Dear ISSO,

I received the activity schedule for this coming Winter break this morning and I am concerned about the upcoming trip to SeaWorld.

I am asking SCAD to cancel this trip, because I don’t believe the SCAD community should suport cruelty against animals.

SeaWorld keeps Orcas and other animals in unnatural environments where the animals suffer from anxiety and extreme stress. Orcas are very social animals who bond with each other for life. Captivity does not allow them to form the complex bonds they would in their natural environment. In the wild, they swim over 100 miles a day, which is impossible in captivity, but the animals at SeaWorld hurt each other in fights since in captivity they have no place to go, whereas wild Orcas can just flee the fight.

Captive Orca Males have collapsed dorsal fins as adults, which is a sign of an unhealthy living environment. SeaWorld claims that this condition is natural to all Orcas; however collapsed dorsal fins are rarely seen in the wild.

Captivity is not only detrimental to the Orcas but to their handlers as well. Because of the stress of the Shows and being forced to perform for food, there are incidents where trainers at SeaWorld were injured or even killed! As reported by CNN one of the most experienced trainers at SeaWorld named Dawn Brancheau who was attacked and killed during a show in 2010 by Tillikum the oldest captive male Orca, who also attacked and killed two other trainers before. (http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/24/killer.whale.trainer.death/)

There are many more facts about how the Orcas at seaWorld are suffering from being imprisoned.

I hereby request that the SCAD ISSO trip to SeaWorld will be cancelled in the attempt to keep SCAD out of cruel events against animals.

Thank you for your time