From everyone’s favorite place to visit foreign aquatic life. To the poster child of animal cruelty cases within theme parks.

   Throughout the past 20 years activists, filmmakers, celebrities and politicians have expressed concern for a “family-friendly” theme park that Rakes in millions a month with three different locations across the United States, Sea-World, home to some of the most unhealthy and sad Orcas the world has ever seen. The words “Free Tilly,” echoing in the Orca Encounter stadium. The lives lost in that same pool seen in all the commercials and by families..

   The full truth of the abuse and overcrowding of orcas at sea-world will never exist due to non-disclosure agreements the victims of these attacks ratified after being presented by Sea-world,

but what is known is that in its year’s sea-world has had 92 trainer-related incidents with orcas alone. 

   The most well-known incident happened at Sea-World Orlando with a 40-year old fan favorite trainer Dawn Brancheau. During a “Dine With Orcas” performance, Tilikum was supposedly not reinforced with food after not hearing Dawn’s call to come to claim the fish. Tilikum’s demeanor immediately changed and he began to disobey the performance. Dawn then called the show-off and started a private bonding session with the 12,500-pound Orca. 

   Tilikum then grabbed her right elbow and dragged her into the depths of his 30ft stadium. Tilikum did not let go of Dawn’s mangled body for 45 minutes. Witnesses saw the entire altercation to completion.

   Sea-worlds lawyers tried to say that Dawn was pulled by her hair and drowned, but the autopsy results yielded, jawbone fractures, full scalping, severe blunt force trauma and a severed spine. 

   The fact that Dine With Orcas is still a show at Sea-World speaks volumes about the financial focus of these parks. It doesn’t take 92 incidents to realize trainers probably shouldn’t be in a  pool with a 12,500-pound animal that’s been raised out of it’s natural environment since it was one years old. To this date there have been zero recorded incidents with Orcas and humans in the wild, they are naturally friendly and curious animals.

   Orcas lifespan in captivity is only 10 years for both genders meanwhile Orcas in the wild live 60-100 years. Orcas also dive about 1,000 feet every day, while the pools in the Sea-World are only 30 feet. The parking lot is approximately 5 times the size of the Orca pools, this is a huge issue that has been overlooked by guests for years. 

   If the Orcas that Sea-World goes out into the wild and hunts cannot be accommodated for the state should not allow for them to be kept in suboptimal conditions.