Social StudiesGrades 9-12

Debate Kit: Should Marine Mammals Be Held in Amusement Parks?

A pod of orcas swims in Arctic Norway

Free Debate Kit: Exploring the Use of Marine Mammals for Entertainment

A hot topic in classrooms and among the public is whether marine mammals should be imprisoned for entertainment. Here at PETA, we campaign for animal rights and understand that animals are not ours to use for entertainment. We know that many schools assign debates on current issues to help students improve their speaking and writing skills, practice research, and explore multiple perspectives on controversial or complex topics. This student debate kit provides a variety of resources to support the argument that marine mammals shouldn’t be imprisoned for entertainment.

Resolved: Marine Mammals Should NOT Be Imprisoned for Entertainment.

overhead view of Lolita in a tiny tank

Affirmative Argument

Marine mammals are highly intelligent, sensitive, and social beings, and they suffer greatly when used for entertainment. The chlorine and copper sulfate used to keep tanks clean have caused dolphins’ skin to peel off and may cause them to go blind. Many marine mammals suffer from peptic ulcers, often leading to death, because of frustration resulting from their unnatural lives. Imprisoning animals for entertainment also tears families apart. In their natural habitat, orcas often spend their entire lives with their mothers and siblings and live in large, socially complex groups.

Although the aquarium industry claims to exist purely for education and conservation, the message these facilities really send is that it’s acceptable to keep animals imprisoned for entertainment in cramped conditions, far from their natural homes, where they’re depressed, lonely, and at the mercy of humans. Marine mammal conservation is achieved by abolishing whaling, cleaning up our oceans, ending driftnet fishing, and prohibiting live captures, not by forcing cetaceans to swim in repetitive circles for human entertainment.

There are countless ways to inform the public and cultivate respect for animals without imprisoning marine mammals. It’s time to focus on teaching visitors how to protect marine life rather than harming it.

Humans staring at a Beluga whale in a tank at a marine park

Become an ‘Expert’

Use the following links to research general information about marine mammals used for entertainment and develop logical arguments.

A seal looking up with a sad or worried gaze.

Build Your Case

Use the following links to gather evidence and examples to support your position against using marine mammals for entertainment.

A sad-looking dolphin in a tank with rake marks across their face.

Research Articles and Investigative Analysis

Witness Accounts and Videos

  • Captive Orca Appears to Smash Her Head Into Gate Over and Over
  • Visser Speaks About Lolita
    • Note: Following years of campaigning by PETA and fellow animal rights activists, along with the help of philanthropist and Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, on March 30, 2023, the Miami Seaquarium announced plans to release the long-suffering orca Lolita to a sea sanctuary off the coast of Washington state. Unfortunately, this move came too late. She died in August 2023 after spending more than five decades imprisoned at the Miami Seaquarium in the smallest, bleakest orca tank in the world, deprived of any semblance of a natural life.

Documented Physical Evidence of the Suffering of Orcas and Dolphins Abused for Entertainment

Nakai, the orca, looks up at a trainer at SeaWorld, showing a severe injury on his face received on a sharp metal tank edge while reportedly fleeing. Nakai was injured on a sharp metal edge in his tank while reportedly fleeing from an aggressive altercation with two other orcas.

Finding the Solution

Use the following resources to help build a proposal suggesting solutions to issues that could allegedly arise from ending the use of marine mammals for entertainment.

Anticipate Counterarguments and Prepare Rebuttals

Analyze aquarium and marine park websites to identify their stated reasons for keeping marine mammals imprisoned. Investigate how much money these organizations generate through ticket sales and other activities, and think critically about their motivations. Also, examine which other entities benefit from keeping marine mammals in captivity (e.g., aquarium suppliers, food vendors, scientists who study only captive animals). Create a list of common statements made by parties who advocate for the continued imprisonment of marine mammals. The information provided in the links within this document can be used to respond to counterarguments.

Young human feeding a dolphin a fish at SeaWorld

Other Considerations

Additional Resources

Websites
Books

Have students use the curated content in this debate resource kit to prepare an affirmative argument stating why marine mammals should not be imprisoned for entertainment. These resources will assist students in supporting their position using scientific, ethical, and philosophical debates.

Do your students need to conduct an interview as part of their research? PETA staff members are available to students via phone, video, or e-mail, including to answer questions about our stance on using marine mammals for entertainment. Have students e-mail us directly at [email protected]. If you’d like to contact us on their behalf, please fill out the form below, and we’ll arrange for them to speak with a representative.

Request a Speaker

Want free educational posters and stickers for students to use during their debates?
E-mail us at [email protected].

Thank you for helping your students speak up for animal rights. Happy debating!