Would you go to SW if there were no Orcas?

[SandrA9810]

I would still go, but I would be highly dissappointed in Sea World's approach. And I'm sure the park would really suffer.

 

[scoochie75]

2 of the last 3 times we have been to Sea World we were not able to see the Whales due to births (our timing seems to be wonderful) - and we still had a wonderful time there. I would still continue to go if they needed to remove the Orcas from the site.

 

[donaldduck352]

I would still go.But it would'nt be the same.

 

[kathy884]

We love Sea World, but I have to say seeing the Orcas is our very favorite part of the whole experience. We have a mini Orlando trip coming up in March -- just three nights -- two days (March 16th and 17th). Our original plans were to do both days at Sea World. We have dine with Shamu booked on the 16th too. With the suspension of the Believe show and Dine with Shamu (if these aren't back by the 16th), rather than doing two days at Sea World, we'll do one day there and go to the Magic Kingdom on our second day instead.

 

[treehugnmama]

I live near Marineland in Niagara falls canada. We have been many many times from childhood to adult. We have orcas but no one ever goes in the water. When I was a child they did but I am in my 30's now and they no longer do. They used to do a show with the orca and have him jump to touch the ball, trainer ride him etc. Now the show is dolphins and sea lions.

I do not know they don't but when I was checking out Sw's site last year I was shocked to see the trainer in the water with the orcas....not to say it is right or wrong I was just suprised.

The only "show" with the orcas now is about 5 minutes and the trainers are on the outside of the tank and they have them splash and wave to the crowd. It was the "show" at Sw that was drawing me there but I would still visit without it.

 

[livndisney]

Hint, hint, wink, wink? C'mon... what is the scoop? What do you know that I don't? [/QUOTE


I can tell you he is in rehearsals..........

 

[slowtalken]

Nope. Not a chance. Doubt that will happen though.

 

[palmtreegirl]

Definitely. We've only been to the Shamu shows once this year, didn't care for them, we enjoy the other shows a lot more.

 

[ajaysmom825]

@ Kathy884...
We have reservations for Dine with Shamu too on the 16th at 6:30. Haven't heard anything regarding whether or not this will be cancelled. As of right now the site just says "until further notice".

I am so sad for this tragedy. It is truly heartbreaking.

I have been to SW many times and have seen the park change and evolve. I don't know if I would be able to do the park with being able to see the Orcas. I am in love with their beauty and find myself mesmerized watching them. I could honestly stay at the underwater lookout for HOURS, except that my family would be very annoyed with me. My goal is to one day see the animals in the wild. IDK. Sea World without Shamu would be different. It would just be a spread out aquarium. There is still plenty to do without the Orcas, it would just be different.

 

[izzie-wizzie]

I'd definately still go, we had our first trip to orlando last October with 2 days at SW.

1st day we went to SW we went to see Believe and in comparison to the other shows we didnt enjoy it (for a variety of reasons) - and that was with the obvious high expectations that came from all the hype. Can honestly say the best bit about the show for us was the ice cold beers, and i dont even drink beer usually!
We never went to see it again the second day and have said in coming trips, we probably wouldn't go out of our way to see it (but would still visit SW). Although please dont take my dislike for the show as any disrespect to the tragedy, like everyone else im shocked and saddened by this.

Obviously thats a matter of opinion and we enjoyed things like the feeding dolphins/seals, penguins and the rides so much more - However for the vast majority of visitors to go without the big Shamu brand would take one mighty good PR/Publicity team to convince everyone there is more to SW than Shamu!!

 

[TiffinyKC]

I'll play along...

I would still go. There are many wonderful things there even after the killer whales.

Having said that there is no way Sea World will let the killer whales go. That is the side that their bread is buttered on. I am a huge Sea World fan; there are so many wonderful things that they do for the enviornment and marine mammals in general, but at the same time they are a business. Cash flow must continue. Going even further, they are a business that was recently purchased. Letting go of the killer whales would be like Coke no longer carrying Coke but still carrying Sprite and Fanta or whatever.

Good question though...

 

[kathy884]

Ajaysmon825,
Thanks for posting!

I heard that they will be resuming the Believe show on Saturday, but Dine with Shamu is understandably still suspended. Maybe we'll see you at Dine with Shamu on the 16th? Our reservation is for 6:30 p.m. too. If we're not there, we'll be at the Shark' Underwater Grill (Planning to make that reservation first thing when we get to the park if "Dine with Shamu" is canceled). My dad told me he'd go make the reservation for me while the rest of us head for the Manta.

