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[FyreWulff]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/17/us/seaworld-last-generation-of-orcas/index.html

The killer whales currently in SeaWorld's care will be the last generation of the mammals enclosed at the water parks, according to a company announcement posted on its website.

"Why the big news? SeaWorld has been listening and we're changing. Society is changing and we're changing with it," the company said. "SeaWorld is finding new ways to continue to deliver on our purpose to inspire all our guest to take action to protect wild animals and wild places."

Basically, they announced they'll keep the ones they have until they die, but they're ending the breeding program and will phase them out of the parks.

They were recently trying to fight a breeding ban that was working it's way through the legislature, so I think this is a little bit of economic pressure and a little bit of trying to come out ahead of the ban.

 

[Tesseract]

You're finally free, willy

 

[Inferno313]

in b4 Huelen.

Really though, about time.

 

[HUELEN10]

Dammit... It's not all black and white (unlike the orca).

I hope this doesn't kill thier money flow; all those poor people and animals if Sea World were to go under.

 

[Mushroom021]

Every zoo and aquarium should also shut down then as well no?

 

[Ray Wonder]

Dammit... It's not all black and white (unlike the orca).

I hope this doesn't kill thier money flow; all those poor people and animals if Sea World were to go under.

I could've sworn we were supposed to automatically unsheath our mighty pitchforks when SeaWorld comes up though.

 

[Zaph]

Every zoo and aquarium should also shut down then as well no?

Not really - very few aquariums or zoos have killer whales because containing them in an ethical way really isn't possible.

 

[Chuckie]

"SeaWorld must open its tanks to the oceans to allow the orcas it now holds captive to have some semblance of a life outside these prison tanks."

Wouldn't they be all dead in like a month?

 

[Orbis]

Wouldn't they be all dead in like a month?

Probably.

 

[HUELEN10]

I could've sworn we were supposed to automatically unsheath our mighty pitchforks when SeaWorld comes up though.

We're not a hive mind society, we can all think for ourselves, we can all have our own views. Not all of us worship Blackfish.

Mine is that Sea World helps animals.

 

[moggio]

We're not a hive mind society, we can all think for ourselves, we can all have our own views.

Mine is that Sea World helps animals.

It doesn't help Orca.

 

[Mushroom021]

Not really - very few aquariums or zoos have killer whales because containing them in an ethical way really isn't possible.

Pretty sure zoos put animals in small enclosures regularly.

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

Wouldn't they be all dead in like a month?

Sounds like business as usual for Peta

 

[Chuckie]

Probably.

Thought so. Sounds like something PETA would want.

Edit:

Sounds like business as usual for Peta

!

 

[stressboy]

Wouldn't they be all dead in like a month?

Yes, but you really think PETA cares about that?

 

[Jaeger]

Good.

 

[FyreWulff]

Pretty sure zoos put animals in small enclosures regularly.

Modern ones don't anymore. Our zoo here has redone about everything and only has the cat house left to replace, the only "animals in a box" display they have left. The cats will be moved to wide open grassland displays.

The Gorilla Valley, for example, lets the gorillas free roam in a huge enclosure while you walk through a small tunnel through it. They can go over the tunnel to either side of it.

 

[Mushroom021]

Wouldn't they be all dead in like a month?

Peta is an extremist organization that quite literally wants all pets to slowly be killed off.

 

[Mushroom021]

Modern ones don't anymore. Our zoo here has redone about everything and only has the cat house left to replace, the only "animals in a box" display they have left. The cats will be moved to wide open grassland displays.

The Gorilla Valley, for example, lets the gorillas free roam in a huge enclosure while you walk through a small tunnel through it. They can go over the tunnel to either side of it.

I've seen plenty of zoos and they are no different than the tanks at SeaWorld. I agree they were too small but if they could've gone through with their plan to more than double tank size I think it would be very good for the species and for people as a whole.

 

[N.Domixis]

It's time we ended real zoos and aquariums and started virtual reality zoos and aquariums.

 

[AlexMogil]

I didn't know they had this. I missed out.

 

[Mushroom021]

It's time we ended real zoos and aquariums and started virtual reality zoos and aquariums.

Yeah definitely a good way to rescue permanently crippled animals that would suffer in the wild, a lot of which are a result of human cause. If SeaWorld dies from this, the effect on ocean life will be devastating. Very unfortunate the way this played out.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

It's time we ended real zoos and aquariums and started virtual reality zoos and aquariums.

