Metaphor for SeaWorld?

[Leland Wykoff]

Is this hysterical article from The Onion a metaphor for SeaWorld?

http://www.theonion.com/article/new-seaworld-show-just-elephant-drowning-large-tan-51139

[Thrill_Biscuit]

My internet access keeps shutting down when I click that link.

[DontWantToWait42mar0]

Seaworld is like as bad as it gets for dolphins and whales.

[bkroz]

Then you haven't seen some of the habitats orcas are placed in at horrific "animal parks" across the globe.

 

SeaWorld, at the end of the day, is a zoo. A good one. Maybe a really good one. 

 

The question isn't whether its facilities are safe, clean, and overseen by effective staff with a passion for animal well-being – they are. The question is whether orcas are inherently too intelligent to be in captivity at all. Maybe they are. But to say SeaWorld is as bad as it gets is a gross misrepresentation and evidence of an uninformed opinion.

[Gordon Bombay]

Seaworld is like as bad as it gets for dolphins and whales.

 

Any animals sharing water with BP platforms and Exxon tankers may disagree with that...

[NoChickens]

  This is again, something I've done my best not to comment on. Through the Blackfish thread, the Steve-0 stunt, and all the hype, but it has to end.

 

  SeaWorld has in it's care, a very small percentage, of the various life forms found on this great blue marble we call home.

 

  As far as I can tell, none of the current residents they have in their care were captured from the wild for our amusement. Most are descendants of a different time, when our understanding of the effects of captivity, were largely misunderstood, or ignored. The few others they keep captive are animals that are not suited to be rehabilitated for release into the wild.

 

  In each of those scenarios, if SeaWorld were to release the animals they have "captive", I can all but guarantee their life span would be greatly reduced. The conservation efforts that are supported by this company are almost never mentioned. I watched a program today, where they saved a baby Leatherback sea tortoise. It was born deformed from being in the bottom of the nest, the weight of the sand and it's siblings actually bent its spine. It was taken to Seaworld Orlando, protected, examined, treated, rehab'ed, and released. 

 

  SEAS, in my opinion, does much more good than harm. Especially given the massive swing they have had to endure, from concept, to our current understanding. 

[Gabe]

Meanwhile, the Cincy zoo announced today that their lone remaining Sumatran rhino will soon be sent back to Sumatra, in order to more comfortably live out its life and to breed.

[RailRider]

  

  As far as I can tell, none of the current residents they have in their care were captured from the wild for our amusement. Most are descendants of a different time, when our understanding of the effects of captivity, were largely misunderstood, or ignored. The few others they keep captive are animals that are not suited to be rehabilitated for release into the wild.

 

 

Just a bit of FYI.  Sea World does still have many Wild Caught Orcas in their care, they no longer practice wild catch because they have been able to establish a very successful and lucrative Orca breeding program.

Tilikum - the Orca who received the majority of the focus in Blackfish is a Wild Caught Orca who Sea World still cares for, breeds and uses for performances.

[faeriewench]

As far as I can tell, none of the current residents they have in their care were captured from the wild for our amusement. Most are descendants of a different time, when our understanding of the effects of captivity, were largely misunderstood, or ignored. The few others they keep captive are animals that are not suited to be rehabilitated for release into the wild.

Just a bit of FYI. Sea World does still have many Wild Caught Orcas in their care, they no longer practice wild catch because they have been able to establish a very successful and lucrative Orca breeding program.

Tilikum - the Orca who received the majority of the focus in Blackfish is a Wild Caught Orca who Sea World still cares for, breeds and uses for performances.

Just an FYI SeaWorld only has 5 wild caught orcas in their care (Kasatka, Corky and Ulises in San Diego remaining 8 are captive born. Katina and Tillikum in Orlando remaining 5 are captive born. All the San Antonio whales are captive born)

Tillikum is actually no longer used for breeding which is smart. All the calves born under SeaWorld since after 2010 were sired by other males (Ulises and Kshamenk)

Even though the whales at Loro Paque are owned by SeaWorld I purposely left them out since it's not a SW park.

[The Interpreter]

And where are those from?

They are, after all, owned by SeaWorld...

[faeriewench]

All are captive born except Morgan.

So...6 whales. (5 within chain, 1 outside). How that constitutes for "many" is beyond me when you consider the amount alive right now in the chain.

[RailRider]

And a park that houses some of SEAS Orcas that have a reputation of aggression towards trainers and are offspring of Tilikum.  Then again Tilikum has been the most successful sire in captivity with roughly half of the Orcas SEAS has in captivity having been sired by Tilikum.

