Dear SeaWorld,

To start this off, I would just like to say thank you. Now, before all of you animal welfare adversaries murder me in my sleep, keep reading. Thank you for announcing that you will be discontinuing your orca breeding programs. Your company is long overdue on an explanation for the way they treat their animals. Currently, you have over 30 whales in your possession, and I am so glad that this will be the last family of Orcas trapped in captivity for public exhibition.

For a long time now, SeaWorld has been on the receiving end of a lot of hatred from animal supporters. We all know that you mistreat your whales and keep them in tiny bodies of water at night. Your whales have been prone to lash out during shows or even practice because of the poor treatment they have received over the years.

Although this doesn’t bring an end to all whale captivity, I would like to commend you for taking the first step in a long process that is well overdue. You are finally taking a stance in the way that your company has been treating these poor animals. You are finally taking some responsibility for what you have done, and I am so proud of you for that.

I know that most likely there will never be a finish line for the public exhibition of sea animals. There are simply too many people out there that are willing to pay for a show. But I’m so glad that I am able to sit here and write you this open letter. I believe this could spark the beginning of an amazing movement for animal rights.

I also thank you for bringing amazement and enjoyment to so many children and families in this world. Yes, these whales should not ever have been captured -- and I will never give money to such an organization myself -- but I can understand why a mother or father would want to bring their child to your park. Children’s eyes everywhere light up when the name SeaWorld is uttered, and I’m grateful that your organization can bring happiness to others.

Another thing I would like to thank you for is your preservation of sea animals. Not many people realize that you do indeed rescue animals that are unable to be released back into the wild. “SeaWorld takes seriously its responsibility to preserve marine wildlife. As one of the largest rescue organizations in the world, we will increase our focus on rescue operations -- so that the thousands of stranded marine mammals like dolphins and sea lions that cannot be released back to the wild will have a place to go,” said Joel Manby, president and CEO of SeaWorld. I am one hundred percent behind this movement. I thank you for taking care of the sea animals that cannot take care of themselves, and for continuing to create way more rescue programs than the public will ever be aware of.

Please continue to be aware of animal safety and the way you are treating these wonderful creatures. Please keep moving forward. Build bigger places for this species to roam, socialize them, train them, take precaution when necessary, don’t run out of food when performing, and please treat them like family. Thank you for stepping forward and having the courage to accept responsibility for the things you have done wrong.

You are home to so many beautiful sea creatures and I hope that this is a giant step in the direction of right treatment for animals. Keep it up.

Sincerely,