How do you set up successful breeding programs for endangered species via VR?

Not all zoos/aquariums breed animals for glorified circus acts.

Also caring for sick animals. My local zoo has a blind owl for example. Being a blind bird of prey that relies entirely on sight is a death sentence in the wild, but this guy gets to live a decent life being cared for.

 

[dallow_bg]

They said this months ago.

Edit: now I see. California banned it last year, but Seaworld had sued

 

[Skellig Gra]

It's time we ended real zoos and aquariums and started virtual reality zoos and aquariums.

Proper zoos can do plenty of good. Breeding endangered species, caring for hurt animals, etc.

 

[Camwi]

Yeah definitely a good way to rescue permanently crippled animals that would suffer in the wild, a lot of which are a result of human cause. If SeaWorld dies from this, the effect on ocean life will be devastating. Very unfortunate the way this played out.

That might be the worst exaggeration I've ever read.

 

[Mushroom021]

That might be the worst exaggeration I've ever read.

Ultimately the ocean will be fine but the sheer amount of animals impacted will be very large is what I'm saying. Its sad that all the good they do gets lost in all of this.

 

[moggio]

Ultimately the ocean will be fine but the sheer amount of animals impacted will be very large is what I'm saying.

No it won't.

Its sad that all the good they do gets lost in all of this.

How is SeaWorld re-evaluating the awful conditions and poor quality of life of the animals they have in captivity purely to entertain the dribblers who visit SeaWorld anything but a good thing?

 

[Zepp Twofist]

Pretty sure zoos put animals in small enclosures regularly.

Most animals are smaller than a killer whale though. And good zoos usually have quite a bit of space for their animals relative to their size. Also, average life span in captivity tend to increase for animals that are treated well. As far as I've understood, for whales at seaworld it dramatically decreases, indicating that they are not living well.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

Yeah definitely a good way to rescue permanently crippled animals that would suffer in the wild, a lot of which are a result of human cause. If SeaWorld dies from this, the effect on ocean life will be devastating. Very unfortunate the way this played out.

There are plenty of animals you can keep in captivity and do shows with that don't require literally an entire ocean of territory to be comfortable.

Snakes, monkeys, birds, sea lions and otters make fine shows to bring in audiences without being massive, highly intelligent creatures with massive territories and strong family bonds, like orcas.

Not to say they shouldn't take the best care possible for those animals and give them all large enclosures that emulate their natural environment as best as possible. That's just not possible with an orca, however.

 

[Chuckie]

Ultimately the ocean will be fine but the sheer amount of animals impacted will be very large is what I'm saying. Its sad that all the good they do gets lost in all of this.

Really? Serious question. Do they have that much of an effect on sea life?

 

[dallow_bg]

Ultimately the ocean will be fine but the sheer amount of animals impacted will be very large is what I'm saying. Its sad that all the good they do gets lost in all of this.

They'll be fine without the orcas. They should have done this years ago.

Now they can focus on being a national chain of aquariums while still continuing their animal welfare programs just like so many other zoos, aquariums, habitats, etc.

 

[Mushroom021]

No it won't.



How is SeaWorld re-evaluating the awful conditions and poor quality of life of the animals they have in captivity purely to entertain the dribblers who visit SeaWorld anything but a good thing?

This is what I mean. They are the leading first response team in the world. They also have saved and rehabbed countless turtles, manatees, sea lions, etc.

 

[moggio]

This is what I mean. They are the leading first response team in the world. They also have saved and rehabbed countless turtles, manatees, sea lions, etc.

And they can't continue to do this because?

 

[Camwi]

Really? Serious question. Do they have that much of an effect on sea life?

25,000 animals saved in 50 years, so 2,000 a year, which is microscopic to the oceans.

They also donate a fraction of a fraction of their profits to related charities.

Personally, I don't think that makes up for making whales live in bath tubs, but whatever.

 

[Cormano]

After Blackfish came out, its hard to see how they stay in business.

 

[Mushroom021]

They'll be fine without the orcas. They should have done this years ago.

Now they can focus on being a national chain of aquariums while still continuing their animal welfare programs just like so many other zoos, aquariums, habitats, etc.

I really do hope that's true, trust me I know ultimately they're a corporation looking for profit, but the people who work with the animals are great people. The money has allowed them to be as big as they are in that regard.

Mybpoint of view is also one that SeaWorld effectively dies from this, but well see.

 

[FyreWulff]

They said this months ago.

