I was only referring to use for entertainment and theme park shows.
You know, I agree with you here. Not that I would boycott Sea World, but I really don't enjoy the "shows". I recently went to Sea World San Diego with my kids. They are young...preschool age, so I wanted them to see some "real" sea animals, not just see them on television.
I have to say, I hadn't been to Sea World for a LONG time (+15 years), and when I went there, I remembered why. I just don't ENJOY the shows. I think it's sort of weird that a huge crowd gathers and finds it SO funny and interesting to watch dolphins and whales jump through hoops. I just don't get how that's entertaining at all. I sort of felt uneasy watching it, and THANKFULLY, my kids were not amused either. They were totally indifferent to the shows, so we saw two of them (Believe with Shamu, and the dolphin acrobatic show) and that was it. We enjoyed the other exhibits and rides/play areas. My kids haven't asked to go back (this was last summer), and I'm glad. I just found the park to be sort of trashy overall...not what I'm used to visiting Disneyland all the time. And, the "beer gardens"...I don't know. Didn't like it. Too many DRUNK people hooting and hollering at the shows. Just a weird vibe.
To be straight with you, though, MOST of the animals in the shows were BORN in captivity, at Sea World. They have never known their "natural" environment. This is what they do, and what they know. If you tried to let them go free, they'd die pretty quickly.
I do trust that Sea World is very responsible for the care of the animals. That's not where I take issue. Like you, I find it just wrong to get all excited about seeing animals "perform". I find this wrong on EVERY level. I don't like circuses, I don't like pet "stunt shows", I sort of even feel this way about DOG SHOWS. It's just weird to me. These animals wouldn't be doing this stuff if HUMANS didn't make them, and that's what is strange to me.
Animals are wonderful companions, but I think it goes too far when we use them solely for entertainment.