Sea World Gold Coast’s Panicked ‘Fake News’ Frenzy – 10 Facts Aussies Should Know.

Updated: Sep 15, 2020

The level of incorrect, biased and poorly researched reporting we are seeing from the mainstream Australian media right now, obviously fed by Sea World’s Management, and the Queensland Government’s Tourism Minister-is astounding! The media frenzy following TripAdvisor’s recent announcement to stop selling tickets to captive dolphin facilities, which will include the Gold Coast Theme Park, clearly has Sea World management in serious damage control!

Here are some facts that Aussies should consider:

Fact 1: The decision made by Trip Advisor this week was not due to so called “extreme animal rights activists’ pressure.” Sea World and the media are misleading the public into believing it was a minority group of ‘banner waving crazies’ that caused the global travel giant to suddenly announce such a robust and progressive animal welfare policy. The decision came off the back of years of expert consultation (and previous graduated policy change) with some of the world’s leading animal welfare organisations, scientific advisors and even industry experts, including: The World Cetacean Alliance, Whale & Dolphin Conservation, World Animal Protection, Animal Welfare Institute, Orca Research Trust and yes, also PETA.

Fact 2: The decision was not ‘driven by U.S organisations’ alone. The issue of dolphin captivity is of global concern and the organisations and advisors involved are experts from around the globe.

Fact 3: The Trip Advisor decision followed a similar stance already taken by multiple Global tourism organisations such as Virgin, Thomas Cook, STA Travel, Intrepid, many smaller travel companies and agencies and also a number of commercial airlines such as British Airways and United. Additionally, governments, local and national around the world, are increasingly banning keeping cetaceans in captivity-including India, California and Canada.

Fact 4: We know Sea World does legitimate rescue work and provides funding to others for research; there’s no argument that it is able to rehabilitate animals. However, it uses its charity foundation to deflect from the fact that its business exploits animals. It is unethical and unconscionable that rescued animals deemed unreleasable (by the Queensland Government on Sea World’s advice), are ‘saved’ but then forced to live in an artificial world, in an entertainment facility amongst thrill and helicopter rides, theatrical performances, food stalls, bars and a never-ending stream of holiday makers, day and night. No – those lovely sand bottom lagoons are not ‘natural,’ they are small (from the dolphins’ perspective), shallow and are filled with chemicals, added salt and deafening filtration noise and equipment. The rescued dolphins are trained to perform. They are stood on by trainers and are subjected to hundreds of thousands of people touching them, hugging them and are forced to pose for photos for the remainder of their captive lives. Additionally, Sea World states it has rescued 600 animals over 5 years, but in reality that’s not a figure to brag about. Unfunded small wildlife shelters can easily rescue in excess of 10,000 animals in that same time period.

Fact 5: Sea World stated “Sea World contributes millions of dollars to research and rescue each year and is not constricted by a budget…” A quick check of Village Roadshow’s and Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation’s financial reports show that figure is likely closer to around $450,000.

Fact 6: Sea World is a privately-owned, publicly-listed company. It is answerable to its shareholders and its shareholders care only about dividends; therefore Sea World cannot, and does not truly prioritise the welfare of its animals – profits will always come first.

Fact 7: Sea World does not provide true education about dolphins to its patrons. Its presentations, such as ‘Affinity,’ teach little about dolphins’ natural history. It does not instill any useful information to inspire genuine behaviour change in its visitors that will benefit wild marine animals, or their natural environment. Instead Sea World tells the public that the ocean is a ‘terrible place,’ too dangerous for dolphins – ‘they are much better off under our expert care.’ Its messaging is self serving. It quite literally tells the public that it’s too late to act; it inspires the masses to do nothing.

Fact 8: True wildlife conservation means protecting wild species and their habitats to prevent them from going extinct. Sea World breeds bottlenose dolphins, a species that is not endangered in the wild, purely to maintain its stock and the longevity of its business. A Sea World bred dolphin will never be released into the wild.

Fact 9: By its example, Sea World perpetuates one of the major threats facing wild dolphin populations today. Although Sea World no longer captures or imports wild dolphins, it still demonstrates the entertainment-dollar value of dolphins to less welfare-focused countries like Russia, the Ukraine and China. These countries, who all want a piece of the Sea World pie, source the majority of their dolphins from the wild, often from brutal dolphin hunts such as those off the coast of Taiji, Japan.

Fact 10: Finally, you will have noticed nearly every media outlet, whilst defending Sea World’s honour, is presenting lovely vision of a dolphin and her little calf, ‘happily’ swimming in Sea World’s pools. Well, that little calf’s name was Dusty, whose birth in 2016 was hugely celebrated by these very same media outlets – the first male dolphin calf born at the park in years! The sad irony is Sea World used the same deflecting tactics we’ve seen in the media since Trip Advisors’ announcement, to distract its supporters and the Australian media, to hide the fact that little Dusty didn’t survive the park’s expert care, he never even made it to his 1st birthday – he is dead.