Persuasive Speech Outline Orcas Purpose: To persuade the audience that Orcas, or Killer Whales, do not deserve to be held in captivity. Thesis: Orcas do not deserve to be kept in captivity for many reasons. Some of these reasons include that their health deteriorates at a rapid rate, these orcas become violent, and they are not provided with adequate social interactions. Claim: Value Organizational Pattern: Topical I. Introduction A. Attention Getter: Imagine if the world you lived in, the space you breathed in, and the freedom you played in were all suddenly taken away from you. That is what happens to many animals every day. The one animal I will be talking about today is the orca, also known as the killer whale. B. Relevance: It is important to know the reasons why orcas should not be held in captivity even though the objective of SeaWorld, and many other places that keep orcas captive, is to protect this beautiful animal from extinction. However, there is still a problem which might conflict to the animal rights if these animals are continuously kept in the captivity. C. Credibility: I love orcas and have wanted to help get them out of captivity ever since I watched the documentary Blackfish on Netflix. Since then I have been researching orcas and looking up ways to try and get them out of captivity. D. Thesis: Orcas do not deserve to be kept in captivity for many reasons. Some of these reasons include that their health deteriorates at a rapid rate, these orcas become violent, and they are not provided with adequate social interactions. E. Preview: First I will talk about the conditions these animals live in and how it is impacting their health. Next I will talk about all the incidents where orcas have hurt or even killed humans in captivity. Finally, I will be talking about how these orcas are forced to live with orcas from other family units. Transition: Let us begin by talking about all the negative effects on orca’s health while living in captivity. II. Body A. First point: a- Living in tanks can decrease how long these lovely creatures live. In captivity orcas tend to die prematurely despite what SeaWorld tells you. SeaWorld has been telling people that it is normal for a killer whale to die in its thirties; but in fact it is not. According to Brian D. Johnson, a writer, filmmaker, and director, in his article A killer whale gone very bad, published in 2013 “In the wild, killer whales live well into their 80s, but in captivity, their lifespan is less than half that.” (n.p). The first orca held in captivity only lasted one day; she swam around her enclosure at high speeds, ramming into the sides of her tank. This clearly shows that these animals do not want to be defined to such a small space when they are used to having an entire ocean for them to swim around in. b- Orcas in captivity repeatedly show abnormal behavior. This means they show behavior that is not known to be a feature of their natural species in the wild. These animals prefer to live in their natural habitats rather than in captivity. Although the zoos put more effort in making their living space more interactive, it still does not match the space and the freedom that animals should have in their natural habitats. As stated by Melissa Sawyer, a writer and well known animal activist, in her article titles Captive Killer Whales, published in 2012, “In the wild, they[orcas] can easily travel 50 to 100 miles a day. However, in captivity, a typical tank is only twice their size, forcing the animals to swim in small circles or float aimlessly.” These animals are not getting enough exercise as they only have a small space to swim in. c- Melissa Chan, a writer, in her article SeaWorld Should Free Its Killer Whales Animal Activists Say, published in 2016 states “SeaWorld has stood by its belief that the orcas would not survive in the ocean because of environmental concerns like pollution, disease and other manmade threats.” Some people may believe that they are helping orcas and saving them from all the harm that goes on in the ocean. Even though there are many things that could harm these animals in the water, such as oil spills, they are better left alone in their own habitat. “Should it not come as a surprise that they[SeaWorld] have whales dying at early ages from seemingly preventable incidents including physical injury, disease, and bacterial infections not seen in their natural habitat?” (Henn, n.d.). There are many incidents of horrible things happening in captivity that have never happened in the wild. d- As a result of living in small tanks killer whales tend to obtain many health problems. The biggest of these problems is collapsed dorsal fins. A dorsal fin is a tall triangular shaped fin on the back of the whales. The main purpose of this fin is to stabilize the whale against rolling upside down in the water and to assist in quick and sharp turns. This happens to 100% of male orcas in captivity and most of the females, who were either captured as juveniles or who were born in captivity. “For orcas, the dorsal fin is actually an indicator of several problems associated with life in captivity. Dorsal fin collapse can be viewed as a symptom; that is, a sign of the existence of something, especially of an undesirable situation.” (SeaWorld). Although SeaWorld wants you to believe this is a common thing that happens to orcas as they get older, there has never been a case of an orca having a collapsed dorsal fin in the wild. It is believed that orcas held in captivity experience this collapsing dorsal fin because they spend much more time at the water’s surface, swimming in the same direction in a small tank. Another major health concern in killer whales continuously swimming into the edges of the tank. When these animals are taken into captivity, they can become very hostile, depressed, and even suicidal. These animals will constantly ram their head into the side of their tank to try and get out or to try and hurt themselves. These