Because of the backlash due to the 2013 Satellite Award winner for Best Documentary film Blackfish, SeaWorld: San Diego has announced that they will stop all killer whale shows next year. The popular documentary sparked problems for SeaWorld Entertainment as Animal Rights activists protested the treatment of SeaWorld’s star attraction. This change was necessary due to the fact that it has been harder for the theme park to attract visitors these past few years due to the controversy.
SeaWorld was opened to the public in 1959. Since then, there have been three deaths and numerous injuries in over 56 years. Former deceased trainer, Dawn Brancheau, died on February 24, 2010, after being attacked by a killer whale named Tilikum. Brancheau was a trainer at the SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. She and Tilikum had just finished a performance and was rubbing him as part of their post-show. At that moment, Tilikum grabbed her by her left arm and ponytail and pulled her into the water. Brancheau died from drowning and blunt force trauma due to being shaken violently by Tilikum.
Dawn Brancheau was not Tilikum’s first kill. The killer whale has killed two other people before Brancheau, one back in 1991 and another in 1999. Tilikum is and has always been used for breeding purposes and occasionally featured in some shows. Tilikum is the largest whale in captivity, but his pool is not large enough for proper movement. This is where the documentary, Blackfish, comes into play. Sophomore Paris Geolas explains the movie in its entirety: “It really opened up my eyes to what was and has been happening. Every time that there is an orca attack at a destination theme park, the animal is treated as a criminal. What is hidden is the story behind it: the undersized cages, family separation, and the repetitive abuse. There are no documented cases of fatal orca human attacks in the wild; that is a fact. There are multiple attacks involving captive killer whales, ending badly for the trainer, but horrifically for the whale. Connect the dots; animals were not made to be in cages or do tricks.”
SeaWorld reports that the reason for the attacks is because the trainer is not doing something right. This leaves employees upset because if they speak up about the terrible things that happen to cause the attack, they are fired. Back in May, SeaWorld was sued for the mistreatment, poor health, and safety practices by plaintiffs Valerie Simos, Elaine Browne, and Joyce Kuhl. According to Fox News, these women said that they never would have paid for park or show tickets had they known about how whale and sea mammals were treated. According to The NY Times, the pressure to stop using the orcas as performers has been particularly intense in California. In November, Representative Adam Schiff, Democrat of California, said he would introduce a bill in Congress that would prohibit the breeding, wild capture and import or export of the whales. Also, that the California Coastal Commission put a ban on breeding killer whales in captivity.
SeaWorld: San Diego has decided to replace the theatrical orca show with an informative experience that will focus more on the natural habitat of the whale. Senior Adriana Martinez says, “I would hope that the regulations are actually enforced and for those animals who are being rehabilitated to be released when they are supposed to be released.” Only time will tell if the actions of SeaWorld: San Diego will help rejuvenate public opinion, increase revenue, and spread to other SeaWorld parks nationwide.