I wholeheartedly agree that compassionate people should boycott SeaWorld as stated in the Daily 49er’s March 2 “Death of Dawn Brancheau Points to Inhumanity of Orca Captivity.” For many years, PETA has been calling on SeaWorld to stop confining ocean-dwelling mammals.
In 2007, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health issued a report concluding that a fatal attack on a SeaWorld trainer was inevitable — and not a matter of “if” but “when.” The study was prompted by a November 2006 incident in which an orca dragged a trainer underwater at SeaWorld San Diego, nearly drowning him in front of horrified spectators.
SeaWorld, which owns most of the captive orcas and bottlenose dolphins in the U.S., has a long history of poor animal care. Twenty-one orcas died in U.S. SeaWorld facilities between 1986 and 2008 — an average of nearly one a year for 22 years. Their deaths were caused by a range of factors, including severe trauma, intestinal gangrene, acute hemorrhagic pneumonia, pulmonary abscesses, chronic kidney disease, chronic cardiovascular failure, septicemia and influenza. In some cases, the cause of death could not be determined, but it is clear that none of these animals died of old age. Dozens of bottlenose dolphins have also died at SeaWorld.
SeaWorld is about profit, and this cruelty is supported by customers. These animals will continue to live and die in misery as long as the public continues to buy tickets. Please never visit SeaWorld or any other aquarium or marine theme park. Ask your friends and family never again to buy a ticket that condemns these beautiful, intelligent animals to a life and death in captivity.
-Drew Winter
College Campaigns Assistant
Peta2