SeaWorld - A Love/Hate Relationship
I probably seem a little late in addressing this topic, but I was reminded of it this past weekend at a meeting for zoo volunteers. We watched a video of the Detroit Zoo director discussing the role of zoos in wildlife care and conservation; he called out shows in which humans stand on killer whales as not fulfilling the proper goals.
Before it closed, there was a SeaWorld not very far from where I lived. My family went a few times, and my Girl Scout troop even got to sleep there overnight. We stayed in the Shark Encounter exhibit, and it was exciting to wake up with sharks swimming overhead. It's not hard to see why, as a child, I loved SeaWorld. The shows were entertaining, and I found the animals very interesting. I saw species I couldn't see in any other zoo. In fact, I loved the animals so much that I began to consider a career in marine biology. I even contemplate becoming a trainer, but I realized I would probably never pass the swim tests in cold, salty water.
To some extent, SeaWorld did accomplish good even back then. It made me care about their animals, and I became even more conservation-minded. I assumed some day I would take my own children to one of the parks to inspire them, too - and to have a fun day at the same time.
Things have changed, of course. I never watched Blackfish, but I read about it, and my friend gave me a pretty good summary. A part of me - my inner child, I suppose - didn't want to have a reason to dislike SeaWorld. At the same time, I care about animal welfare, and I believe in data and research. If animal behavior experts say the shows are bad for the whales, no matter how much I liked seeing those shows, I have to admit that they should stop.
In some respects, I feel poorly for ever having enjoyed a show that may have hurt the whales. I also recognize my acceptance of the need for change as the kind of reflection I hope to employ in future decisions, as well. As humans, we should continue to evolve as more and better information becomes available to us. My first instinct here was to ignore the data or seek out studies that supported my feelings. Instead, I tried to read the information with an open mind. It was pretty compelling. Even though I am sad that I will never see another killer whale show, I am glad that SeaWorld is ending them.
We should apply this process of discernment to any major decision. People all have preconceived notions and biases, but sometimes we have to accept new information that might contradict our beliefs. I'm certainly not great at it, but I'm making small steps to be better.
In the meantime, there are YouTube videos of killer whale shows if I need to regress every now and then!
Before it closed, there was a SeaWorld not very far from where I lived. My family went a few times, and my Girl Scout troop even got to sleep there overnight. We stayed in the Shark Encounter exhibit, and it was exciting to wake up with sharks swimming overhead. It's not hard to see why, as a child, I loved SeaWorld. The shows were entertaining, and I found the animals very interesting. I saw species I couldn't see in any other zoo. In fact, I loved the animals so much that I began to consider a career in marine biology. I even contemplate becoming a trainer, but I realized I would probably never pass the swim tests in cold, salty water.
To some extent, SeaWorld did accomplish good even back then. It made me care about their animals, and I became even more conservation-minded. I assumed some day I would take my own children to one of the parks to inspire them, too - and to have a fun day at the same time.
Things have changed, of course. I never watched Blackfish, but I read about it, and my friend gave me a pretty good summary. A part of me - my inner child, I suppose - didn't want to have a reason to dislike SeaWorld. At the same time, I care about animal welfare, and I believe in data and research. If animal behavior experts say the shows are bad for the whales, no matter how much I liked seeing those shows, I have to admit that they should stop.
In some respects, I feel poorly for ever having enjoyed a show that may have hurt the whales. I also recognize my acceptance of the need for change as the kind of reflection I hope to employ in future decisions, as well. As humans, we should continue to evolve as more and better information becomes available to us. My first instinct here was to ignore the data or seek out studies that supported my feelings. Instead, I tried to read the information with an open mind. It was pretty compelling. Even though I am sad that I will never see another killer whale show, I am glad that SeaWorld is ending them.
We should apply this process of discernment to any major decision. People all have preconceived notions and biases, but sometimes we have to accept new information that might contradict our beliefs. I'm certainly not great at it, but I'm making small steps to be better.
In the meantime, there are YouTube videos of killer whale shows if I need to regress every now and then!
I actually returned to Sea world a couple years ago. It was still exciting, but it definitely did have a different feel. I did watch blackish (Years after my last visit to Sea world) but even without seeing it, the tanks still seemed very small for such a large animal. I too am glad they are are stopping the whale shows.
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