“Blackfish,” SeaWorld of Hurt and #EmptytheTanks; we’ve all seen it; people voicing their undying hatred of SeaWorld over many media platforms. Recently, the "Jack-Ass" star Steve-O protested the organization by climbing to the top of a crane with an inflatable whale that had the phrase “SeaWorld Sucks” written on it. These protests have become so popular that it seems to have become a trend. However, “Blackfish” seems to be more propaganda than documentary and the unrelenting hate for SeaWorld is unwarranted.
The mass boycott of the organization seemed to have began the moment “Blackfish” hit Netflix. It opened with scenes of what looked like an orca in a tank acting violent towards a trainer. In the background, an eerie recording of the 911 call was played that depicted the moment SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau was killed. Although it was a powerful scene, the violent nature of the footage was fabricated with clever editing and the chilling 911 calls. Yet, it was powerful enough to start a huge public upset.
Who would want to support these beautiful majestic animals being locked up in bathtubs, right? It seems like a no brainer: release the whales, set them free and everything will be great. But without SeaWorld, would we even care what happens to them?
Physically seeing an animal is different than reading about them in books or seeing pictures of them on the Internet. When an animal is seen in person it becomes real, it becomes tangible, and naturally people start to care about what happens to this animal.
SeaWorld presents orcas in a way that made them seem majestic, beautiful and an all around lovable creature. It urges the people who come to see the whales to respect them and persuades them to care about the conservation and preservation of these beautiful animals.
ONE orca attack in the wild. DOZENS in captivity & ONE orca at #SeaWorld has killed THREE people. #CaptivityKills #SeaWorldSucks
— PETA (@peta) August 15, 2015
Here’s the thing, orcas (killer whales) aren’t lovable, they aren’t cute, they aren’t fuzzy and they don’t have big eyes. The killer whale is exactly what it sounds like: a fierce predator. These creatures feed on cute, lovable animals like the big-eyed sea lions, cute little dolphins and fuzzy penguins.
Without the SeaWorld branding, the killer whale seems similar to the shark: a cold-blooded killer, something to fear, a predator of penguins and a possible danger to humans. If the whales were seen in this light, would we really care so much about them?
I am not a marine biologist or an animal expert, so I am uncertain if it is healthy for a whale to be in captivity. But I do know that if a few whales are unhappy in captivity, but the majority of the orcas in the wild are spared because of it, then the sacrifice of the few is outweighed by the salvation of thousands and so the ends justify the means. The SeaWorld organization is a large part of the reason that we know and love orcas, and their conservation efforts outweigh the captivity.
Related Links:
SeaWorld sidesteps real conversation, responds with propaganda
Professors research alternatives to whale conservation
Reach the columnist at larober3@asu.edu or follow @lindsayaroberts on Twitter.
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
Want to join the conversation? Send an email to opiniondesk.statepress@gmail.com. Keep letters under 300 words and be sure to include your university affiliation. Anonymity will not be granted.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.
