I was so excited the first time I saw Shouka the orca at SeaWorld San Diego. Every time I saw the massive female whale swim across the glass window in the viewing gallery I became overwhelmed with joy. However, each time Shouka passed the glass I became less excited. I quickly realized Shouka was swimming in continuous large circles in her tank.

I was only eight years old when I realized amusement parks were not acceptable homes for marine animals. Shouka and other animals were living in glass prisons that provided only a fraction of the necessary living space an animal requires. I immediately felt deceived by SeaWorld. The “Shamu Show” advertised SeaWorld’s research advancements in the study of killer whales and dedication to animal conservation. But in reality, SeaWorld’s primary contribution to the world is entertainment. I used to admire SeaWorld’s educational value to the public, but now I realize SeaWorld cares about the entertainment element of the park more than the well-being or conservation of the animals. SeaWorld prides itself by having the largest killer whale collection in the world, but it neglects to find any new or useful discoveries in their “research.”

SeaWorld argues a majority of their research on orcas in captivity is used to better understand orcas in the wild. After the release of Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s film “Blackfish,” Seaworld’s revenue decreased. In response, SeaWorld justified the park “create[s] a controlled setting for science that is impossible to replicate in the wild” (Raja par. 2). However, how accurate can the research on these captive animals be for orcas living in the wild? Captive orcas live in extremely different environmental conditions than free-living orcas. At the 20th Biennial Conference on the scientific studies of captive and free-living killer whales, a panel of marine scientists discussed and compared the research found on orcas in captive and wild orcas. Dr. Judy St Leger, a representative of SeaWorld, explained the recent studies on killer whales in captivity. St Leger explained the metabolic rates of the whales in captivity could be used to estimate the diet of orcas in the wild. However Dr. Naomi Rose, a representative from the Animal Welfare Institute, challenged the comparison of wild and captive metabolic rates because captive killer whales live in completely different unnatural conditions compared to killer whales in the wild (Consentino par. 7). Most of the research done in captivity do not accurately portray killer whales’ activity because the whales have been altered due to their new environment. Although the information may be easier to obtain with whales in captivity, it will not be completely accurate.

In addition to SeaWorld collecting inaccurate information on killer whales, the amount of research SeaWorld conducts is extremely limited for their great accessibility. The majority of SeaWorld’s research related to the communication between humans and whales. SeaWorld’s research stopped there. SeaWorld’s total research was only a fraction of the total research done by the rest of the panel members who focus on free-living killer whales. The other panel members’ research included the diversity in the whales’ populations, cultures, diet, and dialects. Panel members had the ability to infer killer whales have a complex social structure due to their substantial amount of research (Consentino par. 9-10). The panel discussion proved institutions like SeaWorld are not necessary in order to obtain information on orcas.

Recently SeaWorld San Diego released plans to expand the orca’s tank sizes by “doubling [its] size to a 10-million-gallon tank up to 50 feet deep” (Hill par. 3) with the new “Blue World” architectural plans. In addition to the expansion of tanks, SeaWorld San Diego has also discontinued the killer whale show. The former stunt show “will be replaced by something more focused on the natural setting, environment and behaviors of the whales” (Bender par. 3). Although SeaWorld is attempting to alter their perspective on whale captivity, SeaWorld is not a place to learn about marine wildlife and conservation. Seaworld is taking baby steps in order to please the public and earn their customers back. Marine parks and aquariums are not appropriate locations for orcas to thrive, and research will continue to be inaccurate in captivity. Although animal shows are slowing being integrated out of the parks, an animal the size of Shouka the whale should not be forced to live in a glass prison forever. Even if it is now larger.

Works Cited
Bender, Andrew. “Sayonara, Shamu; SeaWorld To Close Killer Whale Show in San Diego.” Forbes. Forbes, 11 November 2015. Web. 12 November 2015.
Consentino, A. Mel, e.d. Scientific Studies of Captive and Free-living Killer Whales. 12 December 2013, Otago University (Dunedin, New Zealand). n.p. Print.
Hill, Taylor. “Seaworld’s New Killer Whale Plan: Bigger Tanks But the Show Goes on.” Takepart. Participant Media, 23 January 2015. Web. 10 November 2015.
Raja, Tasneem. “Seaworld Says it Has to Keep Orcas in Captivity to Save Them.” Mother Jones. Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress, November/December 2014. Web. 30 September 2015.