We just won ANOTHER massive victory for sea mammals in captivity: America’s National Aquarium announced it would free all eight of its dolphins and put them in a sea sanctuary.
We secured an historic win against SeaWorld earlier this year when it finally agreed to end its harmful captive breeding program for killer whales. But not only does SeaWorld have no plans to set its dolphins free, it continues to breed them in captivity.
After five years of study, the National Aquarium concluded there was no other response but to set these intelligent, sensitive creatures free. Somehow, after years of pressure, SeaWorld still hasn’t come to the same conclusion. There’s only one reason SeaWorld lets this torture go on: profit.
No more. Demand SeaWorld follow the National Aquarium’s lead and send its captive dolphins to a sea sanctuary!
36 dolphins are penned up in SeaWorld San Diego alone -- and last year the park announced its 81st dolphin bred in captivity. In the wild, these intelligent and noble animals -- like killer whales -- swim as far as 100 miles per day. In captivity, 62 dolphins have died in SeaWorld parks in just 10 years.
It’s only a matter of time before SeaWorld makes the right choice -- we knew it long before it capitulated and ended its orca breeding program. Now that we know what really happens in its tanks, we don’t want any part of it. After the blockbuster documentary Blackfish, SeaWorld’s revenues plummeted 84%. If SeaWorld wants its audience back, it needs to set its cetaceans free.
But yet again, SeaWorld is dragging its feet. So, yet again, it’s up to us to help it find the right side of history. One million SumOfUs members asked California to ban orca captivity for entertainment purposes in that state -- pressure that eventually led to our landmark killer whale victory. We can keep that fight going and give SeaWorld’s dolphins their freedom.
We’ve ended the orca breeding program. Now let’s set SeaWorld’s dolphins free.
More information
PETA. 14 June 2016.
The Guardian. 17 March 2016.