Do SeaWorld trainers get in the water with dolphins?
SeaWorld trainers will no longer ride dolphins at theme parks.
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OSHA imposed the ban following an investigation into a Feb.24, 2010, incident in which a 12,000-pound killer whale named Tilikum pulled Dawn Brancheau underwater, drowning the trainer at the Orlando theme park. The court's administrative law judge ruled that SeaWorld's safety program is inadequate.
Animal Training Philosophy at SeaWorld & Busch GardensTrainers reinforce desirable behavior with a variety of rewards and do not draw attention to undesirable behavior. Trainers build strong and rewarding relationships with the animals based on a history of positive and stimulating interaction.
OSHA came back with the decision that SeaWorld was obligated to protect their trainers from any known risk, and having them in the water with the ocean's top predator was way too dangerous to ever have happen again. So the ruling stood, despite many appeals to judges in various levels of court.
SeaWorld shows featuring trainers riding or standing on dolphins are now a thing of the past. In a letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, SeaWorld Entertainment revealed that it's halting such stunts at its parks in Orlando, San Antonio, and San Diego.
The 2013 documentary Blackfish sparked public outcry over SeaWorld's treatment of orcas, also known as killer whales, and the theme park has been suffering ever since: The loss of $1.7 billion in market capitalization the year of the film's release, plummeting attendance, and the loss of corporate partnerships.
Splash with the bottlenose dolphins at Dolphin Nursery. You'll get to touch and feed these playful guys while a photographer snaps away so you don't miss a moment.
Tilikum was estimated to be about 36 years old at the time of his death. He was brought to SeaWorld after Canada's Sealand of the Pacific closed in 1992. He had been at the amusement park ever since.
PETA notes that “dolphins [at SeaWorld] are being impregnated, sometimes forcefully after being drugged.” Even moreso, PETA highlights how although orca whales generally stick within their pods their whole lifetime in the wild, “SeaWorld transfers orcas between facilities to regularly 'balance' the genetic pool of ...