Laura Bridgeman, IDA In
Defense of Animals
June 2017
SeaWorld's guests aren’t happy. Those humans who
would think nothing of going to SeaWorld in the first place have naturally
come to expect the circus-style shows that place the human domination of
animal captives front and center. Some of these people, who are likely not
aware of the suffering orcas endure, posted complaints about the show being
boring.
The orcas aren’t happy, either. They are still forced to perform this
“natural” encounter, and to them there is hardly a difference, if there is
one at all. If they don't perform, they don’t eat. They still live in
cramped concrete tanks, with no hope of escape or retirement.
SeaWorld has debuted its much anticipated “natural orca encounter” show intended to replace the company’s famous Shamu show. Turns out, it’s a flop – and no, that isn’t just the sound of orcas breaching!
The new show, dubbed “Orca Encounter,” is meant to be educational, explaining how orca whales eat, communicate, and navigate through their wild ocean homes. This is all very ironic, since the orcas at SeaWorld aren’t allowed to do any of these things anymore.
As the Daily Mail and others are reporting, SeaWorld's guests aren’t happy. Those humans who would think nothing of going to SeaWorld in the first place have naturally come to expect the circus-style shows that place the human domination of animal captives front and center. Some of these people, who are likely not aware of the suffering orcas endure, posted complaints about the show being boring.
The orcas aren’t happy, either. They are still forced to perform this “natural” encounter, and to them there is hardly a difference, if there is one at all. If they don't perform, they don’t eat. They still live in cramped concrete tanks, with no hope of escape or retirement.
Hopefully, SeaWorld’s attendance and profits will continue to decline, as they have been doing steadily in recent years, and the company will come to realize that the only rational thing to do is retire these poor orcas to sanctuaries for good.
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