SeaWorld is an leisure firm that confines animals to cramped concrete tanks at its marine parks throughout the U.S. Its enterprise is constructed on the struggling of delicate, social animals. This week, the enterprise is celebrating its 60th anniversary with the slogan “60 years of SeaWorld. A lot extra to sea.” And there is extra to see: Years of hard-hitting campaigns by PETA and the eye-opening documentary Blackfish have uncovered the marine park chain’s lies, revealing {that a} extra becoming slogan to mark its grim anniversary could be “60 years of SeaWorld abuse. A lot extra behind the scenes.”
Be taught extra about 60+ animals SeaWorld has harmed over the previous 60 years:
1. Corky
Orca Corky was captured in 1969 off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, forcibly and violently separated from her pod, and bought into captivity. From 1977 to 1986, on the now-defunct Marineland of the Pacific in California, she was used as a breeding machine and bred together with her personal cousin six instances. None of her infants survived longer than 47 days.
In 1987, Corky was transferred to SeaWorld San Diego, the place her final being pregnant led to a miscarriage. Her lifeless child was discovered on the backside of a tank. Right now she is locked inside considered one of SeaWorld’s tiny tanks, the place she swims in infinite circles. Her siblings and different members of her pod nonetheless swim freely within the ocean, however the one life she is aware of is considered one of deprivation, struggling, and loss.
2.–25. The 24 dolphins who had been shipped around the globe to SeaWorld Abu Dhabi in 2022
These victims of SeaWorld’s exploitation embrace Alice, Haven, and Zip, who had been shipped from SeaWorld San Antonio; Tiger, Potter, Tinker, Roka, Dexter, Delilah, Storm, Naia, and Nala, who had been shipped from SeaWorld Orlando; Daphne, Venus, Connie, Kali, Blue, and Bodie, who had been shipped from SeaWorld San Diego; and Kona, who died at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi when she was simply 7 years previous.
26. Martha
In 1988, Martha was kidnapped from her ocean residence close to Manitoba, Canada, the place wild belugas journey into Hudson Bay and river estuaries to present beginning. She was then shipped to SeaWorld San Antonio in Texas, the place she has been repeatedly impregnated, giving beginning to 5 calves. All however considered one of them are lifeless.
27. Tilikum
Tilikum was solely 2 years previous when he was captured within the ocean close to Iceland in 1983. Possible pissed off by his confinement and lack of autonomy, he was concerned within the deaths of three people, together with coach Daybreak Brancheau. As a punishment for her demise, SeaWorld saved him in solitary confinement for a yr.
Along with forcing Tilikum to carry out, SeaWorld has used him as a breeding machine. Employees masturbated him and forcibly impregnated feminine orcas utilizing his sperm. He’s the organic father of greater than half the orcas who’ve been born at SeaWorld.
Tillikum died after 33 depressing years imprisoned in captivity. His tragic life—revealed to thousands and thousands within the documentary Blackfish—modified the best way the general public thinks about protecting orcas in captivity.
28. Shamu
When Shamu was violently torn away from her household, her mom was harpooned and killed proper in entrance of her. She was dragged away and bought to SeaWorld San Diego, the place she was disadvantaged of meals with the intention to dominate her into submission in order that she would study tips. She was pressured to carry out within the first-ever orca present at SeaWorld in 1965.
Shamu was exploited in reveals till an incident in 1971 by which a park worker was instructed to experience on her again for a televised publicity stunt. When the girl fell off, the orca clamped her enamel down on her leg and refused to let go. A coach shoved a pole into her mouth and pried her jaws open. The orca was retired from reveals, however she didn’t reside for much longer.
Shamu died later in 1971 of pyometra (a uterine an infection) and septicemia (blood poisoning) at 9 years previous. For years, SeaWorld continued to make use of the title for varied different orcas who had been pressured to carry out in its reveals.
29.–39. Ten Child Penguins
In 2011, SeaWorld took 10 child penguins away from their dad and mom in Antarctica and shipped them to its San Diego location for “analysis functions.”
40. Nanuq
Beluga whale Nanuq was kidnapped from his residence waters and household at 6 years previous. SeaWorld workers used him for a synthetic insemination experiment, eradicating him from the water some 42 instances in order that employees might accumulate his sperm.
