SeaWorld of Regret.
I think most people know of the atrocities that happen at SeaWorld by now and if you don’t I suggest you watch ‘BlackFish’.
I feel sick to my stomach knowing I have been to SeaWorld four times in my lifetime, not knowing until last year what was really going on behind closed doors.
As a very young child of either six or seven years old I had my first experience at SeaWorld. I thought it was the most wonderful thing seeing these beautiful creatures up close and ‘performing’, I was naive and fully believed when I was told that all the creatures there enjoyed the performances. I remember returning home and playing in the pool with my sister pretending to be Orcas and Dolphins jumping about at SeaWorld. We both told our parents we wanted to be trainers.
Last year I returned for the last time. We’d heard small things about the Orcas here and there and didn’t bother to go see any of the shows as we’d experienced them a few times before. We did however see a dolphin show again called ‘Blue Horizon’s’ which I thought, at the time, was incredible. We then went into the part of the park which had creatures from colder climates. I was in the best of moods seeing all these things again that I’d experienced as a child. It was making me truly happen until we saw a walrus in its enclosure. He/she was just in a tiny tank all on his/her own. Just swimming round and round in little circles. I watched feeling almost as helpless as the poor animal knowing there was nothing I could do for it. I cried and ran outside enraged and devastated. SeaWorld had truly let me down. All those times as a child I’d believed it was a wonderful place, wishing someday I’d be a trainer. I thought of the many times I’d stood up for SeaWorld when people had thrown about accusations against it. I’d always mention of the work they do to help animals in the wild. And now, I feel the most crippling guilt for going and for actually standing up for it.
I know I’ll never be going back not after that experience and watching ‘BlackFish’.
Through watching ‘BlackFish’ I learned that in one of the years we went to SeaWorld when I was younger (2009) a woman was killed by an Orca in Orlando. My family and I bought our tickets and knew nothing about it. We were told nothing. The Orca’s is name is Tilikum. This poor creature has lead the most tortured and tormented life imaginable and I only hope to god I get to see the day that he is released.
I cannot describe the guilt I feel for my naivete and for the fact that all I can do for the animals and sea-creatures trapped there is petition and share my own experiences. I truly wish there was more I could do. I’m sorry.