It sounds like you have the same awe and passion for Orcas that we do. My son especially just loves watching Tilly in the underwater viewing area and his enthusiam has rubbed off on me. We're always there way longer than the other people (usally for about 45 minutes every day we visit Sea World and he'd be there longer if we didn't suggest going to something else). He went to the Orlando Sea World overnight Junior High career camp last summer, and is going to go to the overnight camp for his age group at Sea World San Diego this coming summer. He'd love to see all three of their marine parks.

We've done Whale Watching day trips out of Victoria in British Columbia too. On one of the trips we saw the resident J/K/L pods who are playful, slap their tails a lot, and just eat fish. On the other day excusion we saw a transient pod who was traveling though the area. They aren't as playful and are quite quiet -- hunting behavior to sneak up on porpoises, etc. We liked both of these trips, but (and as it should be) you don't get that close to the Orcas unless you get really lucky (occasionally they'll swim up by the boats when they are stopped). There are laws for Orca protection (makes all kinds of sense) to have boats keep a good distance away and not disturb them. Sea World is definately the best place we know of to see Orcas up close.

General comment:
Sea World taking the Believe show off of suspension, just saved me $340 (four admissions to the Magic Kingdom). With this show back on, my son wants to go to to Sea World both days on on our mini spring break trip rather than do Sea World and a Disney park (our plan B). We have annual passes to Sea World, but even if we didn't second day is free.

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

I'm more into dolphins than the Orcas, but I would still go. I love Seaworld, without them I wouldn't be able to get up close to the animals I love the most.

 

[MommaMouse411]

They would have to definately think of something else to fill that void..i love seaworld..I love that they have good dining places...Elmos Breakfast is good...the Mahakaki Luau (however its' spelled) is good..and Dine with Shamu is very nice...the dolphin show is awesome...the Clyde & Syemor show is great...not crazy for the Nautilus show? its the acrobats...but my son and I love to feed the dolphins, we love to go through the shark tunnels...I would personally like to see more FISH!!!!! and the manatees there are the cleanest manatees I've seen!!!!

but seaworld without shamu??? never happen..the place wouldn't succeed...only die hard fans like myself will still go but that won't sustain it...

I really love the ORcas though..I mean I still am amazed everytime I go...just crazy how they can train these HUGE @$$ mammals to do tricks!!!!

 

[charming23]

I would still go to Sea World if there were no Orcas but I would miss them terribly.

I grew up going to the Sea World of Ohio and the Whales were my favorites. I was always so mesmarized by those giant animals and even thought of becoming a trainer for some time (I can't swim very well so that went out the window) but my love for them has always continued.

I would still go without them because I believe in what Sea World does outside of the parks as far as animal conservation goes. And I enjoy the sea lion and otter show,

 

[PaulaSB12]

I would still go, but I would be highly dissappointed in Sea World's approach. And I'm sure the park would really suffer.

It would be better for the park to suffer rather than the situation now where the whales and dolphins suffer. Are we that selfish?

 

[livndisney]

It would be better for the park to suffer rather than the situation now where the whales and dolphins suffer. Are we that selfish?

Selfish? It seems to me you are the selfish one. You want the park to suffer. You want the people that go into making the park the wonderful place that it is, to suffer. All for some misguided "ideal" that has no practical execution.

What would you have Sea World do with the animals they have rescued that cannot be return to the wild due to injury?

And as far as the animals "suffering", I bet your health care doesn't come anywhere close to the high level of care these animals enjoy.

 

[PaulaSB12]

Selfish? It seems to me you are the selfish one. You want the park to suffer. You want the people that go into making the park the wonderful place that it is, to suffer. All for some misguided "ideal" that has no practical execution.

What would you have Sea World do with the animals they have rescued that cannot be return to the wild due to injury?

And as far as the animals "suffering", I bet your health care doesn't come anywhere close to the high level of care these animals enjoy.

Stop them performing let the die out naturally and STOP BREEDING THEM they belong in the wild not performing idiot tricks. If their health care is so good why is the survival rate of animals right from birth worse than in the wild?

 

[Head_in_the_clouds]

Once again, I ask please for us to keep on topic. In my OP, I asked that this not turn into a debate. I merely posed a hypothetical situation in which if, for whatever reason, SW had no orcas, would you still go? It had occurred to me that I definitely would. I wondered if others felt the same way. It would seem for the most part that many do. At this rate the thread will end being closed like two threads over on the UK boards have. Everyone has a right to an opinion but this thread has started to go way off topic and I don't want nasty comments to start flying back and forward as has started to happen already.

Thank you to those who have answered my original question. Your answers have been interesting and insightful .

 

[treehugnmama]

another option is that they have the orcas but don't get into the water.....i do not think that would happen but that is what they do at marineland. They are still amazing to watch via the underground viewing area.

2 years ago we saw a baby beluga born it was amazing.