PETA to Buy Sea World

I think releasing the animals, at least the larger, more intelligent marine mammals would be a mistake. They wouldn't survive in the open ocean. Their instincts have been dulled, they don't have the learned experience that wholly wild animals do. And, really, I don't have much of a problem with keeping other organisms on display either. People should be able to see natures beauty in a rather up close and personal way. Not everyone is blessed with the opportunity to live by the ocean and take up scuba diving, and I think that Sea World is an excellent way to educate people about the beauty, wonder, and fragility of our worlds oceans. Virtual reality is not the same thing. So, I guess I'm really of two, conflicting minds about this.

I certainly hope they don't screw this up the way they do everything else.

Too much to ask?

I'm not sure if PETA will be able to go through with this plan, but I see some value in what they had to say.

Before you start judging, please watch "Lolita: Slave to Entertainment" in the URL attached, or the following:
http://www.vegtaste.com/main/posting.php?articleId=157

You might start thinking differently then. Some marine mammals who were born in captive can indeed be released safely into the sea appropriately and if done properly they can thrive in the new environment. It's the marine theme park industry that makes us think otherwise.

The respect I had for PETA dissapeared when they pulled their stunt after the Manitoba bus incident. They really went over the line with that one.

But what would happen to their star attraction, Michael Phelps? http://www.theonion.com/content/news/michael_phelps_returns_to_his_tank

A publicity stunt from PETA? Surely not.

Apart from publicity stunts, what does PETA actually do? I think the whole organization is a false flag operation run by the Beef Council, designed to paint people who support any degree of animal welfare as shrill lunatics.

Why does PETA ruin everything

Definitely would be a mistake to sell Seaworld to PETA. They mean well, but releasing animals from a zoo into the wild is a mistake on many different levels. To think that Shamu would have to be transported from Florida to the artic ocean... Many of the current whales have been bred in captivity which adds to the problem. They're not prepared for the "real world."

I would think disney would buy the seaworld in orlando before peta could buy it.

How could this possibly fail?

Interesting comment from Superbad. I, too, have wondered the same, i.e., has the Beef Council, Dairy Association, etc. created PETA to marginalize the vegan/vegetarian community.

A lot of these comments sound extremely uneducated. As if a bunch of people sitting on their asses writing on their computer know anything about marine mammal captivity. Whether PETA or not, they would not release just any animal into the wild without scientist approval and the belief that, that particular animal had a good chance of survival.

When caught for captivity, dolphins had a very low survival rate. They would ram their heads into the walls, starve themselves, or eat their regurgitation that in turn ate their stomach lining. They literally KILLED themselves.

Marine mammals are not the same as land mammals. They needs space their their social networks. Orcas, often taken at the beginning for Sea World, came primarily from the J,K,L pods from the Pacific Northwest. They stay with their family for their entire lives. Now there are only about 80 individuals left, and being genetically different from other orcas, have recently been put on the Endangered Species List.

Yes, it's great to see them in person. I began my love from going to Sea World, but I'm an educated adult now and I know that marine mammals should not be in captivity. Their has to be another way.

A lot of these comments sound extremely uneducated. As if a bunch of people sitting on their asses writing on their computer know anything about marine mammal captivity. Whether PETA or not, they would not release just any animal into the wild without scientist approval and the belief that, that particular animal had a good chance of survival.

When caught for captivity, dolphins had a very low survival rate. They would ram their heads into the walls, starve themselves, or eat their regurgitation that in turn ate their stomach lining. They literally KILLED themselves.

Marine mammals are not the same as land mammals. They needs space their their social networks. Orcas, often taken at the beginning for Sea World, came primarily from the J,K,L pods from the Pacific Northwest. They stay with their family for their entire lives. Now there are only about 80 individuals left, and being genetically different from other orcas, have recently been put on the Endangered Species List.

Yes, it's great to see them in person. I began my love from going to Sea World, but I'm an educated adult now and I know that marine mammals should not be in captivity. Their has to be another way.

Perhaps PETA may want to consider putting their money to other uses:

http://www.petakillsanimals.com/

"Exclusive: PETA Killed More than 90% of the Animals in its Care in 2007"

Note: I really don't know if the accusations made by that site are true as every high profile organization has its detractors.

However, I do find some of PETA's stunts rather over the top and in my opinion do not help their cause. I feel it's now become a cash generation/media machine far from its original (and very worthy) roots.

I live in San Antonio and Sea World is like florida's Disney World. Whats Sea World without Shamu. I think Selling Seaworld to peta would be a terrible idea. The Animals are well taken care of and people love watching Shamu. He's the star attraction. PETA please don't ruin sea world! PLEASE!

this might be the implied premise that everyone is already aware of... but isn't seaworld all about conservation and educating the public? lol

All of the pro Sea World comments have stricken me as awfully selfish. Yes, it is amazing to see these beautiful creatures up close and in person. However, would it not be even more beautiful to view them in their natural environment?
These types of establishments, "amusement parks", serve the sole purpose of "amusing" their viewers. That is why they are labeled as such. There is no argument that could possibly justify keeping some of the largest and most beautiful creatures on the planet in captivity, depriving them of real life, companionship, and most of all freedom. Is there? Can you actually sit there and say that keeping these majestic animals locked up is taking "good care" of them? I think not.

