I have always been against animals in circuses, in amusement parks and any other place where they are held captive and made to perform. More often than not, they are exploited and abused in order to keep the show going so the owners can reap the profits. Jason Hribal wrote a compelling article on killer whales in amusement parks in this week’s edition of the online counterpunch.org, in which he describes the history of these animals in the captivity of these parks. He also describes the nature of killer whales – they live in a matriarchal society in their natural environment – and of course are used to the wide open spaces of the ocean, and not a confined tank. Hribal discusses in detail the lamentable stories of killer whales at Sea World, whereby they were forced to perform time and time again, although the whales had demonstrated a certain uncooperativeness, and at times aggression. But of course Sea World was determined to make its bucks off of these huge creatures, and so the show always went on.
Most people know of the recent tragedy at Sea World, in which a trainer was killed by a whale, that she had worked with. There are speculations that the whale was playing, or that he was distracted by her ponytail, or that he suddenly lost control. We’ll never know what exactly set him off. According to Hribal, killer whales have shown aggression towards their trainers in the past, and that includes the ones born in captivity. Trainers have really suffered serious injuries.
Personally, I think that when you put such a huge mammal in a giant fish tank, you are automatically asking for trouble. If this is not playing with fire, I don’t know what is. Most animals don’t belong in captivity. They don’t belong in a confined artificial environment for the amusement of the crowds. They get pissed sometimes, and when they do, and they are huge and powerful, then everyone should beware. Destroying the matriarchal society of the killer whales, putting them in a tank, making them do eight shows a day, 365 days a year, according to Hribal, is just plain cruel. It’s a circus like any other, and as such, it exploits animals. Hribal describes how other whales are killed when Sea World goes hunting for whales for its show. And it isn’t pretty. People, like the recent trainer who died, and others who have been seriously injured or died in the past, are also victims of this three ring circus that is Sea World, or other so called amusement parks that feature killer whales or other performing animals. It is a huge injustice against nature. These parks should close down, release the killer whales that can survive in the wild, and make sure that the ones that can’t survive find a decent home where they won’t have to be exploited for the entertainment of the crowds. It’s not Sea World for the animals, it is a Sea Prison.