There are many opinions about the treatment of animals that are kept in captivity. It seems as if some of the attention is always going to go toward those animals at SeaWorld and in similar facilities.
This included an orca named Keto, who, according to PETA, ‘suffered a lifetime of abuse.’ Reports are out now that confirm the killer whale died at the age of 29. He had been confined to a number of different tanks throughout his lifetime and died at Loro Parque in Spain.
According to NOAA Fisheries, a male killer whale can live up to 60 years but the average lifespan is around 30. Keto lived as long as you would expect an orca to live.
A life stolen đź’”
Keto should have known the open sea, his family’s love, & freedom. We can honor his memory by standing against animals used in entertainment & never visiting parks that exploit orcas like him. #RIPKeto pic.twitter.com/Lu1aIFKpMm
— PETA (@peta) November 23, 2024
SeaWorld Orlando had an orca breeding program and Keto was a product of it when he was born in 1995. Because of backlash from PETA and other similar groups, that program has been suspended.
Keto was transferred to a number of amusement parks, including SeaWorld Ohio and SeaWorld San Antonio when he was about four years old. The rest of his orca family remained in Orlando.
Eventually, he was used to breed additional orcas at Loro Parque, but most of them did not survive past a very young age. There is one of his calves, Adan, who is still at the park and alive.
Tragedy struck in 2009 when the orca killed Alexis Martinez, a trainer at the park by accident. A SeaWorld senior trainer was reportedly supervising a session when the accident occurred.
SeaWorld then cut ties with the park but they were able to keep the orca’s, although they were confined to smaller areas. They continue to breed using the same family lines.
At one point, Keto was said to be going ‘insane’ and was so frustrated that he was chewing on concrete and his teeth were damaged. PETA was asking people to be vocal about stopping these organizations from keeping sea creatures captive for entertainment and breeding purposes. They used Keto’s death as an example of why it should not be done.
PETA said: “Keto never had the chance to swim great depths in the ocean or forge meaningful relationships with other members of his pod – Loro Parque and SeaWorld denied him any semblance of a natural life.
“Don’t let Keto’s death be just a number on the long list of animals who have died at marine parks – learn his story, and then take action.”
It is thought that as many as 500 dolphins and 40 orcas have died while they were at SeaWorld.
A former trainer who worked for SeaWorld, John Hargrove has spoken about the problem with keeping sea animals captive. He said:
“Confined in shallow, barren tanks with little physical, psychological, or emotional stimulation, the intelligent, sensitive animals in these parks become distressed and ill.
“Frustrated, confused, unable to choose their own companions or swim free, they can easily turn violent, attacking other animals or severely injuring or killing their trainers…
“It’s a product of the stress and trauma they endure in this cruel, corporate money-making scheme disguised as entertainment.”