Who wants to see virtual and animatronic animals?
oh well, if they do it, it'll just show how stupid PETA really is.

Go PETA - - they are one of the few organizations out there who has done so much to raise the profile of animal rights in the world.

You can always find fault over time with any organization, but PETA has helped do the impossible - - seriously educated people on the rights of animals and the abuse they suffer. When I was younger and first became vegan due to animal suffering I witnessed personally, I felt sad and overwhelmed at what it would take to educate more people about issues related to animal rights. But over the years, against all odds -- using education, film documentation, organizing demonstrations and letter writing campaigns, reaching out, and yes - even theatrics (which are necessary in any movement to draw attention to something) PETA has helped change the landscape and educate people. Animal rights IS human rights - - PETA is working for all of our well-being, both spiritually and physically. Whether they are perfect or not, I have no doubt that PETA as a whole would give those marine animals the care and consideration they deserve and the best options possible... better than any entertainment or corporate business entity has and would be able to.
There is no doubt.

Find something else to criticize. Most people being super-critical of PETA have probably never spent time watching the horrific footage and documentation abuse of animals for entertainment purposes (and even so-called "educational purposes") as well as the food and vivisection industries.... things they have to face every day. if you did, you would understand that the job they do is so incredibly difficult; they look at and address what other people want to pretend is just not happening. A lot of these animal-theme parks are incredibly stressful on the animals. I hope PETA can take it over.

My daughter, an animal trainer, worked at Sea World San Diego for over 10 years and I can tell you that the animals are treated with care, love and respect by very devoted people.

These animals have never been in the wild in most if not all cases. They were born and raised in captivity and would never be able, nor want to be released to the wild.

Liken it to releasing your dog into the wild. Your dog would never survive on it's own and it would miss it's human companionship.

The very intelligent Sea World animals would also miss their human friends and handlers and it would be very sad and scary for them. They need the companionship and love that they get from the medical and training staff that they have at 24 hours a day.

PETA needs to worry about abused animals not animals that don't fit their personnel likes and dislikes. They cause more problems then they solve.

you gotta to be kidding! What does PETA understand about maintaining marine life? What does PETA understand about educating us - especially children.
Sea World, or any zoo for this matter, helps educate and preserve wild marine life. People have very little access and knowledge about our oceans and seas and Sea World is like an open book we can feed from and learn.
The fact of the matter is, some animals live in captivity so that others can thrive in the wild. We can only save what we understand and love.
And... it's not like Sea World is starving Shamu, their seals, walruses, otters, sting rays, sharks and all the other fishies. These guys are fed on a regular basis, with a balanced diet - wish someone did that for me!
Institutions such as Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, among others, should be cherished for the great work they do. I was brought up in New York and later lived for many years in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, going to the zoos in these particular cities was always an incredible experience that has made me understand how important animals are to our life and to the world. The little I know about African wildlife has come in great part from what I learned visiting zoos and watching the National Geographic channel. I assume, this is true for most of the world.
Peace to all!

I recently went on vacation to Orlando with a few friends. While we were there, we went to Sea World. Here's what I noticed:

-The majority of the turtles and tortoises have either lost limbs or significant fraction of their shells due to human incidents (boats and the like).
-All of the manatees had been rescued, again usually due to boating accidents.
-Many of the sea-lions were rescue / rehab, and most of the rest were pups of the prior.
-A number of the exhibits double as safe-havens and nurseries for threatened and endangered species (which are released back to the wild after reaching some pre-defined level of safe size/maturity)
-As others have mentioned, most of the lager mammals have been bred in captivity. Yes, some would survive (even thrive) if released, just as some of us could survive if dropped naked in the Amazon.

@thespyofcharles
You are absolutely correct. As stated above, SeaWorld does quite a bit of conservation, and they do their best to educate the masses.

@the count
Yes, SeaWorld is an amusement park. They present "dog and pony" shows in order to attract the masses. And they create spectator-friendly habitats in order to catch the attention of those masses as the make their way to the shows. All of it is done with the theme of conservation, and a strong emphasis is made *verbally* to remind people that the animals they see are threatened. By being an amusement park, they attract a wider audience, and generate revenue to continue the rescue / rehab / and conservation of the animals they keep.

All that said, it is not perfect. In my opinion, the Orca tank/stage is too small. It would probably be too costly to build something more adequate. Frankly, I thought that "Believe" (the Orca show) was the least impressive. But, as Vanessa pointed out, what is SeaWorld without the attraction of the killer whale? When you're trying to educate the masses (especially next to Disney), you need the biggest billboards you can get.

