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Overview |
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The
Case Against Captivity | Amusement
Parks | Cetacean-Free
Facilities | Orca Capture
| Achievements |
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The Misleading Education of Marine Amusement Parks People who go to marine amusement parks are fascinated by the intelligence and sensitivity of dolphins and whales. Yet they don't realize the degree of suffering and injustice involved in taking them from their families and ocean homes, and holding them captive to perform for our amusement. Marine parks and aquariums claim to "educate," but in reality they teach people to accept the capture and exploitation of marine mammals. That's why many scientists and experts, such as the late Jacques Cousteau, oppose all captivity of marine mammals.
Corky spends her days at Sea World swimming in endless circles, awaiting the day when she will be free. But freedom for Corky and other orcas will not happen while people continue to go to marine amusement parks. As long as companies like Anheuser Busch, owner of the Sea World parks, continue to profit from imprisoning marine mammals, they will never let their money making stars like Corky and the other "Shamus" go free. Successful
Campaigns
Proposed facilities initially planning to exhibit cetaceans, which have now declined to do so following successful campaigns
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The story
of Corky, an orca at Sea World San Diego, demonstrates the tragedy of
marine mammal captivity. Corky was captured from her orca family, or pod,
when she was just four years old. She has been held captive for 27 years,
and is the oldest surviving orca. Corky has had seven babies in captivity;
each of them died in infancy. Tragically, like all captive orcas, Corky
is growing old before her time. Scientists have located Corky's family
off the coast of British Columbia in Canada. They know that several of
her brothers and sisters are alive and believe that her mother is too.
When reporters from ABC News played Corky a tape of her family communicating
with each other, she shuddered violently, a sign that she recognized her
family and was moved to hear them after all these years.