RJ3: The State of the Conversation Report, READ CAREFULLY !!!

Sample State of the Conversation Report

First Name Last Name

Professor (last name here)

ENG102-D

Day Month Year

State of the Conversation: Orca Captivity

1. Overview of the Issue

The topic at hand is the captivity of orcas in institutions like SeaWorld. This issue has been popularized recently because of the documentary, Blackfish, which sets out to build opposition to whale captivity. Orca captivity involves many stakeholders, including trainers, business executives, park visitors, and, of course, the orcas themselves. The ethics and dangers behind orca captivity are what make this topic controversial, especially in light of trainer deaths, specifically that of Dawn Brancheau, which is addressed in Blackfish and various other sources on the issue. These scandals also prompted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to begin a legal battle with SeaWorld over orca captivity, a case that might change this institution permanently. Due to these current events, as well as the basic nature of the issue which involves a mesmerizing animal and its proposed right to freedom, the topic of orca captivity is one that captivates and demands debate.

1. Specific Guiding Question

I decided to research the question “Should orcas be kept in captivity?” Researching orca captivity in depth interested me, personally, because I consider myself a lover of animals and, being spurred by watching the previously mentioned documentary, I came to question whether orcas should be in captivity, at all. Ultimately, the case against orca captivity far outweighed the institution’s benefits, prompting me to take the stance of anti-captivity.

1. Available Materials

When researching the topic of orca captivity, a variety of sources are available. Print materials are beneficial for a credible source of information; though, in Mississippi College’s Leland Speed Library, print sources on orca captivity, specifically, are not plentiful. For printed books, it may be necessary for the researcher to visit multiple libraries. Databases are also helpful with this topic to access more credible, scholarly information on orca captivity. Academic Search Premier, an EBSCO database, can be useful because it pulls from a variety of sources. When researching the topic, it is important to search for “orca captivity,” including the quotation marks because this provides more relevant sources more efficiently. The general web is another excellent way of obtaining sources for research, though it is important to be wary of what sites a researcher draws her information from. It is usually more effective to access accredited sites like National Geographic and PBS, which both have relevant information on the subject. In addition, one of the single most helpful sources is the documentary Blackfish, which can be found on Netflix as well as in some libraries. This source is both relevant and entertaining, though the researcher should note its potential bias. Information on orca captivity is plentiful, though one potential challenge is finding sources that speak unbiasedly towards the issue.

1. Positions

While researching orca captivity, three distinctive positions or viewpoints on the issue became clear: captivity harms whales, can put trainers in dangers, and, despite these issues, some possible benefits of captivity can be noted. These groupings are mainly based on the stakeholders that are involved, and each can be broken down into further categories.

A. Captivity Harms Whales

The research clearly indicates that captivity causes both physical and mental harm to orca whales. Due to conditions of captivity, research specifies problems with dorsal fins, teeth, mortality, and whale-on-whale aggression as examples of physical harm. Several sources mention that one result is a collapsed dorsal fin in male orcas in captivity. In Blackfish, a former SeaWorld trainer expounds that “‘less than one percent’ of orcas in the wild have a collapsed dorsal fin, yet one hundred percent of male orcas at SeaWorld have taken on this feature” (Blackfish). David Kirby’s book Death at SeaWorld expands on the issue, attributing the cause to the pattern and surface swimming that occurs in pools, but not in the wild, as well as warmer temperatures (Kirby 179). Another aspect source mention of physical harm is the damage to the captive orcas teeth, which become cracked due to tank life, including the whales eating concrete and metals, and are then subject to routine flushings (Kirby 181). Blackfish also features this problem, showing visuals of the teeth treatment, which the source describes as “endoscopy” (Blackfish). The research also addresses the mortality of whales in captivity. The article “Towards a New Paradigm of Non-Captive Research On Cetacean Cognition” defines “the average lifespan for male and female orcas [in the wild] [as] 29.2 and 50.2 years, respectively, with a maximum longevity of 60 to 90 years, respectively” (Marino). These numbers show an obvious discrepancy between captive orcas, which live “[not] much past the age of 20 years,” (Marino) which is a fact that the majority of sources concur with. Blackfish and Death at SeaWorld also introduce the idea that SeaWorld is providing false information on the lifespan of wild orcas in order for data to align with its own orca mortality rates (Blackfish); however, on its webpage “The Truth About Blackfish,” SeaWorld combats the notion, saying lifespans of wild and captive whales are “comparable,” while still noting that “studies continue to define the average lifespan of killer whales in the wild” (“The Truth About Blackfish”). Of course, this take does seem to confirm the other sources’ allegations. In addition, various sources focus on physical harm that results from fights among whales in captivity. Blackfish suggests that “hyperaggression” is a result of tension in captivity, causing violence most often due to whales attempting to “assert dominance” over each other (Blackfish). The National Geographic article, featuring an interview with a former trainer, further questions this issue, addressing the role of unfit tank size as a cause of fights among whales. Former trainer Bridgette Pirtle asks, “if something social happens and an animal displaces the other, where are they going to go?” including that orcas “are extremely socially sensitive” (Lee). According to several sources, whale-on-whale aggression happens often, and the problem lies in the whales being unable to remove themselves from the situation like they would in the wild. Physical harm, including, but not limited to, collapsed dorsal fins, damaged teeth, mortality discrepancies, and fights among whales is a consequence of orca captivity.