 

Editing for Reply:

Roughly 20% of all of SEAS Orcas are Wild Caught. Of those that are not Wild Caught over half have then been sired by Tilikum who is Wild Caught and has a questionable track record relating to aggression.  Is this a risky practice of using a sire that has shown aggressive tendencies towards people or is it best for business since he has sired over 20 Orcas in captivity?  Are some Orcas just genetically aggressive and does it transfer from one generation to the next?  These are justified questions that SEAS chooses not to answer because it all points towards the giant Orca in the pool whose played a role justified or not in the death of 3 individuals (Im not arguing it was the Orcas fault, just that he was involved in some way shape or form and has shown aggressive tendancies).  Yet SEAS continued to use him as their main sire because his offspring had a better chance of survival, even if some of his offspring/lineage have shown the same traits that he has.  Would SEAS still use him as their main sire if Blackfish would have never happened?

 

I think these are fair questions and SEAS would have done themselves a great favor if they would have tackled these tough questions to start.  You can't sweep the giant, potentially aggressive under the rug and hope nobody notices.

Edited August 26, 2015 by RailRider

[faeriewench]

[

 

Editing for Reply:

 Would SEAS still use him as their main sire if Blackfish would have never happened.

Well considering all the calves conceived and born before Blackfish were sired by other males....yes. They been trying to get away from breeding Tillikum excessively for a long time which is you also had Keet calves (another completely unrelated male) and only just now having success with Ulises.

[RailRider]

I assume you mean his calves were conceived prior to Blackfish, because 2010 was the last calf he sired and that also coincides with the controversy that was stirred up over SEAS breeding practices with Tilikum and the 3rd death he was associated with.

[faeriewench]

^yes that's what I meant. Makaio was his last calf (he was conceived 08/09-ish and born in 2010) This IPad drives me nuts And plus I tend to type fast and don't always pick up the errors right off even if I read it over multiple tines. The attempt to relieve Tillikum of siring duty goes back to well before Blackfish ever hit that film festival and even before the incident with Dawn. You can't over do it with one animal cause it can eventually lead to health problems when inbreeding goes rampant. Tillikum has done his duty. With AI we now have Keet, Ulises, Kshamenk as options. And not much longer there will be Valentin in France.

Edited. More grammar errors and improper spelling..

[The Interpreter]

Four words:

http://www.upworthy.com/in-just-4-words-harry-styles-undid-seaworlds-expensive-dishonest-pr-campaign

[shark6495]

I will honestly miss Sea World when it comes to them closing their doors (if/when it does happen).

[Tanna]

Four words:

http://www.upworthy.com/in-just-4-words-harry-styles-undid-seaworlds-expensive-dishonest-pr-campaign

I. Don't. Know. Who. That. Young. Man. Is.

[RailRider]

 

 

According to The Guardian, Styles' boycott call, along with accusations that a SeaWorld employee tried to infiltrate the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), "led to a 400% increase in online comments about SeaWorld in July, more than 2.5m, the vast majority of which were negative."

 

Those are amazing numbers and shows SEAS continues to loose the Social Media firestorm that they have done nothing but stoke and as the article stated they are loosing a generation of potential visitors.

[The Interpreter]

And loosing rather than losing is particularly apt here.

[shark6495]

Now would be an appropriate time to help explain how SW is losing this battle and will probably never win it.

The cognitive dissonance theory states that people are highly motivated to avoid incompatible beliefs or actions. So they will avoid hearing apposite views from their own, are unwilling to change their own belief, and will seek reassurance from places that support their own beliefs.

So if you believe (rationally or irrationally) that SW is bad you will find info that supports you and oppose other information.

Also the spiral of silence theory basically states that the media help foster a silence of minority view points. So working with the vocal majority that SW is bad, the media portrays more stories (more clicks more eyeballs) so that most people will fear isolation With their minority view point. The people with the minority view point (SW is good) will then examine other opinions and may confirm to what they perceive as a majority view point.

Blackfish used the rhetoric theory through persuasion. They used logical, emotional, and ethical "proofs" to sway their audience. Meanwhile SW has had the hardest time penetrating any of the 3 proofs with the same audience....

And here I thought I would never use my studies in com theory...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tanna]

That's a good point of view. I originally watched Blackfish, and walked away confused in my desire to actually see this park.

A little research, and I had found that a lot of the footage was from the park, the videographers of said footage wanted to present a park they wanted me to go to.

It takes a lot of reading both sides to start forming an intelligent opinion, especially on the subject of animals. I'm still looking into subject, even Corky's 50th birthday party.

That being said, I must admit, I still want a plush Shamu.