When will we stop encouraging 'abuse'ment parks?

It doesn't make sense does it? Capturing predators of the ocean dubbed 'killer whales' and putting them in a tank with people to swim with. Yes, these people are trained and taught to build relationships with these animals, but it's just unnatural. In fact this name that orcas have been given makes them sound a lot scarier than they actually are; their name means 'killer of whales', as they prey on whales. There is no record of Orcas actually killing humans in the wild, but they have killed humans whist kept in captivity.

This is where SeaWorld comes in, an amusement park that uses captive animals purely for the entertainment of people. You may have heard of Tilikum, the infamous orca of SeaWorld. He was caught off of Iceland when he was two-years-old and used in entertainment parks, until his death in 2017 at 36. Not only is this incredibly sad to think of an infant whale being torn from his family, but he lived a life in pools that were tiny - nothing compared to the ocean where orcas swim up to 150-miles a day.

During Tilikum's life in captivity he killed three people, two of which were trainers and one a trespasser of the park. It has been just over ten years since the tragic death of SeaWorld trainer, Dawn Brancheau, who was drowned and killed by Tilikum. This death came as a shock to Dawn's fellow trainers, as she had a 'great relationship with the killer whale, but these predators were not made to have relations with humans. As if the harrowing incident wasn't enough trauma to take on, SeaWorld had the audacity to put it down to 'trainer error' because she was wearing a ponytail, when in fact it was later suggested that Tilikum had grabbed her by the arm, plunged to the bottom of the pool and drowned her, before ripping his beloved trainer apart.

Since the tragic deaths caused as a result of Tilikum, there have thankfully been changes. Trainers are no longer allowed into the water with the orcas, rightly so considering their unpredictability.

Tilikum was branded a monster, but who's fault really is it that these peoples lives were taken? Of course it's unbelievably sad, but this whale had been kept captive for the majority of its life, performing the same tricks day in, day out. He was bored, aggravated and stressed. Can you blame him considering he was kept in a tank far too small for him than natural?

There are no more 'entertainment' shows involving orcas, as SeaWorld have understood that the public are realising how unfair these animals have been treated. Instead, they claim to have a conservation area for them, but who are they rescuing these orcas from? How can they claim to 'save' the killer whales when its their fault they are no longer able to fend for themselves in the wild?

Although the trainers are no longer allowed in the pools it doesn't take away from the fact that these orcas are cramped in small tanks and forced to perform demeaning tricks for the entertainment of humans.