools at entertainment facilities. SeaWorld has made millions off of performing dolphins and whales. It is time for them to give some of that money back and develop seaside sanctuaries, and also invest in existing sanctuaries now under construction, carefully built and carefully sited, for the retirement of its captive cetaceans.

SeaWorld has a choice. They can continue to cast aspersions on their critics, and they can continue to deny the truth about their dolphins, orcas and belugas by spinning fantasies about how much these wild intelligent beings enjoy life in small, concrete tanks performing tricks to maximize profits. Or they can seize the opportunity to truly show their corporate integrity and do the right thing. I’ve outlined a few ideas above.

We all know what SeaWorld SHOULD do. But will SeaWorld do it?

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For more than 40 years, the International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute has worked to protect whales and dolphins. Will you join us in seeking an end to the cruelty of captivity for whales and dolphins? Your donations go to help end the practice of putting intelligent, sentient beings into small concrete tanks. Thank you for your donations!