Every year, people from all over the US travel to Orlando, Florida to visit one of the most popular theme parks in the world, Seaworld. This park gives guests the opportunity to see animals that nobody can see almost anywhere else. Animals like killer whales, bottlenose dolphins, manatees and more. These rare animals put on shows that the whole family can enjoy, however it is assured that they do not enjoy it and people should not either

On July 19 at the Sarasota film festival, and then again this past October on CNN, “Blackfish” was released to the public. This documentary, produced by Manuel Oteyza and directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, focused directly on Seaworld and their horrible treatment of killer whales and Seaworld using a whale named, Tilicum, or more commonly know as, “Shamu” in their performances, despite the fact that the whale has taken multiple lives of trainers. What this video has revealed and proved indefinitely is that Seaworld has mishandled and mistreated killer whales and something must be done.

Seaworld has been cruelly treating the orcas for a long time. Keeping them in the tiny tanks is inhumane and evil. These beautiful animals are meant to be in massive oceans with their families, which they may possibly be more connected with than even humans are connected to their families. Research has shown that orcas have a higher developed brain in respect to emotional response than humans do. Imagine a child being taken from their family.

“Scientists are trying to better understand how killer whales are able to learn local dialects, teach one another specialized methods of hunting and pass on behaviors that can persist for generations — longer possibly than seen with any other species except humans,” wrote Kevin Spear, a scientist for phys.org.

It is often questioned what could be the cause of the attacks from the killer whales. Some think it could be that they are kept in too small of pools or that it is because they are left in these tiny pools with no where to go and are constantly attacked by other orcas.

“These researchers have yet to find evidence that an orca in the wild has ever killed a person. But they aren’t surprised that the world’s biggest, most powerful and possibly smartest predator, captured and kept for years in a tank, cut off from the influences of an extended family, could have a fatal encounter with a human,” continued Spear.

These whales have now been taken from their families, made to perform for food, beaten by other orcas and now are expected to behave perfectly? It is ludicrous.

“If we are talking about whether killer whales have the wherewithal and the cognitive capacity to intentionally strike out at someone, or to be angry, or to really know what they are doing, I would have to say the answer is yes.” said Lori Marino, part of the Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology Program at Emory University in Atlanta.

While Seaworld does, in-fact, do a lot for many types of animals through charity work, donations and animal rescues, they are doing too much harm to these animals because of greed. It is time that the program that keeps the orcas to be disbanded for good.