animals will also gnaw at iron bars and concrete from stress, anxiety, and boredom, sometimes breaking their teeth. Are you starting to see the problem? Transition: The stress of captivity can drive orcas to display neurotic behaviors that, understandably enough, can lead to tragic consequences. Now we will talk about some incidents where orcas have hurt and even killed their own trainers. B. Second point: a- “Through the years, orca researches and scientists discovered that killer whales in the wild are far from vicious. These mammals are friendly, understanding, tolerant, and intuitively seek companionship.” (Wise, 2016). Killer whales in captivity pose a danger to trainers, with over one hundred documented attacks in captivity. There has never been a documented human death caused by orcas in the wild. b- One of the most well-known stories of orcas being violent is of an orca at SeaWorld named Tilikum. Tilikum was the largest orca to be held in captivity and has been the cause of three human deaths. As reported by Eric Duvall, a freelance journalist, in his article SeaWorld killer whale, subject of 'Blackfish,' Tilikum dies, published in 2017, “Tilikum's story has been inextricably linked to the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau. During a live performance in 2010 at SeaWorld Orlando, Tilikum pulled Brancheau under the water by her arm as she reached out to pat him, drowning her before a horrified audience.” (Duvall, 2017). Dawn was one of the most certified trainers out there and she was not able to escape Tilkium. After Brancheau's death, Tilikum was banned from public appearances. However, just a year later, he rejoined the cast of Believe, SeaWorld's most popular dolphin and whale show. c- This is not the first time he has killed a trainer. Back when Tilkium was at Sealand of the Pacific, another marine park, he and two other orcas submerged a part time trainer after she slipped into the pool. All three orcas took turns dragging her around the pool; preventing her from surfacing. The lucky trainers who survived killer whale attacks eventually left their job. Orcas are loving animals and have never hurt, much less killed, a human in their natural habitat. Transition: Lastly, I will talk about the social interactions these orcas are forced into. C. Third point a- Imagine finally moving into your huge apartment in your sophomore year, but then you are taken from your nice home and forced to live back in the small and gross dorms. Now imagine you are forced to live and communicate with people from different countries, where no one speaks the same language. That is exactly what we are doing to orcas. In captivity, killer whales are often isolated, except during shows and training. “Putting a group of newly captured orcas – traumatized after having been torn away from their families – into a small enclosure, and asking them to “socialize” with one another could be seen as the equivalent of forcing a group of human strangers who speak different languages and come from different cultural backgrounds into a small room, and informing them that they must now spend the rest of their lives together, whether they like it or not.” (Cronin, n.d.). They are unable to communicate with each other or form social relationships as they would in the wild. These orcas are also constantly being moved between facilities for breeding or to perform. b- Orcas that are not compatible or related are forced to live in tight spaces together. The resulting anxiety and tension cause fights among orcas. In the wild, orcas have strong social bonds that may last for life, their social rules prohibit serious violence against each other, and when fights do occur, they can find space to flee. In captivity, there is nowhere for them to go, which leads to injuries and death between the whales. Transition: All in all, I wanted to educate people on the things that happen to orcas in captivity. III. Conclusion A. Thesis Summary: These lovely animals become violent, their health decreases very fast, and they are not provided with enough social interactions. B. Call to Action: Organizations, industries, and entertainment parks that support captivity should recognize the wrong they are doing regardless of the science benefits and let these animals live their intended free life. C. Memorable Close: People often forget that animals are just like humans, they have feelings; instincts that can only be met in their own wild, natural habitat. Most people believe that zoo and marine parks are doing the best possible thing for these animals. They are getting the proper health care, food, and protected, but it is the exact opposite. These captive animals belong in the wild, they are called wild animals for a reason. In the past I used to love going to zoos, and aquariums, etc. But I now know that what corporations like SeaWorld, and zoos all over the world is doing is animal abuse. (References on separate page) References Chan, M. (2016). SeaWorld Should Free Its Killer Whales, Animal Activists Say. Time.Com, 1. Cronin, A. M. (n.d.). Killer Whales Don’t Belong in Captivity –– Here’s Why. Retrieved April 20, 2017, from http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/orcas-killer-whalescaptivity/ Duvall, E. (2017). SeaWorld killer whale, subject of 'Blackfish,' Tilikum dies. UPI Top News Henn, C. (n.d.). A Look Into How Life for Captive Orcas Differs From Their Wild Counterparts. Retrieved April 24, 2017, from http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/a-look into-how-life-for-captive-orcas-differs-from-wild/ Johnson, B. D. (2013). A killer whale gone very bad. Maclean's, 126(27), 1. Sawyer, M. (2012). Captive Killer Whales. Teen Ink, 24(4), 21. SeaWorld fact check:. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2017, from http://www.seaworldfactcheck.com/dorsalfin.htm Wise, H. T. (2016). All is Whale That Ends Whale? The Deficiencies in National Protection for Orca Whales in Captivity. Akron Law Review, 49925.
