End of Breeding ProgramsHave you ever been to a Seaworld Shamu show or park? Where are you aware of the cruelty that lies behind the lights and magic of shows? The creatures you see doing tricks are depressed and locked in their own personal hell. More and more marine animals, such as orcas (also called killer whales), are being captured and forced into captivity. Not only does captivity limit their freedom, it also harms their mental and physical health. Seaworld parks are known for continuing the captivity and breeding of orcas in their parks through programs called "breeding programs." With these breeding programs, marine animals are born in poor conditions and have no trace or knowledge of freedom. Statistics show that the breeding program has had thirty-seven known pregnancies at Seaworld parks since the first recorded captivity in 1985. Only eighteen of these calves survived the births. That's barely half! There needs to be a call to action to end captive breeding programs in all Seaworld parks; being the first step to ending all captivity. With these breeding programs, females and calves face abnormal circumstances in captivity, primarily leading to infection/disease or even death. An example of this is that of Gudrun, a female orca who gave birth. While working, trainers and specialist doctors were unable to find the unborn calf's pulse, presuming the calf was dead. The pain must have been supernatural, causing the mother, Gudrun, to hemorrhage. Days passed before Gudrun moved painlessly around her aquarium. A few hours later, Gudrun died. The list is endless of all the stressors killer whales experience and the impact continues to become colossal....... middle of paper ...... the creatures' trainers and caretakers. Their lives are also on the line every day they go to work. This touches me personally because I have always had a love for marine life since I was little. I'm actually guilty of going to Seaworld once when I was very young, on a family vacation to Florida. I watched the Shamu show and walked all around the park. However, I was unaware of the cruelty the animals suffered in these captive tanks. I think knowing as much as possible is the key to correcting and fixing mistakes. Learn and solve. There is no denying that these killer whales do not do well in captivity. Period. It's time to stop this from going any further. It's time to provide real education about the lives of these whales in their natural habitat. End captive breeding now and save innocent lives.