Six of his infants died at beginning or shortly after. Nanuq died after his jaw was shattered in an altercation with one other whale.
41. Betsy
Betsy, a Commerson’s dolphin, was a child when she was captured within the ocean and brought first to an aquarium and later to SeaWorld San Diego. There, she and her tankmates had been reportedly moved to a tank behind the abusement park as a result of they had been unpopular with guests. In January 2016, she was shipped throughout the nation to SeaWorld’s Aquatica Orlando. Simply days after the transfer, Betsy died at age 33.
42. Kasatka
Orca Kasatka was kidnapped from her household when she was simply 1 yr previous, robbing her of any semblance of a pure life.
She spent most of her life in a tiny tank at SeaWorld San Diego, though she’d lived components of it at every of the 4 SeaWorld parks within the U.S.—together with the now-defunct SeaWorld Ohio—having been transferred between amenities 14 instances in simply eight years. Employees pressured her to carry out in as many as eight reveals a day.
Earlier than her demise in 2017, Kasatka had been affected by a bacterial lung an infection since at the very least 2008, and her ailing physique was lined in lesions. Although she was sick and on treatment on the time, SeaWorld artificially inseminated her in 2011 and compelled her to bear a calf for its parks to use.
43. Obie
Walrus Obie spent 18 years confined to a tiny tank that was lined with a skinny layer of inexperienced algae. The bogus habitat drove him insane. He usually displayed psychological misery by urgent his mouth towards the glass and repeatedly regurgitating and swallowing his meals. He additionally suffered from blindness. Eye injury is frequent in imprisoned pinnipeds, because the tanks to which they’re confined not often enable for a lot shade from the tough solar.
44. Bossa
Dolphin Bossa by no means felt the cool ocean breeze on her dorsal fin or skilled the liberty to discover as much as 60 miles of open ocean on daily basis. As a substitute, she was born at SeaWorld Orlando in 1977 and doomed to confinement in concrete tanks. In 2006, she was transferred from SeaWorld Orlando to Discovery Cove, one other SeaWorld-operated abusement park in the identical metropolis. There, she gave beginning to her first calf—a stillborn who by no means had an opportunity to bond together with her. She was then shuffled again to SeaWorld Orlando, the place she gave beginning to her second calf, Haley. In 2014, she went into labor for the third time, enduring one other stillbirth, which brought on her severe trauma. She died just some days later.
45. Nakai
In August 2022, Nakai, whereas reportedly being handled for an an infection, turned the 44th orca to die on SeaWorld’s watch. He was born into captivity at SeaWorld San Diego, the place he was imprisoned till his demise 21 years later.
In 2012, Nakai was attacked by two different orcas—as a consequence of being housed with incompatible orcas in a tiny tank—and misplaced a piece of his jaw, exposing tissue and bone. Following the ugly altercation, PETA filed a criticism urging federal officers to take motion towards SeaWorld, alleging that the corporate had violated the federal Animal Welfare Act by housing incompatible orcas collectively.
46. and 47. Kandu V and Orkid
Kandu the orca was caught off the coast of Iceland in 1977. Her daughter, Orkid, was born in captivity throughout a present at SeaWorld San Diego in 1988 in entrance of a screaming crowd of vacationers. Orkid’s father, Orky II, died of pneumonia simply three days after she was born.
Orkid spent plenty of time with Corky once they shared a tank, however this may increasingly have led to jealousy, and Orkid’s mom, Kandu, attacked her. Forcefully charging Corky, Kandu broke her personal jaw, severing arteries in her head. Orkid watched as her mom, solely 14 years previous, bled to demise in entrance of her.
48. to 60. 12 Dolphins captured off the coast of Chile
In 1983, 12 dolphins had been torn from their residence waters in Chile to be placed on show at SeaWorld. Half of them died inside six months.
All of the Different Animals Who Have Died at SeaWorld Parks
Greater than 40 orcas and over 500 different dolphins and whales have additionally died at these depressing operations, many prematurely.
What You Can Do: Urge SeaWorld to Ship Corky to a Seaside Sanctuary
Though SeaWorld ended its orca-breeding program, that does nothing to assist animals like Corky, who will proceed to swim in circles inside tiny tanks for many years till they die. The corporate should launch these long-suffering people to seaside sanctuaries, the place they might have some semblance of a pure life. Demand that SeaWorld do the suitable factor:
