Ethics of animals in aquariums

Aquariums:

The documentary ‘Blackfish’ inspired me to base my essay on this topic, as the main bulk of the programme is based on Tilikum and the truth behind how he is 'cared' for by Sea World.

In the wild, male Orcas can live for up to 80 years, and females can live for over 100. The average age of death for an orca at Sea World is a mere 7 years old. Early death for all animals is not the case for all animals in captivity -in many zoos animals can live for much longer than they would in the wild, but if the animal is unhappy surely this cannot be a good thing? If an animal is showing signs of zoochosis, the animal is being kept alive purely for the entertainment of humans and as a source of income for the captivity centre

In captivity, Orcas grind their teeth down on the bars and sides of the enclosures in the hope of escape – and this often requires painful dental procedures. Orcas are very friendly, social, family-orientated animals who stay with their mother for a large proportion of their life. Captivity centres often snatch baby Orcas from their mothers in the ocean and throw them into chlorinated pools with other whales. Orca fighting rarely happens in the ocean as the different groups can swim away from one another, but it is a different story when it comes to whales in tanks. It is a common occurrence for older whales to attack younger whales in captivity, especially when they are being crammed into enclosures in close proximity to each other. The whales are left in small tanks overnight for 14 hours whilst waiting for the parks to open the next day so that they can perform their demeaning tricks for deluded onlookers.

Tilikum has now died from a chronic lung infection. In the last 10 years 59 animals have died at SeaWorld. Globally, people are fighting against Sea World and their ability to hold animals captive, with the petition #DontBuyATicket taking place. Sea World claim to care for their Orcas but can captivity even begin to measure up to freedom?

Even under the best conditions in the world, captivity cannot begin to compare to animals living in their natural habitat. Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to interfere with an animal’s natural lifestyle and instincts, and keep them locked up behind bars, where they are bored, cramped, lonely, and deprived of all control of their life.