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Risa Dobbs Prof. Jackie November 15, 2013 Word Count: Argue for Sea World I. Introduction: a) Side A believes Sea World is wholesome fun and simple entertainment. Group B (my group) believes that Sea World is abusing their animals by holding them in captivity for such an extensive amount of time. Then forcing them to perform. b) Thesis: If orcas are continuously being kept in captivity theyre being abused which is what Sea World says they are against. I feel Orcas should be saved a sheltered, but then set free back into the wild where they belong. II. Body Paragraph 1: a) Acquiring Orca whales for the Sea Worlds most famous exhibit The Shamu Show takes time and young whales, but the only way to get young whales is to either breed them, which takes too much time, or get them from the oceans. Most mother whales are not going to willing give up their babies so some people will just kidnap the whales and sometimes kill the mothers. b) Kidnapping whales from their home environment and then placing them somewhere new can cause serious damage mentally to the animals and adding the fact that there is no more mother figure to give a sense of protection can leave the whale vulnerable, but maybe that is what Sea World wants

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c) Stripping a baby away from its mother is very damaging by itself but the torture doesnt stop there. After being taken away, the whale is then stuck into what seems like a big bathtub to live the rest of its now short life. III. Body Paragraph 2: a) Orca whales have been proven to live shorter lives while in captivity. A typical Orca whale will live to be in its 50s, but by being held in captivity the life span is cut so dramatically. The average orca that lives in captivity only lives about 10 years. b) Orcas go through depression stages while being held in a small water cage. Some get so depressed they begin to swim in circles and thrust their bodies at the glass in attempt to break free. Thrusting themselves at the glass is not only sad, it is painful. Many Orca whales are reported with having damaged fins and trauma. c) Training the orcas whales is also a way to torture because they are not doing it to themselves. It is someone else teaching them and constantly on them about doing a certain move. IV. Body Paragraph 3: a) Orca whales are not born with the skills to flip when someone taps water or not trained splash people just for the fun of it. These whales have to use operant conditioning to do so and there is never a full proof answer as to how Sea Worlds trains their whales. b) Most people do not see what is really happening behind closed doors. All people observe is these whales doing tricks and flips for mere entertainment. These whales

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do more than 3 shows a day and that is abuse. After the show is over these orca whales are then put back into their cramped living spaces until the next show. c) I feel this is a bad environment for any animal or any living thing, because after a few years of being in the same box and doing the same tricks over and over it can become harmful in the long run to the mental state of the animal and harmful on the body hence why these animals only live for so long in captivity. V. Conclusion: a) Sea World is one of the largest aquatic parks in the United States and with this reputation must keep up their numbers by acquiring new talent to show case to the mass media, but no one ever seems to realize that acquiring these animals is more like kidnapping. After the kidnapping then comes the injuries and the mental damage, but not just from being trapped in a box but from being forced to participate in the same activities multiple times a day every day. Sea World is a harmful environment for sea life, mostly the Orca Whale. Their biggest attraction The Shamu Show brings in people from all different countries, but there is no account as to how long in captivity is to long for money.