If the Whale Wanted Him Dead . . .

Does anyone really think that Ken Peters would be alive if Kasatka, the 5,000+ pound orca wanted him dead? Fortunately, Peters is fine, and Kasatka has already returned to Sea World, performing without a hitch.

You may recall a different orca "attack" at a theme park in Southern California that didn’t end as well for anyone. The theme park secretary rides the whale, who then takes her for way more than a ride. The secretary needs 100+ stitches and makes a full recovery, and soon thereafter, the whale gets killed (ahem, euthanized).

Back in September, I was verklempt when I discovered, thanks to the buzzkills at vegan porn, that I shouldn’t be drinking Michelob Ultra, which was the only beer I was willing to drink. Anheuser-Busch makes it, and they also sponsor oodles of professional rodeos, and own Sea World. Naturally, I wrote to them, and they wrote back immediately, basically telling me they weren’t about to change anything about what they do. It’s worth repeating that the Marine Mammal Captivity Booklet, created by the Humane Society of the United States and the World Society for the Protection of Animals, states that almost half of the orcas ("killer whales") in captivity are owned by Sea World Inc.

As for reasons not to capture, breed, "exhibit," and keep orcas captive, there are many, including the significant risks to humans, some of which we’ve seen over the past couple of months. Though Sea World will insist that they are helping protect orcas and prolonging their lives by keeping them captive, the reality is that captive orcas experience a greatly increased risk of dying at any given time in life than do wild orcas, according to the Marine Mammal Captivity Booklet (p. 51). Their size and complex physical and social requirements clearly cause them to suffer serious negative consequences when they are confined in, what for them, are tiny tanks.

Let’s face it: Performing orcas exist for one reason only–as a revenue stream for Sea World and other theme parks. My proof? Shamu is a brand. The original Shamu was taken into captivity in 1965 in Puget Sound and lived at Sea World in California for six years–then died. But Sea World keeps the myth alive because of the name recognition that keeps the cash flowing.

Regardless of how many uneventful shows there are with orcas, keeping such huge, complex creatures in low-stimulus confinement, is cruel. Boycott Sea World, and any other theme park that "exhibits" orcas.