• Full Story

SeaWorld death: Should whales be kept in captivity?

Email
Print

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 9:09p.m.

Should wild animals like the orca be kept in captivity for entertainment value? (Reuters)

Should wild animals like the orca be kept in captivity for entertainment value? (Reuters)

The death of a trainer at Florida's SeaWorld on Wednesday has sparked calls for an end to the captivity of whales.

Dawn Brancheau, 40, was playing with the park's largest orca when she was grabbed by her pony tail and pulled underwater, where she was thrown around so wildly her shoe came off. She drowned moments later.

The incident has raised questions regarding the confinement of oceangoing mammals, with animal rights activists and marine biologists labelling their captivity "unethical".

Do we still need to keep whales captive in order to study them and raise awareness? Or has technology improved enough for us to educate without having to take these creatures out of their natural habitat?

Is it exploitation to force the animals to perform tricks, purely for entertainment value?

Is it cruel to expect a wild animal to live a happy and fulfilled life in a tank, or do whales born in captivity know no different?

Click here to see a photogallery of orca in captivity vs the wild

Become a fan of 3 News on Facebook and on Twitter.

Post a Comment

Before commenting, please take the time to read our moderation guide


(Won't be published)



Comments

07 Mar 2010 03:39p.m.

robbie wrote:

what right do we have to hold these creatures captive for money making entertainment? try living your life in a box and getting food only when you perform a trick..see how you would feel..i hope they kill more of these moron's then maybe they'll get the message, just like those idiots holding lions and elephants captive. No sympathy for the filthy money makers.

06 Mar 2010 03:43p.m.

Mark W Miller wrote:

Whales and dolphins are intelligent animals they shouldn't be held captive for our entertainment but they shouldn't be hunted ether or have there habitat polluted.

05 Mar 2010 08:07a.m.

smiles wrote:

NO definatly not who are we to hold any creature in captivity?

04 Mar 2010 10:41p.m.

Karen R wrote:

Animals should never be kept in captivity for the sole purpose of entertaining the masses and generating income. I agree with Skarabrae... Nature always wins.... eventually...

04 Mar 2010 10:33p.m.

celia wrote:

whales should be set free and left alone not being paraded in public they need to be set free and taken back to the sea

04 Mar 2010 10:20p.m.

Terence wrote:

Animals this size should not be kept in captivity, it must cause them great distress being condemned to life imprisonment. If people want to see these animals they need to be prepared to put in a bit of effort and go on a whale watching trip.

04 Mar 2010 06:54p.m.

symphony wrote:

thats what you call a killer whale its so sad! i think whales should be free!

04 Mar 2010 02:03p.m.

katrina cooper wrote:

they are wild anamals let them be free god didnt put them in a tank he made them free. its man that put them in a tank.and that sux let them go

04 Mar 2010 08:57a.m.

Amonhotep III wrote:

Free Willy!!

04 Mar 2010 03:41a.m.

Samari wrote:

I think whales could be kept in captivity,but let Tilaca back in the wild because nobody wants to see a death during a show.