SeaWorld's Response to "The Cove"

[AnninIowa]

Here is the link on Oprah.com to the show she did about "The Cove": http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Filmmakers-Reveal-Dolphin-Slaughter-in-The-Cove

 

[challer]

I saw the movie in the theater, so I wasn't shutting it off. I stayed 'till the end. I was floored.

For me, it's not just the market that Sea World is king of that may be leading to the Japan atrocities. It's not just the keeping animals in captivity. It's the fact that these animals in captivity are trained to dance and do tricks for us in the name of "awareness."

The marine life (dolphins, killer whales) are anatomically built for life in the wide open sea. They have very sensitive organs that detect small vibrations in the waves and can act like sonar, and it is sensitive enough to detect other sea life for miles away. It doesn't make a difference where these animals come from - wild or breeding center - their bodies, sensory system, and nervous system are not built for small areas. It may be similar to putting us in a room with a constant fog horn. And they will never be able to be released in the wild. Why are we breeding animals that will only be able to live in tanks? It's good that SW spends money to protect marine habitats, but the marine life we see at the shows will never be able to encounter those habitats.

I also take issue with something Jack Hanna said (besides that at some point he sounds like a raving lunatic). He said Sea World does a class act job bringing the wildlife to the people, to expose them to us, because there are only 3-4 places that people can see this, and people don't have the money to go out and see them in their natural habitat. As if this is the only possible way we would ever know what a killer whale is. I disagree. All along both coasts - from Boston to the Keys, from Vancouver to San Diego - there are whale watching and dolphin watching tours where one can see these creatures in their natural habitat. And they are affordable considering what you pay for a ticket to Sea World. I saw dolphins on a jet ski tour off of Key West. I went on a whale watching day cruise on my vacation to Vancouver/Seattle - we saw over 30 killer whales (adults and babies) and some sea lions. My kids remember this day much more than our day at Sea World Sand Diego 5 months before (except they do remember the Sesame Street play area). How much? $125/adult, $85/kid. Sea World one day ticket: $79/$69. But, I guess, you don't get to ride Manta on the whale cruise. But then again, are we expecting everyone to remember to care for our sea friends and habitats when the dancing whale show is sandwiched between breakfast with Elmo and a ride on Kracken?

(Also, when someone goes on a defensive rant and then says, "Doesn't congress have anything better to do than focus on whales and dolphins?" I get suspicious that maybe they just don't want the spotlight on them.)

At the end of the film, The Cove, there was a reference to a website: http://www.savejapandolphins.org/ I signed it without hesitation (and so did over 1 million others). I don't feel that Sea World is an evil entity - not at all - and Sea World is in no way the only theme park we should be focusing on. I just believe there is a better way to do things than what is happening in Sea World right now.

Kudos for Pete for (trying to) see the film. I encourage the rest of the 'cast crew to give it a look.

 

[mjaclyn]

I haven't seen The Cove and I most likely won't watch it. I'm a big fan of documentaries but wouldn't be able to sit through seeing the abuse of animals. I'm not exactly sure why Pete was so upset with Sea World after seeing that show. I understand that they purchase most of their dolphins from that location, but isn't that a good thing? I mean, the dolphins that aren't sold to Sea World are killed for their meat. So, the way I see it...Sea World is saving the dolphins from being slaughtered. Yes, they put them into captivity but if I were a dolphin I'd rather be in captivity than be dead. It would be a different issue if those people would stop collecting dolphins completely if Sea World stopped buying them, but I don't think that would happen. It sounds like they make a lot of money by selling them for their meat because it's so popular in that country. Also, if they didn't make a considerable amount of money from it wouldn't they just let the other dolphins go? Again, I haven't seen the movie so I don't know the whole story, but from what I heard it sounds like Sea World saves the dolphins from being killed by buying them.

And I didn't like the interview with Jack Hanna. He seemed very intense...

 

[Justin Jett]

SeaWorld does do a great job caring for their animals.

 

[challer]

SeaWorld does do a great job caring for their animals.

The question is: should they be there in the first place?

 

[dpuck1998]

The question is: should they be there in the first place?

Who decides that? Should anyone have a pet dog? How about goldfish? Everyone draws a line at some point. How come we only protect the cute animals? We eat cows, some people worship them.

 

[Justin Jett]

Who decides that? Should anyone have a pet dog? How about goldfish? Everyone draws a line at some point. How come we only protect the cute animals? We eat cows, some people worship them.

Very well said, Don.

It is important to remember that ALL animals were wild at some point in time. Someone had to decide to domesticate dogs, cats, and goldfish.

Some people have said that SeaWorld should not train the animals to do tricks. However, many people train their housepets to do tricks. Why? Is it for the pet's mental stimulation Or, is it for the owner's entertainment? The answer is a little bit of both. Dogs and cats do not roam freely. Owners give them toys to play with. SeaWorld does the exact same thing. The whales get toys and treats, just like housepets do.

 

[Justin Jett]

The question is: should they be there in the first place?

Absolutely, they should be there. While I do not that the whales should be balancing a trainer on the whale's nose or tricks of that nature.... Training them to show a natural behavior is a very important part of studying these awesome animals.