Edit: now I see. California banned it last year, but Seaworld had sued

Yeah I think up to this point SeaWorld had only promised no more shows, now it's full on they're phasing them out via attrition.

 

[Mikeside]

Regarding the argument that's happening in here about why it's OK to keep other animals but not orcas:


It's about enrichment.
Zoos and places that look after animals are supposed to strive to emulate their natural environments, which helps to encourage natural behaviour from the animals & ensures they aren't stressed and unhappy.

If a zoo is doing a good job of this, they should be encouraged, because in a lot of cases, it's the best chance that species has for survival in captivity & sometimes can also lead to improving wild populations as we observe and learn from the ones we have in captivity.

The trouble comes for animals like whales, dolphins, apes and big cats. They're intelligent and social animals that require a lot of complex things to be happy. One of those things is lots of space and a fair amount of freedom.

That's not to say they can't be looked after effectively, but it's difficult & SeaWorld were absolutely NOT doing a good job of providing enrichment to orcas.

 

[jmdajr]

Change you can believe in!

 

[balladofwindfishes]

That's not to say they can't be looked after effectively

I'm not sure orcas can be in captivity. Their territory is just too large and require too many members in a pod, all of which also require their own piece of the territory.

Keeping a lion doesn't require you to simulate basically an endless amount of space, with migration patterns going from the tropics all the way to the arctic, with diet and behavior changes happening through the entire journey.

 

[Mikeside]

I'm not sure orcas can be in captivity. Their territory is just too large and require too many members in a pod, all of which also require their own piece of the territory.

Keeping a lion doesn't require you to simulate basically an endless amount of space, with migration patterns going from the tropics all the way to the arctic, with diet and behavior changes happening through the entire journey.

I do agree with that, but I was sort of widening my point to include other animals.

I honestly don't see how you could keep a whale in captivity without seriously ignoring it's wellbeing


It's lovely that people get the chance to see these amazing animals & as a kid I fucking LOVED dolphin shows & even got the chance to swim with dolphins, but looking back it's horrifically immoral & I'm glad we're starting to move past widely accepted mistreatment of animals.

 

[Byakuya769]

All other dolphins should be next. Which means I need to get my kids down to sea world ASAP.

 

[Itaremustbedangeres]

I hope these parks die out for good. I'm glad I never went to one of them and supported the bullshit they did to some of the sea creatures.

I know that it's not all bad. The same with zoos. But if I see animals in their cages spinning in circles all day because they went crazy... just... no.

 

[Jaeger]

Are people upset that the end of orca captivity at Sea World could lead to Sea World closing altogether or that the orca will no longer be performing?

 

[titiklabingapat]

Ultimately the ocean will be fine but the sheer amount of animals impacted will be very large is what I'm saying. Its sad that all the good they do gets lost in all of this.

No. The amount of animals they rescue is a small percentage of wild animals.

 

[ReAxion]

The amount of people who don't understand what a good zoo is worth is staggering.

 

[Mushroom021]

Are people upset that the end of orca captivity at Sea World could lead to Sea World closing altogether or that the orca will no longer be performing?

I'm more concerned about the funds for their rescue team and doctors will be pulled. They are funded by the company, unfortunately the world cant fund operations of that scale based on taxes or government. Every bit helps and SeaWorld played a major role.

No. The amount of animals they rescue is a small percentage of wild animals.

Everything we do is a small percentage on a grand scale. They do a ton of good.

 

[titiklabingapat]

I really do hope that's true, trust me I know ultimately they're a corporation looking for profit, but the people who work with the animals are great people. The money has allowed them to be as big as they are in that regard.

Mybpoint of view is also one that SeaWorld effectively dies from this, but well see.

They ultimately only started 'caring' and rescuing for these animals for publicity reasons.

Are you a SeaWorld shareholder?

 

[Mushroom021]

They ultimately only started 'caring' and rescuing for these animals for publicity reasons.

Are you a SeaWorld shareholder?

I'm not I just know that to work with animals and be involved in rescuing and caring for them, they have to care. The big wigs don't care but the people do. I believe in those people. The means to the end could've been improved in terms of their plan to more than double the tank size. The trainers love the animals and I'm sure its mutual. Keiku misses human contact because of their relationship with the whale.

My hope was the improvements would come and the good could still result. Obviously speaking from personal experience, but I did get more involved due to SeaWorld efforts and I know others who have. I hope that's not lost with this park.