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seaworld, sea pens, & Makaio
6 years ago
General
on May 4th, 2019, i came face to face with Makaio, currently the youngest orca living at Seaworld Orlando, and one of the last calves fathered by the infamous Tillikum. like most people who have gone to Seaworld, or have seen orcas up close in person by whale watching, i can tell you nothing truly prepares you for just how big they are up close, or how they literally look at you like people do, its a humbling experience that takes your breath away, and almost makes you feel like you're in the presence of royalty or something.
its been a mission of mine to see an orca in person for at least half my life, and i have to give credit to Seaworld for actually making it possible to see one of these animals as closely/clearly as you can (cuz unless you're a scuba diver, its pretty rare to see an orca less than 6 inches away when you're on a whale watch) and since they're no longer gonna breed orcas in captivity, now is the time to go see them, cuz its clear Seaworld has no plans to stop the shows like they claimed...or do anything with the whales afterwords if they DO stop the shows.
ive tried to remain neutral on the whole pro/anti cap thing (since the ones born in captivity really dont know anything else) but in my opinion the compromise for both sides would be sea pens/sanctuaries. it wouldent be a concrete tank, but it wouldent be the open ocean either (since orcas that have spent their whole lives dependent on humans for companionship and food are still gonna depend on them) and if Seaworld truly wants to modernize and help repair their image, they'd pursue something like this, cuz god knows they can afford it...charging damn near 100 bucks for a single day admission...it honestly makes me really sad how little financial support sea pens get, when it seems like such a logical solution
Makaio is only 8 years old and already his teeth are completely worn to the gums, no matter what your views on captivity are its hard not to consider this depressing. he, and all the others born in captivity, can never be released to the wild cuz of this, how can you catch fish with no teeth? but it would make me happy seeing Makaio living in a more natural environment where he still receives human interaction (and food) without having to do any performances.
and of course, maybe im wrong, but its an opinion i kinda support now, after setting foot at a seaworld location and actually seeing these animals and their tanks with my own two eyes
its been a mission of mine to see an orca in person for at least half my life, and i have to give credit to Seaworld for actually making it possible to see one of these animals as closely/clearly as you can (cuz unless you're a scuba diver, its pretty rare to see an orca less than 6 inches away when you're on a whale watch) and since they're no longer gonna breed orcas in captivity, now is the time to go see them, cuz its clear Seaworld has no plans to stop the shows like they claimed...or do anything with the whales afterwords if they DO stop the shows.
ive tried to remain neutral on the whole pro/anti cap thing (since the ones born in captivity really dont know anything else) but in my opinion the compromise for both sides would be sea pens/sanctuaries. it wouldent be a concrete tank, but it wouldent be the open ocean either (since orcas that have spent their whole lives dependent on humans for companionship and food are still gonna depend on them) and if Seaworld truly wants to modernize and help repair their image, they'd pursue something like this, cuz god knows they can afford it...charging damn near 100 bucks for a single day admission...it honestly makes me really sad how little financial support sea pens get, when it seems like such a logical solution
Makaio is only 8 years old and already his teeth are completely worn to the gums, no matter what your views on captivity are its hard not to consider this depressing. he, and all the others born in captivity, can never be released to the wild cuz of this, how can you catch fish with no teeth? but it would make me happy seeing Makaio living in a more natural environment where he still receives human interaction (and food) without having to do any performances.
and of course, maybe im wrong, but its an opinion i kinda support now, after setting foot at a seaworld location and actually seeing these animals and their tanks with my own two eyes
