SeaWorld Animals Don't Do Tricks

With the death of SeaWorld Orlando killer whale trainer Dawn Brancheau, innumerable articles have been written about the plight of orcas and other animals "held in captivity" and "forced to perform tricks" all for the entertainment of paying tourists. (Read about what should happen next here.)

What these animals rights organizations fail to learn is that almost all the "tricks" you see animals perform in these shows can also be seen in the animals' natural habitats.

In fact, it is not even appropriate to call them "tricks"; they are behaviors that scientists and researchers have observed and documented in the wild.

Here are a few behaviors performed both in the wild and in SeaWorld shows by orcas and dolphins.

Breach
The behavior called a breach is probably the most popular amongst tourists visiting SeaWorld parks. It's the behavior requested by trainers when they want the orcas or dolphins to splash the crowd of tourists. The animal launches itself from the water, head first, and then lands on its side, belly or back. While it's a real crowd-pleaser in the theme parks, it has been observed in the wild with no provocation from humans.

Spy Hop
A spy hop is a slow vertical head-first rise out of the water. Orcas, dolphins and other marine mammals perform this behavior in the wild, and scientists believe it may be to give them a glimpse of what's going on above the surface. Due to specialized, ocular muscles, dolphins and whales have excellent vision both in and out of the water; thus why scientists tend to believe the spy hop is a "look around" above the surface.

Lobtail
A lobtail is when a whale or dolphin is belly down, with its head under the water, and it raises its tail and slaps it on the surface. Several theories exist as to why whales and dolphins lobtail. It may be a form of communication amongst the pod. It may also serve as a warning to other animals to stay away. No one knows for sure why these animals lobtail, but it is frequently observed in the wild.

Logging
Many opponents of SeaWorld and other marine parks often state that the animals are listless, doing nothing but floating around their pools at the surface of the water. It's true, and this behavior is called logging by scientists. It is believed to be a possible resting state. The whale or dolphin lies hortizontally at the surface without swimming.

Bubble Rings
In addition to these popular "tricks", other behaviors can be witnessed upon visiting the Key West Dolphin Cove exhibit. The dolphins in Dolphin Cove are not trained to perform in any shows. The animals there are frequently seen blowing "bubble rings", which is a behavior that's been seen in the wild as well. You can watch a video of dolphins blowing these bubble rings at SeaWorld Orlando on YouTube.

Other Behaviors
Dolphins in Dolphin Cove also frequently participate in playful behavior. For example, one dolphin may swim rapidly from one side of the pool to the other, creating a wake. Other dolphins will then ride that wake, or porpoise -- rapidly leaping head first over and then under the surface. The dolphins will also find a leaf or other foliage that's fallen into the pool and play with it.

Finally, it is important to note that no animal at SeaWorld is ever forced to perform. (For one thing, how would you force a 12,000 pound animal, like Tilikum the killer whale, to perform?) The animals at SeaWorld are all trained using positive reinforcement and are never "punished" for not following signals from trainers. In fact, if visiting the park often enough, it is highly likely guests will witness shows postponed or cancelled due to animals not performing as instructed.

Sources
What's that whale doing? A look at the behaviors of whales, Whalewatch.com
Do dolphins have good eyesight?, Dolphinsplus.com
Dolphin, Wikipedia.org