Reaction by PETA on SeaWorld incident

 Help Animals Imprisoned by SeaWorld

In aquariums, dolphins and other sea animals routinely die prematurely of stress and other captivity-related causes, and SeaWorld has an abysmal record. But it's not just animals who are dying as a result of this industry: Human injuries and deaths are also common.

The most recent death of yet another trainer at SeaWorld did not have to happen, and this is not the first time a trainer has been seized, thrown against the walls of the tank, and held down to drown.

The intelligent, social ocean animals kept in the pitifully small tanks at SeaWorld are denied everything that is natural and important to them. In the wild, they swim up to 100 miles a day in the open ocean, but captured dolphins are confined to small tanks where the reverberations from their own sonar bounce off the walls, driving some of them insane. Some of these animals were violently captured from their homes, many are forced to learn circus-style tricks, and according to whistleblower tips from trainers, withholding food and isolating animals who refuse to perform are common training methods.

The only thing that people learn from visiting a SeaWorld theme park is how miserable life is for animals held there. Children see mere shadows of animals, defeated beings who are not behaving as they should and cannot do what nature intended for them. And these parks teach all the wrong lessons: that it is acceptable to imprison animals; to deprive them of freedom of movement and thought; to forbid them the chance to establish their natural territory and explore; to breed and separate them as we, not they, please; and to let them go insane from loneliness.

You can help the animals imprisoned by SeaWorld today. Please take a moment to write to the Blackstone Group—the company that owns Sea World—and ask that it immediately set in place a firm and rapid plan to release the animals to sanctuaries that can provide them with a more natural environment.

Please keep all correspondence polite, as anything less will hurt our efforts.

Send this message to:

• Hamilton James

* Subject

Dear [Decision Maker],

* (Edit Letter Below)

This is not the first time that a trainer has been seized, thrown against the walls of the tank, and held down to drown, and I cannot imagine what the sight of such an event would do to a child in the audience. The death of yet another trainer at SeaWorld did not have to happen, and I must appeal to you to take strong action now so that it never happens again. The intelligent, social ocean animals kept in the pitifully small tanks at SeaWorld are denied everything that is natural and important to them. Please make the humane decision to start moving the captive orcas and other marine mammals to transitional coastal and wildlife sanctuaries and replace them with state-of-the-art virtual reality and animatronic exhibits that wow youngsters and adults alike.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
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