The Twittersphere
was abuzz last night with opinions about Blackfish, the documentary about one
of Seaworld’s orca whales, Tilikum, who killed a trainer during a live show.
The publicity surrounding
the film has led to many people calling for Seaworld to be closed down, due to
the conditions the whales and other creatures are kept in.
Blackfish first
came to my attention when I saw it mentioned in a small corner of a newspaper
film section at some point over the summer, overshadowed by the big
blockbusters of the week, but carrying an important message. It didn’t have a
large scale cinematic release, showing at a few select cinemas across the
country and being released on DVD immediately afterwards.
I was mainly drawn
to it as I visited Seaworld in Orlando several times as a child, so I ordered
the DVD as soon as it was released, and
watched it immediately. I loved my visits to Seaworld as a child, when a Shamu
cuddly toy was the most exciting thing in existence (hands up, to this day I
still own three) and before any concept of a moral code has kicked in.
To my adult self,
the concept of watching dolphins jumping through hoops, whales performing to the crowds in pools nowhere big
enough for their body mass, and yes, even the Clyde and Seamore sealion show,
sits very uncomfortably. Animals should not be forced to perform tricks or
carry out actions that they would not do in the wild, especially not for the
entertainment of the human race. From this standpoint, it is clear that
Seaworld need to make some changes. However, what Blackfish didn’t mention, and
what very few naysayers seem to have taken into account is that:
- Seaworld is
accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, meaning that they have met
or exceeded standards in education, conservation and research.
- The SeaWorld& Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is a charity which helps a variety of
conservation groups around the world, working towards Species
Research, Habitat Protection, Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation, and
Conservation Education.
The fund has several professional partners including the WWF,
which is largely seen as the most influential wildlife and conservation
organisation in the world, and the Rainforest Alliance. It is highly doubtful
that such organisations would have anything to do with the SBGCF is their work
was questionable in any way. Having
looked into their work it seems that they do not do any conservation work
directly, rather their fund offers financial help to others who do, which
disappointingly suggests that the animals they hold in captivity have no
conservation purpose, but rather are purely for visitor entertainment.
Seaworld make no
attempt to hide their commerciality, with theme park rollercoasters included in
the ticket price, and this is their downfall. Allowing human interaction with
the creatures is what has brought them into the spotlight (there have been NO
recorded incidents of an orca whale killing a human in the wild, but Blackfish
highlights several such incidents in captivity).
It is my belief
that there is a place in the world for Seaworld, but they need to rethink their
priorities – mainly by abolishing their principles of keeping animals in small
enclosures and forcing them to perform for the public. Blackfish may have
kickstarted a revolution, not just regarding the Seaworld parks, but in zoos
and animal captivity businesses all over the world.
What do you think? Should Seaworld be shut
down?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below, on Twitter @WildWorldBlog,
or on Facebook.
