Letters to the Editor: Whales aren't circus props

Whales aren’t circus props

For many years, I was a near-daily visitor to SeaWorld Orlando to watch the orcas in the underwater viewing area. Those visits stopped when SeaWorld removed Unna from her mother, Katina, and shipped this youngster to SeaWorld’s Texas location. Many of the nighttime crew told me Katina wailed all that night and through the next day.

Watching the riveting new documentary “Blackfish” brought back so many painful memories of the anguish Unna and Katina felt from being ripped apart, and my own broken heart. Even before Katina’s betrayal, I somehow knew that these beautiful animals were not meant to be in a small tank, used like circus props.

Unna recognized me. Her keen intelligence and self-awareness was apparent. As one of the people in “Blackfish” expressed so well, “When you look into their eyes, you just know someone is home.”

My husband and I never bought another annual pass after they transferred Unna, and we will not ever step foot in SeaWorld again. If you care about animals, please, never buy a ticket to any marine theme park.

Sincerely,

Debra Pastore

Orlando