    The sources suggest that harm done to orcas in captivity is not limited to merely physical; mental trauma is a consequence, too. One source of this kind of harm results from false social groupings, as several sources report. In Lori Marino’s article, “Towards a New Paradigm of Non-Captive Research On Cetacean Cognition,” whales are described as having “complex societies with dynamic social roles in intricate social networks” (Marino). Captivity, sources suggest, extracts the animals from these natural relationships into forced families, which a trainer in Blackfish compares to being “not just...different killer whales,” but “different nations” (Blackfish). The gathered information concludes that this aspect of life in captivity causes mental stress to the animal, which can manifest itself in physical problems like decreased immunity and lifespan (Marino). It is also important to note the differing viewpoints on this subject of social structure, particularly coming from SeaWorld itself. On its website, which combats the documentary Blackfish, which is included as a source for research, SeaWorld reports that its parks have respect for the orca social composition, and adhere to zoological standards (“The Truth About Blackfish”). Another cause of mental harm to orcas in captivity stems from the separation of mother and calf which sometimes occurs in parks. This disunion takes place for reasons varying from show disruption to logistical grounds (Blackfish). Here, again sources contradict. On its webpage, SeaWorld explicitly states, “we do not separate killer whale moms and calves” (“The Truth About Blackfish”). In any case, this kind of separation, as Marino’s article communicates, would cause distress due to the strong bonds orcas have with one another (Marino). Research deduces that the mental harm that is a result of captivity includes stress, which is a consequence of an imbalance in the intricate social structures of the whales.

    As indicated by the sources mentioned, both physical and mental harm is a result of whale captivity, and is just one of the positions involved with this subject.

1. Danger for Trainers

Another facet of orca captivity is the consequences entailed for the trainers that interact with these animals. Dangerous interactions with orcas involve both aggression and, more severely, death. Research details the many counts of whale aggression against trainers. In Blackfish and Kirby’s Death at SeaWorld, these instances are highlighted, depicting the danger that trainers face when in the water or in close proximity with these animals. Also, several sources detail how much pressure is on the trainer to do well, alongside the job being “extremely physically demanding” (Lee). Blackfish is in agreement with this view, also depicting the accidents that can occur when a taxing work environment meets unpredictable animals (Blackfish). Blackfish expands on Lee’s article, giving an anecdote of a trainer at Loro Parque in Spain who, because of exacting work conditions and lax safety precautions, died on the job in an instance of whale aggression (Blackfish).  In addition, many sources focus on the deaths of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau and Sea Land employee Keltie Byrne. The research makes the case that orcas should not be in captivity because of the dangers involved for the trainers that work with them.

1. Benefits of Captivity

    While much of the research focuses on the negative consequences of orca captivity, a select few are devoted to defending the case for captivity. Reasons the sources gave for captivity were the benefits made to both whales and society through the institution. One source claims that, through institutions like SeaWorld, further conservation efforts are made to benefit whales in captivity and the wild (Andrews). In the Frontline interview, SeaWorld executives report that “funding...for...research and conservation is coming from [zoological parks]” (Andrews). This source concludes that parks’ financial gains help orcas when it comes to scientific research and conservation. Pro-captivity sources also detail how society is improved because of whale captivity. “A Whale of a Business” introduces the idea of keeping the public interested and educated about orcas via captivity, insisting “if [we] want a public that’s knowledgeable about wild animals and has some sensitivity about them, if we want our children to have a chance to see...these animals, it’s [going to] have to be in places like SeaWorld” (Andrews). This research gathers that institutions of orca captivity provide both the funding for conservation means, as well as serve to educate the public, which benefits both the whales themselves and society as a whole.

    The research on orca captivity was grouped mainly on the viewpoints of three stakeholders of orca captivity: the whales, the trainers, and the institutions who depict the benefits of captivity. Each source seeks to inform, and sometimes persuade, the case for or against orca captivity.

1. Conclusion

    Especially in light of its history with culture and its recent spotlight in the news, orca captivity is a popular issue, and it is subject to many sources of research. Much of this research is dedicated to make the case for ending the institution, citing injury to both whale and trainers as reasons to stop captivity. Captivity at places like SeaWorld can result in physical and mental harm to orcas, as well as put trainers at risk of injury or death caused by animal aggression. However, several sources still stand to defend orca captivity, describing it as having benefits to the orcas and society. Therefore, while some would say that the negatives of orca captivity far outweigh its positives, the case for its benefits still exist, making orca captivity not simply a black and white tale.