No we do not. Perhaps you've heard the claims from PETA. They say we “kidnapped our whales.” Or maybe you saw Blackfish, where you're led to believe SeaWorld still collects wild killer whales. This is what you need to know.
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Once captured, sea animals live a life in captivity.Thankfully, in 2016 SeaWorld announced the end of their captive breeding program for orcas; however, the whales currently living in the park will remain there, as reported by The Los Angeles Times.
To be fair, the vast majority of SeaWorld's animals come from captive breeding.But some also come from the wild. Out of all captive cetaceans in North America, about 7 percent have been rescued and rehabilitated from the wild, according to the nonprofit captive cetacean tracking website Ceta-Base.
In 1971, at just 9 years old, Shamu died at SeaWorld from a uterine infection and blood poisoning. In the ocean, she could have lived for up to 80 years. Even in death, SeaWorld continued exploiting Shamu—the company trademarked her name, using it to sell even more tickets to abusive orca shows.
SeaWorld often keeps dolphins, whales, and other animals trapped with incompatible tankmates. The tension leads to fights and even fatal injuries. Staff members drug some animals to try to relieve their endless frustration.
Since Blackfish's release, what has happened to orcas at SeaWorld? Seven orcas have died at SeaWorld parks since 2013. Unna, Kasatka, Kyara, Kayla, Amaya, Nakai, and Tilikum all died in the abusement park's small tanks.
SeaWorld Orlando hosts over 30 bottlenose dolphins and over 200 penguins. SeaWorld Orlando exhibits cover a wide diversity of marine life, including animal encounters with penguins, walruses, sharks, dolphins, beluga whales, and many more. Get the SeaWorld Orlando Annual Pass for unlimited access to the park.
SeaWorld has been the subject of controversy before. Tilikum pulled SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau into the water in 2010, killing her after a show at the theme park. In the wake of Brancheau's death, SeaWorld removed trainers from the water and implemented new safety procedures.
Every day, dedicated animal experts, zoologists, dieticians and veterinarians come to work at SeaWorld. These professionals are committed to caring for our animals and are among the most experienced and qualified professionals in the world.
In October 2011, PETA filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld in behalf of five wild-captured orcas seeking a declaration that these five orcas are slaves and subjected to involuntary servitude in violation of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
SeaWorld's legacy of animal rescue spans more than 50 years. In that time, SeaWorld's Rescue Teams have come to the aid of more than 40,000 sick, injured and orphaned animals in need, giving them a second chance at life.
SeaWorld often keeps dolphins, whales, and other animals trapped with incompatible tankmates. The tension leads to fights and even fatal injuries. Staff members drug some animals to try to relieve their endless frustration.
SeaWorld apparently did not see it that way, and the killer whale shows have continued as before, only now the trainers do not perform any water work with the orcas. This of course saves trainers from being attacked but does nothing to relieve orcas from the frustrations and anxieties of incarceration.
Our goal is to successfully rehabilitate and return every animal to the wild. The small percentage of animals with conditions deeming them non-releasable are given lifelong care with us or at another accredited facility.
Three important steps - reinforcement, communication, and target recognition - are the basic building blocks of how animals are trained at SeaWorld. Once an animal learns this foundation, the animal applies it to learning new and more complex behaviors.