Dolphins, Captivity, and SeaWorld: The Misuse of Science

• Date: 01 March 2017
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/basr.12112
• Published date: 01 March 2017

Dolphins, Captivity, and

SeaWorld: The Misuse

of Science

THOMAS I. WHITE

SeaWorld has been the ongoing target of sharp criticism by

animal rights experts and marine mammal scientists

because of the company’s treatment of its captive dol-

phins. This has included the claim that the cetaceans’ living con-

ditions contributed to the three deaths associated with the orca

Tilikum.

1

While the deaths and controversy surrounding captivity have

garnered most of the attention in the popular press, the way that

the company uses and misuses science has been largely over-

looked.

2

SeaWorld represents itself as a company fully committed

to scientific integrity, and uses that image to advance a false pic-

ture of the nature of dolphins. In reality, SeaWorld’s defense of

captivity is based on using science as no more than a marketing

tool, and represents a lack of intellectual honesty.

This essay identifies the actions in question and describes their

ethical weaknesses, thus exposing new flaws in the culture of the

beleaguered company.

Thomas I. White is Hilton Professor of Business Ethics at Loyola Marymount University, Los

Angeles, CA. E-mail: Twhite@ethicsandbusiness.org.

V

C2017 W. Michael Hoffman Center for Business Ethics at Bentley University. Published by

Wiley Periodicals, Inc., 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA, and 9600 Garsington

Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK.

Business and Society Review 122:1 119–136

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SEAWORLD’S MISSION AND THE EXPECTATIONS OF

SCIENCE

Although SeaWorld is a major, publicly owned company in the

entertainment industry, its mission statement includes aims simi-

lar to nonprofit scientific, environmental or educational organiza-

tions. As CEO Joel Manby explains in his letter to shareholders,

Our fundamental mission remains the same – to provide expe-

riences that matter and inspire guests to protect animals and

the wild wonders of the world.... We are making a range of

changes over time so that guests who visit us find opportunities

to enjoy family time and pure fun, while also learning how to

make the world a better place for animals and their habitats.

3

This statement is echoed on the company’s website which

describes numerous activities that support this mission. “The Sea-

World Cares” segment of the site plays an especially important role

in this regard. Under the heading, “Caring for animals all over the

world,” the company writes:

We believe that together, through our work, we are making a

difference all over the world. Our commitment to animal care,

conservation, rescue and research has advanced the well-

being of animals in our parks as well as the wild. We rescue,

rehabilitate and return wild animals in need, and have helped

more than 28,000 to date. SeaWorld Cares is dedicated to

making a difference one animal at a time. With your help, we

can do it. Inspiring care is at the heart of our company’s mis-

sion, and our philanthropic areas of focus include efforts that

help children, education, and the environment.

4

Visitors are then invited to click links labeled “Rescue,” “Care,”

“Conservation,” “Research,” “Education” and “Communities.”

5

The

“Rescue” link, for example, showcases an impressive history in this

area.

Our legacy of animal rescue spans 50 years and has benefited

more than 28,000 animals. Working in partnership with state,

local, and federal agencies, we help animals that are

orphaned, ill, injured or in need of expert care.

Our goal for every animal we rescue is to successfully rehabili-

tate and return it to the wild. The small percentage of animals

120 BUSINESS AND SOCIETY REVIEW