Well this can’t be too big of a surprise. After sending their own marine mammal veterinarian, Dr. Heather Rally, to SeaWorld, PETA is now filing a complaint that will call the U.S. Department of Agriculture to send inspectors to SeaWorld in San Diego. The complaint was issued as a result of Rally’s findings while at the marine park.
According to the report, Rally found “scars and lesions on dolphins, orcas, and other animals; witnessed unprotected and unsupervised contact between visitors and aggressive animals; and observed listless animals engaging in abnormal, repetitive behavior likely caused by stress, among other apparent violations of federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA).”
SeaWorld has been under huge scrutiny since early 2013 when the documentary “Blackfish” made its life changing debut. The film chronicles the life of Tilikum – a performing orca who killed his trainer – while addressing other important topics in animal captivity. The film has had a noticeable impact on the park, since its release SeaWorld’s attendance dropped by 13 percent.
Ric O’Barry (the man who serves as the main focus for the Academy Award-winning documentary, “The Cove”) will be accompanying Rally in a news conference this week that will discuss the findings of the PETA report and potentially call for “immediate federal action.”
PETA President, Ingrid Newkirk, stated, “This veterinary report confirms that SeaWorld is causing animals to suffer both physically and psychologically in hopelessly inadequate tanks. PETA is asking families to stay far away from SeaWorld, where deprived orcas can do nothing but swim in endless circles, stressed dolphins take their aggression out on one another, and a walrus in solitary confinement is reduced to regurgitating his food out of boredom.”
PETA prides itself on preaching the motto “animals are not ours to use for entertainment.” The organization’s complaint will highlight multiple AWA violations, one of which being that orcas are displaying abnormal behaviors (such as floating at the top of tank enclosures) that indicate signs of stress. PETA also intends on addressing the mental health of a SeaWorld owned walrus as well as the physical health of physically damaged captive cetaceans.
The meeting will be held on October 21 in San Diego. Only time will tell what further actions PETA can take against the multi-billion dollar marine park.
Image source: Antoine Taveneaux/Wikimedia Commons
What the fuck does PETA know about animal care? They kill thousands of cats and dogs a year because they are "not healthy" or "not deemed worthy for adoption." SeaWorld isnt perfect by any means but how the hell is PETA any better?
Go attack McDonalds or Pokemon for more publicity.
MAMMALS BELONG IN THE OCEAN, NOT IN A BUILDING WHERE THEY SWIM IN A POOL ! IN THEIR HABITAT THEY SWIM FOR MILES A DAY . YOUR COMMENT MADE NO SENSE BECAUSE YOU DON\’T KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT !
Miyu, you are misinformed. You have been lied to. Do some research before you spread those lies. Look at PETA\’s website and read about why they euthanize animals. Ask them, they will explain whatever you don\’t understand.
Regardless of what PETA does in other areas they are correct in this one. As a Cetacean Researcher I can attest to the stress these extremely intelligent animals are under. They go into a trancelike state where they float and sink in one area of the tank which is NOT what they do in the wild. They rarely use sonar or whistles because of the affect of the tanks on those abilities. They cannot stretch out and roam the hundreds of ten of miles they will normally cover in a day and being highly social animals and strict social circles they are either kept isolated or often with those not of their own kind even those that are enemies in the wild (such as orcas with dolphins-Orcas eat dolphins). Often they are beaten up by their tank mates or visa versa causing tremendous injuries to one another. Yes, they do rake each other in the wild but they don\’t ram each other or seriously injure their own kind. I have seen these mammals commit suicide by stopping eating and become very aggressive with humans. People should not be allowed to pet them. 700-12,000 lbs is a powerful animal. Thank goodness someone is sticking up for them. Their containment is beyond cruel and tortuous. I know people think they are cute and love seeing them but we have to consider their well being and not use them for show against their will and kept in cement tanks too small for them. I low of what I speak. I worked originally at a well known oceanarium with dolphins and orcas while getting my degree. This has to stop.
As it states, PETA\’s motto is – "animals are not ours to use for entertainment" Consequently, veterinarians for them are biased and represent a conflict of interest.
I\’ve seen many documentaries about wild orca and dolphins and, guess what, they have scars on them, and often from each other. Any marine biologist that studies these wild animals can attest to this.
Mia, it is true, they do have rake marks in the wild. However not to the degree that they do in captivity. I have spent years working and studying these animals both in captivity and in the wild and what we are doing to them is unconscionable. They are massive animals used to roaming hundreds of miles in complex social groups with brains larger than ours. Imagine isolating the like of Stephan Hawking with no stimulation, no computer, company, feeding him dead unhealthy food and no contact with his own species in a cell with no view of the world and told to perform mindless repetitive tricks all day for the sole reason of some corporate institution to make money. You cannot fathom what they go through and have gone through in their lives and it is time to stop torturing them. I do know of what I speak and became a believer because of what I experienced. Like PETA or not, in this case they are correct.
Mia, it is true, they do have rake marks in the wild. However not to the degree that they do in captivity. I have spent years working and studying these animals both in captivity and in the wild and what we are doing to them is unconscionable. They are massive animals used to roaming hundreds of miles in complex social groups with brains larger than ours. Imagine isolating the like of Stephan Hawking with no stimulation, no computer, company, feeding him dead unhealthy food and no contact with his own species in a cell with no view of the world and told to perform mindless repetitive tricks all day for the sole reason of some corporate institution to make money. You cannot fathom what they go through and have gone through in their lives and it is time to stop torturing them. I do know of what I speak and became a believer because of what I experienced. Like PETA or not, in this case they are correct.
Yeah ok. PETA sends in their doctors and they come back with negativity. Send in Seaworld\’s doctors and they will say the opposite. Dumbasses. What did you expect PETA\’s doctors to say? How many of you will ever see a killer whale or a dolphin or turtle? A sting ray or a seal? NEVER unless you go to SEAWORLD. Get over yourselves.
Why is it OK to torture an animal and cause it stress, have it live a miserable life separated from it\’s family and kept from normal behaviors, fed dead food and forced to perform tricks for it\’s dinner in a tiny cement prison without any view of the outside world, much less it\’s normal world for the sake of a human being able to "see" it? It is so easy to see these creatures in the wild and it is truly a bigger thrill to experience this. It\’s time to stop our inhumane treatment of these amazing and sentient creatures, especially for reasons solely of greed.
"fed dead food"
Human/restaurant quality fish
"forced to perform tricks for it\\\’s dinner "
Here we go again lol
"forced to do tricks for food" is one I see again and again.
First, anyone that knows anything about animal training knows that food is used as a reward. When an exercise is completed successfully the behavior is marked and rewarded. Otherwise the exercise may be repeated or not depending on the judgment of the trainer. In any event the animal will still get its regular allotment of food. Training is done before feeding since when the animal is hungry it will have increased focus on the work. A live performance isn\’t much different than a training session and rewards are given at appropriate times.
Second, the "tricks" the animals do such as swimming and jumping out of the water are simply natural maneuvers that are rehearsed and choreographed. Perhaps you didn\’t realize the whales "in the wild" will jump and slap the surface of the water with their tails in order to stun the fish they prey upon? You aren\’t going to force a whale to do anything it doesn\’t like doing. Animals like to play and the trainers know how to turn the work into a game.
Stick around, pay attention and try to keep and open mind and you might actually learn something