As for PETA buying them. If they follow through with their plans, I'm sure it will lead to the closure of SeaWorld, and the ultimate loss of that avenue to educate the public on the lesser-known threatened species.

As a *slightly related* side-note: The goal of federally-funded conservationists (read Rec. & Park Naturalists) is not to protect the life of *every* individual animal. It's to *control* their populations such that those populations do not starve themselves to extinction (local or global).

Re: rebloo --

Please understand that, for the rest of us, all we ever see of PETA is theatrics, and it gets old. No matter how strongly they feel about their issue, they need to calm down and discuss it rationally.

I love PETA.

They have the enlightened awareness, they have only one mission and that is to help protect all animals from human injury.

Remember, humans are animals. We must all treat each other with respect. All life is sacred.

I can not tolerate PETA or any aspect of it. They are as far out of touch as an animal group can possibly be. They kill animals instead of protecting them. PETA does not understand that domestic animals have evolved and are no longer wild and as such can't be returned to the wild.

I think we should take the peta people and release them out into the wild - like maybe just dump them in the ocean. Than the world would be a better place. Of course than we'd have to deal with the pollution and stink that this action caused. If people in Peta had half a brain, they might actually do something good for the animals of this world but they are just as crazy as the people who donate money to them!

PETA believes that owning ANY animal is wrong. People sign over unwanted pets to PETA thinking they have a chance at a good home like with the SPCA, but what they don't know is that PETA euthanizes 90% of the animals they receive out of hand. Their records were released to the public. .

PETA is in favor of a "natural order" where humans aren't allowed to interfere with nature and there are no domestic animals. If they had their way, there would be no more farm animals for food, no working animals, no zoos, and no pets either.

Needless to say, they are a bunch of maniacs, and the VERY LAST people you'd want to give ANY animal to, especially an entire park full. Seriously, this organization is more malicious and disturbing than many people think. I urge everyone to research them. If more people knew the truth about them, they wouldn't have so much money.

I know this bid of theirs is just a publicity stunt, but even still it makes me upset even to think about it. If they could do it without causing an uproar (since they're all about publicity first), PETA would kill every single animal in that park except those they could successfully release, such as fish, sharks, and stingrays. They would probably think of euthanizing the seals, whales, dolphins, and other unreleasable animals as doing them a favor. In their eyes, no animal is happy in the possession of human beings; whether it's the cow going to slaughter or the family dog. They make no differentiation.

I can understand how some people would feel that killing animals for food in factory farming, or making them perform in theme parks is wrong, but that doesn't make PETA's entire agenda right. There are other organizations that oppose those things besides PETA.

Please research PETA and find out the whole truth behind their organization, not just the convenient parts they like to show off in their propaganda.

hmm, "animatronic and virtual animals" Translation: naked women dressed up as fish swimming in tanks... maybe this wouldn't be such a bad idea after all...

PETA truly is a great organization. The people who work there devote their lives to helping all animals, not just the cute and cuddly ones we call "pets." It takes a remarkable person to work there, to do all they do, see all they see. They will stop at nothing to get their message across, which I support wholeheartedly.

Their euthanasia policy is simple: there aren't enough homes for all the animals. It's not right for an animal to go crazy in a cage (which they do) just because someone didn't want him or her. The only way we can stop euthanasia is to spay and neuter all animals, and to adopt never buy. Plain and simple. No one WANTS to euthanise an animal, least of all an animal right actist. It must destroy them everytime... :-(

And huge theme parks are often the opposite of "green" - it's really just like a wal-mart with rides and animals. Aren't there more environmentally friendly ways of having family fun?

God I hate PETA. They guilt tripped me into being a vegetarian for two years in which my health repidly declined and I became a 'KFC protester'. I had to stop being veg when my weight got down to 93 lbs. But I wouldn't stop being veg until there was an intervention because I didn't want to 'hurt chickens and cows'. It was only until I discovered the truth about their pet euthanasia that I left Peta for good.

Animals that have been in captivity for a long time are rarely released into the wild with any success. You want to do something for the sea-world animals? Just improve their life quality within the park, expand their tank sizes and make the parks carbon efficient and environmentally friendly.

Peta causes as many animals to die as they try to save. >:(

This is very sad and scary! We need to protect the environment, our wildlife! Forget the beer people. I cannot believe this is for real...
This will be a BIG mistake for years to come.

What the heck would a beer company do with all of these animals they would be putting out of their homes here??!! more selfishness and greed!

Seaworld is doing so well already, they should choose the new owners depending on how well they can run the place and on how this might benefit the animals.

Watch and then post some more informed posts please:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/

My family has visited Seaworld in Orlando, FL and found it to be a beautiful park. Not everyone has the money to go to the places where these animals live in the wild. I thought it was a privelege to visit Seaworld twice and have many fond memories of the animals there. We loved the manatees and the penguins. I hope it is bought out by a caring buyer. Also, the free beer tasting was great. Anheuser Busch did a great job with these parks. I would hate to see this Orlando park shut down.