Also, it may not be financially or logistically possible for people to see animals in their natural habitat.

 

[challer]

Who decides that? Should anyone have a pet dog? How about goldfish? Everyone draws a line at some point. How come we only protect the cute animals? We eat cows, some people worship them.

I don't know the answer. That doesn't mean we shouldn't think about it or discuss it.

Some think the "dog farm" at Michael Vick's place was normal - because "it's a Southern thing." Does that mean I just don't understand the culture, so we should all back off?

 

[challer]

Also, it may not be financially or logistically possible for people to see animals in their natural habitat.

I guess my suggestion above doesn't wash. It was pretty darn easy for me. I just went to the coast, found a tour, and did it.

 

[challer]

Very well said, Don.

It is important to remember that ALL animals were wild at some point in time. Someone had to decide to domesticate dogs, cats, and goldfish.

Some people have said that SeaWorld should not train the animals to do tricks. However, many people train their housepets to do tricks. Why? Is it for the pet's mental stimulation Or, is it for the owner's entertainment? The answer is a little bit of both. Dogs and cats do not roam freely. Owners give them toys to play with. SeaWorld does the exact same thing. The whales get toys and treats, just like housepets do.

Wait a minute. Sea World is essentially domesticating killer whales and dolphins? We approve of this?

Do you know how most dolphins and whales get mental stimulation? Living and swimming in the great blue sea. We only need to give the Sea World creatures stimulation because they live in concrete tanks. They are in those tanks solely for our applause.

 

[Justin Jett]

I guess my suggestion above doesn't wash. It was pretty darn easy for me. I just went to the coast, found a tour, and did it.

There are people, like youself, who are able to do that. That is great. However, it is important to remember that many people cannot just go. Some people have to save money for a long time to go on any type of vacation.

As for the tour, there are people who are not physically able to board a boat. Even if the boat was easy to board, the motion of an ocean-going vessel may be hard for someone to deal with health wise.

Please understand that I am not saying that your point about the whale watching tour is wrong. I do agree that people who are able to go on a whale watching tour should absolutely do it. I am just trying to point out that it may not be possible for some people to do so.

 

[Justin Jett]

Wait a minute. Sea World is essentially domesticating killer whales and dolphins? We approve of this?

Do you know how most dolphins and whales get mental stimulation? Living and swimming in the great blue sea. We only need to give the Sea World creatures stimulation because they live in concrete tanks. They are in those tanks solely for our applause.

SeaWorld is a very educational place. They have many educational opportunities.

 

[eeyorethegreat]

Obviously we can make arguments for and against whether Sea World should keep marine animals (of course if they couldn't keep animals there would be no Sea World). Animal Kingdom has great enclosures for their Animals BUT those lions don't get to hunt down their prey, maintain a pride, defend it against other encroaching prides as they would in the wild. They don't have the space that they do in the wild (in example). This can be said about every facility that holds animals. Some of course maintain and care for their species in resident better than others. The big question isn't about Sea World then itself it is whether any animal should be kept out of the wild.

I do feel that places like Sea World have their place in our world. I also feel that we need to do more to maintain and increase the populations of wildlife (thanks to humans many are on the decline).

Going on a whale watch was mentioned by a PP. I have done this as well. However and argument could be made that taking all those boats out to observe whales in the wild is putting those whales at risk. It is never just one boat or just one tourist it is many from many different companies. These boats get very close to the whales, the traffic that all these boats is right in the middle of their natural habitat. Basically it is like walking into someone's house univited and helping yourself to the amenities there. That isn't good for the whales either. Whales have been injured by these boats, not to mention the noise and chemical pollution that they cause. However seeing an animal in its natural habitat is a touching and moving experience. Should we not venture to see wildlife in their natural habitats?

My point is, one can be totally on one side or the other but both sides can't completely address the issue of what is best for wildlife. A lot of the dire situations wildlife is in is directly due to what humans have done. It doesn't seem that there is any longer a "right" answer. It is a heck of a lot easier to destroy something than it is to rebuild it.

 

[TeriofTerror]

I'm not well researched on the subject, but are the dolphins at Sea World all that much different than the animals at Animal Kingdom? They are also kept in a very small enviroment, compared to being in the wild? I know that Disney does alot of rescue work and work for endangered species, ect...but so does Sea World.

I've thought about this too, and for me the difference is that instead of being stuck in a tiny tank, at AK great effort has been made to recreate their natural habitat. And all of the animals at AK were bought from other zoos, etc. They are much better off now than they were before! Not to mention that animals low on the food chain are probably much safer than if they were in the wild

 

[dpuck1998]

 

[mainegal]

CAKE!!!
Dolphin cake?

 

[Justin Jett]

CAKE!!!
Dolphin cake?

Leave it to Donny!

 

[DizMom11]

http://ht.ly/1Ip1W

Animal dies at sea world by drowning

 

[dpuck1998]

http://ht.ly/1Ip1W

Animal dies at sea world by drowning

That was an unbiased story there hu, not that the facts were inaccurate, but there sure was a lot of emotion.

Sorry, just went and re-read and noticed it was on PETA's website.....