After PETA letter, renowned travel writer apologizes for past support of SeaWorld.

[Karmadillo]

http://www.care2.com/causes/animal-welfare/blog/renowned-travel-writer-apologizes-for-past-support-of-seaworld/

For years, Arthur Frommer, a well-known budget travel writer, has promoted SeaWorld theme parks, particularly the one in Orlando. Not long ago, Frommer even said that, despite the death of Dawn Brancheau--the trainer who was attacked by a captive orca who had been involved in two other deaths--he would still recommend SeaWorld as a tourist attraction. But, recently, after receiving a letter from PETA's Debbie Leahy, an expert on captive animal issues, Frommer acknowleged that he had been heedless of the treatment of captive marine mammals, saying "I am ashamed. I apologize for my former statements and I will no long recommend that tourists patronize the various SeaWold parks."

His admission will surely propmt others, tourists and travel writers alike, to rethink their support of SeaWorld, helping to close the deadly theme park once and for all. As Leahy pointed out in her letter to Frommer, twenty-one orcas died in U.S. SeaWorld facilities between 1986 and 2008, and not one died of old age. They died from severe trauma, intestinal gangrene, acute hemorrhagic pneumonia, pulmonary abscesses, chronic kidney disease, chronic cardiovascular failure, septicemia, and influenza. SeaWorld parks have also been responsible for the deaths of numerous dolphins, including three who died last year at SeaWorld Discovery Cove in less than three weeks time.

Orcas and dolphins may swim up to 100 miles a day in the ocean, but in captivity, most are kept in 60-foot tanks. The chlorine and other harsh chemicals used to keep the tanks clean causes some dolphins to go blind and even makes their skin peel off. Captive marine mammals often develop ulcers from the stress of being gawked at for long periods of time each day. And because dolphins navigate by echolocation--bouncing sonar waves off other objects to determine shape, density, distance, and location--the reverberations from their own sonar bouncing off the tank walls drives some dolphins insane.

Not to be forgotten, the sea lions and other animals imprisoned at SeaWorld and other marine parks are confined far from their natural homes and colonies, and are also forced to do tricks simply for human amusement.

more...

[Coventina]

1. PETA flame war in four....three....two.....

:nuke:

[Goblinmonger]

3. I gave six more seconds than you did n/t

[seabeyond]

13. peta does things to piss people off. people get pissed. this isnt one of them

your post is silly

[Coventina]

14. If you think my post is silly then you obviously haven't read the numerous

threads on this site that have bashed PETA for everything from their name to their very existence as an organization.

On edit: it is also pretty clear that I am not the only one on this thread with the "silly" idea that the mere mention of PETA usually results in a flame war.

[seabeyond]

15. i have seen the numerous peta thread that work to outrage, and when they get that reaction

the very one they work so hard for, posters like you say.... hey, it is ok, they should, anything is acceptable to get attention. then you have peta with threads like this, and there isnt outrage.

what you and others show, is how you ignore the reasons people are angry with peta.... showing a lack for understanding. here you are, trying to get an "outrage" situation going when no one said anything.

[Coventina]

16. Sure, I resemble that remark. I'll admit freely that I don't understand

why people have such a hatred of PETA.

But I'm not interested in getting into it with you or any other poster who might come along. We obviously are on different sides here and neither one of us is going to convince the other of our differing positions. I've been there and done that and it never ends well. Hence, the reason for my original reply.

So peace out!

[Goblinmonger]

2. I hope this goes well

but I'm waiting for the usual suspects in 10...9...8...

:popcorn:

[blondeatlast]

4. Co'cola? They are ice cold and I get 'em from Mexico--real sugar!

[Goblinmonger]

5. Yeah, I'll scootch over! n/t

[flvegan]

7. Got an extra seat?

:popcorn:

[Goblinmonger]

8. For you, sure.

I bet if you and each wrote 10 names on a sheet of paper of who's going to piss on this thread, we'd be right and have a lot of crossover.

[DCKit]

6. This is a very hard point to argue.

But I'll check back in to see who thinks they have a valid argument.

[Cetacea]

9. PETA is one of many groups and individuals addressing this.

But good on them that they are among the groups looking out for "Humans of the Sea".

[Dappleganger]

10. This Floridian agrees...

I've been there 3 times on field trips during the past few years and everytime I leave with a very heavy heart.

[blondeatlast]

11. I had no idea this was the case. The part about the sonar makes me ((shudder)). nt

[veganlush]

12. We don't own the animals, but we owe them plenty