Demand that SeaWorld stops keeping animals (such as whales and orcas) in captivity.

Reasons: •Captive animals are tortured and starved •Captive animal families are separated •Captive animals are threatened into being entertainment •Cruelty against animals •Sea World mistreats animals for selfish reasons like making money •Dangerous things that happen (such as deaths by captive animals) are hidden from the public, so animals look like they are being treated well •In 1965, Shamu was the first orca to perform at Seaworld. Shamu's mother was harpooned and killed, as young Shamu was watching. •Scientific research concludes that when humans swim/dive with dolphins it causes the dolphins stress. Sea World is well aware if this, and still allows swimming/diving with dolphins to take place at the park. •Tilikum is one of many animals that was kidnapped from his ocean home, when he was not injured. Tilikum was forced into a small captive space, while Sea World was getting all the money. •If Tilikum (one of the orcas) did not perform his trick right, not only him, but other female orcas with him were starved. The females became angry with Tilikum, and scratched his skin hard enough to make marks. •The orcas discovered by Sea World who weren't captured, were killed. •These words written by "SeaWorld Hurt, Where Happiness Tanks" (http://www.seaworldofhurt.com/ten-things.aspx) explains one of the many horrible things SeaWorld hired people to do to the animals. " Griffin's partner, Don Goldsberry, later worked for SeaWorld and was assigned to bring orcas into the park. He continued kidnapping and slaughtering orcas, and at one point, he hired divers to slit open the bellies of four orcas, fill them with rocks, put anchors around their tails, and sink them to the bottom of the ocean so that their deaths would not be discovered." •Whales usually choose their mates in the ocean, but while held captive in SeaWorld, they are forced to breed with a chosen animal of their species. •The life span of captivated animals at SeaWorld are decreased by 30-70 years. •Male orca fins are collapsed, which SeaWorld says is normal. However, this shows signs of unhealthy orcas. •SeaWorld does an extremely poor job of taking care of the animals. •Most performers have no formal education in marine biology. All they do is put on a show for customers, while having no knowledge about the whales they are harming. •SeaWorld claims they haven't taken killer whales from the ocean in 35 years, this does not change the fact that each year more and more whales are born into captivity: this means they are born into torture, starvation, and a life of being ordered around.

Citations: The Movie "Blackfish" "Sea World Responds to Blackfish Documentary, Sea Shepherd Sets the Record Straight." EcoWatch. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://ecowatch.com/2013/12/23/sea-world-responds-to-blackfish-documentary/>. "Ten Things You Didn't Know About SeaWorld." SeaWorld Of Hurt: Where Happiness Tanks. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://www.seaworldofhurt.com/ten-things.aspx>.

by: Abbey Brantley, Grace Brantley, Katie Brantley, and Kristy Duncan