OUR STORY
In July of 2015, we launched a crowdfunding campaign to finance an exploratory mission to find out why there are only 83 Southern Resident Killer Whales left in the wild.
Thanks to 136 donors, we raised 151% of our goal in 3 weeks, hired a crew, and headed up to San Juan Island, WA. The social network that generated momentum behind this campaign functioned like a ecosystem – every piece was essential, no contribution was too small.
We ended up getting 19 incredible interviews with scientists, naturalists, former trainers, and orca advocates. The story we were looking for emerged organically out of the time we spent talking to people and learning about the issues facing these whales.
Though we started with a singular focus, we left with an understanding of a complicated and delicate web. The Southern Resident Killer Whales are a unique population that has evolved over thousands of years alongside an abundance of food, which allowed them to develop a complex culture and system of language. Now their food supply is running out due to human activity, and unless changes are made quickly, these whales will not survive. We’re committed to helping the passionate people on the ground get their message out to a broader audience.
http://superpodproject.com/An Open Letter to SeaWorld
Dear Mr. Manby,
We didn’t get off to a great start, but we come in peace. We are the creators of SUPERPOD, a documentary project about an endangered population of killer whales in the Pacific Northwest.
Over the last year, we have interviewed marine mammal scientists, former SeaWorld employees, distinguished professors of psychology and philosophy, and members of the First Nations tribes of the Pacific Northwest. The more we learn about killer whales – about their social intelligence, capacity for empathy and self-awareness, and complex emotional lives – the clearer it has become that they are simply unsuited for life in captivity.
We are glad that SeaWorld will end its breeding programs and phase out theatrical shows. Moreover, your measured and thoughtful op-ed was a welcome departure from previous company statements. Thank you for pointing out that it’s time to shift the conversation from captivity to conservation.
On that score, though, let’s not get it twisted: SeaWorld’s record when it comes to killer whale conservation is abysmal, to say the least. SeaWorld is single-handedly responsible for the 45% crash in the Southern Resident Killer Whale population between 1965 and 1975. Today, only 83 of them remain. This is an ecological crime for which SeaWorld continues to take no apparent responsibility.
Unfortunately for the Southern Resident Killer Whales, what’s done is done. What matters is what happens next. That’s why we’re not impressed with your plans for the 29 whales you currently hold captive at your various theme parks.
You wrote that “for as long as they live, the orcas at SeaWorld will stay in our parks.” As you well know, killer whales live comparable lifespans to humans. Some of your whales could easily live another 50 years. It’s more than a little disingenuous to acknowledge that while it’s no longer acceptable to keep killer whales in captivity, you intend to keep doing so for decades to come.
Why are these 29 killer whales outside the sphere of ethical consideration? Mr. Manby, we realize you are a “new CEO,” and you hope to distance yourself from your company’s past behavior. But while your op-ed would likely have done just the trick to placate the public in 2012, last week it was too little, too late. The seismic shift in public opinion about keeping killer whales in captivity is bigger than you – and you would do well to get ahead of it this time.
In perpetuating the inhumane and outdated practice of keeping whales at SeaWorld, you fail to acknowledge the crux of the paradigm shift that took down your old business: You do not own those whales. One sentient being cannot own another. It was wrong to take them from the wild; wrong to breed them in captivity. That you did not know or understand the extent of the crime you were committing against these whales – against nature – is not an excuse. These 29 whales belong to no one, and everyone. They belong to themselves; they belong to nature; they belong to god. They do not belong to SeaWorld.
However, you find yourself in the unique position of being responsible for them – and how you choose to navigate this ethical situation is your legacy to create. You are correct that zoos and aquariums are not single-handedly responsible for the planet’s wildlife. But you, Mr. Manby, are now responsible for these 29 whales.
For years, SeaWorld has refused to acknowledge any errors of judgment, dug in its heels, and stuck to increasingly Orwellian corporate scripts in defense of the indefensible. As a result of your petty and belligerent corporate tactics, your critics are a vocal and diverse constituency. We are active on social media, and we’re not going away. We are here to speak up for the 29 whales you currently hold captive.
As you noted, most of the whales at SeaWorld are not good candidates for release into the wild because they don’t have a place in nature. They’re essentially man-made. SeaWorld has been using artificial insemination to manufacture hybrid killer whales, and now these hybrids have nowhere on the planet to call home except the stagnant chlorinated swimming pools at the theme parks where you sell overpriced soda to low-income families. It’s a bioethical nightmare, frankly. And it’s on you to try and fix it.
There may not be perfect solutions, but there are reasonable alternatives – and you don’t have to do it alone. We hope that as CEO of SeaWorld, you will open channels of communication with your critics in the scientific community. You could start by calling Dr. Ingrid Visser of the Orca Research Trust, and discussing her proposal for building sea-pens for SeaWorld’s orcas. If you are serious about helping the Southern Resident Killer Whales recover, you should probably contact the Center for Whale Research.
But doing right by the whales you hold captive doesn’t have to be an act of selfless altruism. We hope that you will think outside the box, and find ways to monetize the public’s interest in your whales without being exploitative. Millions of people want to see you introduce SeaWorld’s whales to the sea, putting people to work training them not to do backflips, but to regain their autonomy and dignity. We could make videos about it!
Let’s stop worrying about who is right and wrong, and unite people in doing what’s best for the whales. It’s the right thing to do, and only more good can come of it.
“The past is never dead. It's not even past.” - William Faulkner
