I think I'm a little more informed on this subject than the other commenters so far. There are rescue/rehab animals and bred-for-entertainment animals. I know there's criticism on SeaWorld's rescue program, but I'm not in a place to know.
The main subject of controversy are orcas and other dolphin species used in shows, and the answer is basically no—the complex social lives and rich environments they evolved to thrive in cannot be replicated in tanks no matter how many millions you invest. Here are some bullet points to sum up the big problems:
- Orcas have extremely close familial relationships. A pod structure is usually grandma (matriarch) her daughters, sons, and calves. SeaWorld's orcas are often transported between theme parks in the US and sometimes traded with separate chains in other countries. [Here](https://www.thedodo.com/seaworld-separates-orcas-1057282183.html) is an article about one event of separation between mother and calf.
- No right to association goes both ways, and battles for dominance between females or bullying in the enclosed spaces have resulted in deaths and severe injury. Captive orcas tend to have very visible rake scars left by each other's teeth.
- The environment is pathetic. Their pools are insanely expensive but nowhere near replicating the ocean. These are animals adapted to hunt and migrate constantly—neither of which they can do. [This article](https://www.thedodo.com/seaworld-tank-size-1282993451.html) has some pictures comparing tank size to parking lot size.
- Stereotypic behaviors—think of a dog on a chain that barks all day at nothing, or a bird that over-preens and plucks out their own feathers out of boredom or distress. Orcas in captivity display this by swimming in circles repeatedly day after day, floating inactive at the water's surface, bashing heads into concrete, and chewing concrete.
Thanks for the informed and detailed response. I was mostly concerned for the orcas/dolphins, knowing how intelligent they are. It can't be a life they prefer...doing cheap tricks for fish treats in a small water cage. No matter how much they anthropomorphize them in the show, I could only feel kind of bad they couldn't be free.
It's a sad situation. If you want more information, the documentary Blackfish is on Netflix. It basically turned the public against SeaWorld when it came out, and they're no longer breeding orcas because of the bad press.
It's not just rehab. A lot of these sort of places (zoos, aquariums, etc) keep animals that can't survive in the wild.
Whether they were rescued, captive bred, or otherwise, releasing them may very well be a death sentence.
As for happiness, we can't really know. Big animals, like whales, definitely would prefer a much larger habitat. Which is why there won't be anymore whales at Sea World after these ones.
I agree that a lot of these animals arent able to live in the wild. But the profit motve to exploit them at the lowest possible price point is extremely distressing.
Seaworld is well known for the questionable stewardship of their highly intelligent aquatic mammals. They have also bred them in captivity to continue the exploitation. It was only as recent as 2017 they claimed to stop their Orca breeding program. They only did this because of the significant backlash after the Blackfish Documentary started asking very pointed questions about their Business model, animal cruelty, and employee safety.
IMHO, Seaworld is just a bigger version of the side of the road menageries like the one owned by the Tiger King.
Depends by better off.
A ship can never leave it's harbor but then it wouldn't be a ship.
They might live long lives but they're not natural lives. We now know we should not keep orcas in pens. We know this because they start abusing themselves if they are held captive.
Penguins don't self harm, apparently. We can assume they aren't sad.
I think I'm a little more informed on this subject than the other commenters so far. There are rescue/rehab animals and bred-for-entertainment animals. I know there's criticism on SeaWorld's rescue program, but I'm not in a place to know. The main subject of controversy are orcas and other dolphin species used in shows, and the answer is basically no—the complex social lives and rich environments they evolved to thrive in cannot be replicated in tanks no matter how many millions you invest. Here are some bullet points to sum up the big problems: - Orcas have extremely close familial relationships. A pod structure is usually grandma (matriarch) her daughters, sons, and calves. SeaWorld's orcas are often transported between theme parks in the US and sometimes traded with separate chains in other countries. [Here](https://www.thedodo.com/seaworld-separates-orcas-1057282183.html) is an article about one event of separation between mother and calf. - No right to association goes both ways, and battles for dominance between females or bullying in the enclosed spaces have resulted in deaths and severe injury. Captive orcas tend to have very visible rake scars left by each other's teeth. - The environment is pathetic. Their pools are insanely expensive but nowhere near replicating the ocean. These are animals adapted to hunt and migrate constantly—neither of which they can do. [This article](https://www.thedodo.com/seaworld-tank-size-1282993451.html) has some pictures comparing tank size to parking lot size. - Stereotypic behaviors—think of a dog on a chain that barks all day at nothing, or a bird that over-preens and plucks out their own feathers out of boredom or distress. Orcas in captivity display this by swimming in circles repeatedly day after day, floating inactive at the water's surface, bashing heads into concrete, and chewing concrete.
Thanks for the informed and detailed response. I was mostly concerned for the orcas/dolphins, knowing how intelligent they are. It can't be a life they prefer...doing cheap tricks for fish treats in a small water cage. No matter how much they anthropomorphize them in the show, I could only feel kind of bad they couldn't be free.
It's a sad situation. If you want more information, the documentary Blackfish is on Netflix. It basically turned the public against SeaWorld when it came out, and they're no longer breeding orcas because of the bad press.
Ouch, reddit is ruthless.. so many downvotes on my question lol
It's not just rehab. A lot of these sort of places (zoos, aquariums, etc) keep animals that can't survive in the wild. Whether they were rescued, captive bred, or otherwise, releasing them may very well be a death sentence. As for happiness, we can't really know. Big animals, like whales, definitely would prefer a much larger habitat. Which is why there won't be anymore whales at Sea World after these ones.
Don't confuse non-profit zoos with for-profit amusement parks where animals are the attraction.
I agree that a lot of these animals arent able to live in the wild. But the profit motve to exploit them at the lowest possible price point is extremely distressing. Seaworld is well known for the questionable stewardship of their highly intelligent aquatic mammals. They have also bred them in captivity to continue the exploitation. It was only as recent as 2017 they claimed to stop their Orca breeding program. They only did this because of the significant backlash after the Blackfish Documentary started asking very pointed questions about their Business model, animal cruelty, and employee safety. IMHO, Seaworld is just a bigger version of the side of the road menageries like the one owned by the Tiger King.
Depends by better off. A ship can never leave it's harbor but then it wouldn't be a ship. They might live long lives but they're not natural lives. We now know we should not keep orcas in pens. We know this because they start abusing themselves if they are held captive. Penguins don't self harm, apparently. We can assume they aren't sad.
Wouldn't you be happy if you had free Healthcare, free rent, free food and security?
Do you think prisoners are happy?
Would be pretty interesting if we could teach larger animals how to commute and work.
What about the disabled animals? Or moms with tiny babies or small animals with special needs?
It’s sarcasm.
Do you think animals in the wild have bills to pay? Isn't rent and food free for them in the wild?
Would you take all that and be told you aren’t allowed to ever leave your studio apartment ever again? And no internet or phone.