Everyone knows SeaWorld for the animals they have and the outstanding shows they put on displaying them. But what you do not know is how horrible they are and all the secrets they keep. Have you ever wondered why the whale’s fins at SeaWorld are slanted to one side and not pointed straight up? The reason for this is because they are locked up in a cage and are not able to swim long distance. Whales need to swim at least 100 miles; the way they do in the wild like they are supposed to.  Could you imagine living in a bathtub for the rest of your life with nothing to keep you distracted?  

Just like humans, a killer whale needs to be with their family. They hunt with their family, play, and interact with them. At SeaWorld they separate the whales from their families and keep them by themselves. This leads to the whales becoming aggressive. There have been over 40 documented incidents of Killer Whale aggression against humans in captivity including over 3 human fatalities. Not only do they become aggressive with humans, but they become aggressive with the other whales because they are trying to declare their dominance. A tank does not replace the ocean. They are wild animals that are born to swim in the sea, not be stuck in a 20 by 20-foot tank.  

Not only are the whales forced to live in these horrible living conditions, but they are also never freed. The only way a whale can leave SeaWorld is by dying. A normal life span for a whale in the wild is between 30-50 years, but at SeaWorld the whales only live for about 10-16 years. An orca named Morgan had many suicide attempts at SeaWorld. She would repeatedly bang her head against the metal gate and has lied next to the pool in attempt to end her life.  

The whales at SeaWorld are not the only animals that are being neglected. Some of the penguins at SeaWorld have to wear a wet suit. Due to not being able to regulate their body temperature, the penguins have lost their feathers. These penguins would not need to wear a wet suit if they were in their natural habit. The stress the animals have has led to depression, aggressive behavior, fighting with other animals, and sometimes even death. For example, a polar bear named Szenja gave up her life when her friend snowflake was moved to zoo for breeding. Being alone she was miserable and had nothing else to live for, she eventually gave up.  

SeaWorld may look charming in the ads but in reality, they abuse the animals and neglect them. The only agenda SeaWorld has is making money off of the animals. They kidnap the whales from the ocean and separate the newborns away from their mothers. They keep the whales in isolation in a small tank when they need to be swimming in the ocean like they were born to do. Every animal at SeaWorld has suffered depression and boredom due to the lack of interaction with other animals, and tight spacing. Wild animals do not belong in cages and should not be forced to do tricks like a toy.

Just like humans, animals have feelings and need the same things we do in order to survive. SeaWorld is only helping the animals become closer to being extinct. People have said that “SeaWorld is helping the animals by giving them a home.” Shutting down SeaWorld can save lives and allow animals to live long happy lives so our children will be able to know what they are.