By now you’ve all heard about the tragic death of a trainer at SeaWorld Orlando. I didn’t know Dawn Brancheau, but I knew of her. The field of marine mammal training is a small one, so it’s hard not to know about someone as talented and as passionate as she was.
I love animals. In fact, I love them enough to devote my life and my future career to working with them. And though I’m all for their humane treatment, there are some serious issues with the way People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has been handling tragedies like Brancheau’s death.
Whenever something as horrible as this happens, PETA is quick to put out a statement placing the blame on the person involved in an effort to advance their agenda. Not once in any statement or blog post has PETA expressed sympathy or condolences to Brancheau’s family and friends.
Having worked at both SeaWorld and the Navy Marine Mammal Program, I want to take this opportunity to clarify some of the misconceptions and accusations PETA makes on its website against those in my field. According to PETA sources, the organization has “long been asking SeaWorld to stop taking wild, ocean-going mammals from their families and ocean homes and confining them with no semblance of a life to an area that, to them, is the size of a bathtub.”
In fact, SeaWorld has not collected an animal from the wild since the 1970s. They have one of the most successful breeding programs in the world and often rescue animals from unfortunate situations and other facilities that are ill-equipped to care for such large animals. And while it’s true that Shamu Stadium is nowhere near the size of the Pacific Ocean, SeaWorld is monitored by approximately eight different animal welfare organizations to ensure that their animals are well cared for.
PETA also claims that SeaWorld animals “are forced to learn circus-style tricks” and, “according to whistleblower tips from trainers,” are isolated without food when they “refuse to perform common training methods.”
It should be obvious that no one can force a 12,000 pound killer whale to do anything. These animals are smart; they make their own decisions, and marine animal trainers simply ask them to perform behaviors as a form of enrichment. Many tricks are actually natural behaviors that have been shaped to suit a show. In my experience, never has an animal been denied food or put in isolation as punishment.
As for the “whistleblower tips,” that whistle is called a bridge, and it simply lets an animal know that they have performed a behavior correctly and have earned a reward. The tasks they perform are not mindless. Every dolphin and whale show is tailored to suit the performing animals’ particular strengths and interests.
You may remember Keiko, the killer whale made famous in the movie “Free Willy.” After much pestering on the part of animal activism groups like PETA, he was released back into the wild. The Associated Press reported last year that the whale “died in Norwegian coastal waters where he remained after millions of dollars and a decade of work failed to coax him back to the open sea.”
Keiko never lost his connection with people. After being released off the coast of Iceland, where he was captured in 1979, he swam to Norway and first turned up near the village of Halsa in late August or early September of 2002. He allowed fans to pet and play with him, even crawl on his back. In the end, he became such an attraction, that authorities had to impose a ban on approaching him. Until the day of his death, Keiko never left his caretakers to rejoin a wild pod, despite their $500,000 a month effort.
PETA claims that “it’s not just animals who are dying as a result of this industry,” but that “human injuries and deaths are also common.”
What happened in SeaWorld Orlando is the first recorded trainer death in SeaWorld’s entire 46-year history. Marine animal trainers are well aware of what they’re getting into. They know that they are entering the animal’s habitat and it’s an honor and a privilege to share it with them. In fact, a new Shamu trainer is not allowed to enter the water with a whale until approximately two years of “dry” work with that animal, building a relationship and establishing trust.
So the tragic accident that occurred on Feb. 24 was exactly that, an accident. The benefits and knowledge gained from working with these magnificent animals far outweigh the risks.
It is my personal belief that Brancheau would not want this to negatively affect the animals she so loved. I hope that one day PETA can respect the lives of those who make different life decisions, but still share the same passion for animals.
PETA goes too far, too soon with orca tragedy
Published: Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Updated: Wednesday, March 3, 2010
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Thank you for sharing your opinion and pointing out some of the challenges. And bless this trainer's family and extended family who are dealing with the tragic loss of an amazing person.
Dr. Rebecca Gimenez
- 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (US Dept. Of Health/Census) – 5 times the average.- 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes – 32 times the average.- 85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average. (Center for Disease Control)- 80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes --14 times the average. (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)- 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (National Principals Association Report)- 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes – 10 times the average. (Rainbows for All God’s Children)- 70% of youths in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (U.S. Dept. of Justice, Sept. 1988)- 85% of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average. (Fulton Co. Georgia, Texas Dept. of Correction)
They are both whorish. France and Australia are backing support against whaling. I support them and will help push forward bills and policies that limit, restrict, and work on a effort to prevent harming whales.They did not bomb Japan, contrary to popular belief.
Also, its not cool for PETA members to hook up with animals; that is so broken. namaste to all,
Safe travels to all the beautiful USD students ftwing this wide brave world over SB12010
youtube.com/watch?v=BpkXEfuuylY
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youtube.com/watch?v=pJwp6SKxthc The short version is men generally don't leave the workforce for years to raise kids thereby losing out on wage increases and experience, men are more aggressive in pay negotiations, and men are more likely to excel as males are more widely distributed across the spectrum in terms of success AND failture (see below). Women want equality and that's great. The problem is when feminists tell women they should all be equal to the top 10% of men thusly ignoring all the rest, including those at the bottom, and giving women false expectations. What ultimately happens is that women in the middle or on the bottom end of the spectrum think they're not getting "their fair share". Not so. In fact more men than women are on the bottom end of the spectrum than they are! The vast majority of the poor & homeless, victims of murder (and crime in general), workplace deaths, war deaths, etc are men. If you want your total equality then be prepared for some pretty negative consequences.
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