If you say the word "Shamu" to anyone from the baby-boomers era, or anyone from our generation, everyone automatically pictures the famous SeaWorld mammal. But soon, that won't be the case. Generations after us will no longer have the opportunity to see any killer whales at any of the SeaWorld water parks.
The main attraction of these SeaWorld parks are the killer whales -- or orcas -- but the growing population stands behind the belief that the orcas do not belong in human care. The way that they are treated in these amusement park environments has been investigated for years and has brought out a general consensus that the mammals belong in the wild.
It is basically a grandfather-clock process -- the orcas currently inhabited will remain until they die of natural causes, but the company will refrain from collecting any more mammals from the wild. They refuse to release the current orcas into the wild because being born in the waterpark environment, there would be a low chance of survival in the ocean.
Since they live somewhat long lifespans, my generation will probably be able to bring our kids to SeaWorld to see these beautiful creatures, but after that, children will not be able to interact with them.
On SeaWorld's website, they state, "[The orcas] will continue to receive the highest-quality care based on the latest advances in marine veterinary medicine, science, and zoological best practices."
Sure, there will be millions across the country disappointed when the last of the orcas are gone, but SeaWorld's approach is a positive one.
According to CNN, Joel Manby, SeaWorld's president and CEO, announced that the company will be partnering with the Humane Society of the United States to advocate for the protection of ocean wildlife.
What really pushed people over the edge, causing public awareness and outcry, and what some may believe to be the reason SeaWorld finally made these awaited changes, is the well-known documentary "Blackfish." The movie tells the story of the 12,000 pound SeaWorld orca that killed several people, specifically a waterpark trainer.
PETA has been campaigning for decades about how SeaWorld's confinement of orcas and other wildlife have been torturous to the mammals belonging in the wide-open ocean.
Although I have coffee mugs and T-shirts with Shamu and other SeaWorld park mammals on them, and it's odd to think generations to come will not know the famous names of the whales, SeaWorld has made steps in the right direction. The cruel treatment of wildlife was brought to the public's attention, and the people fought to change what was being done and made a difference.
