A former SeaWorld trainer blasted the theme park over the dangers of whale captivity — and claims the attraction often downplayed the creatures’ acts of aggression.
Former orca trainer, John Hargrove, said he quit the park after realizing the harmful impacts of captivity on the whales’ behavior and health, according to the CBS show “Whistleblower.”
“They are being subjected to sunlight, without shade protection – that causes cataracts and damage to the eyes,” Hargrove said. “They’re swimming in chemically-treated water.”
The forced captivity’s impact was undeniable on the whales, which are used to swimming up to 100 miles a day in the wild, according to the ex-trainer.
“You see them grinding down their teeth on the pool walls and ledges, breaking off their teeth where we have to go in and manually drill the tooth,” he told the show.
During the course of the career, Hargrove said he has been the victim of whale aggression a number of times.
“I’ve had 10 major water work aggressions where whales have grabbed me and pulled me under during my career,” he said.
The final straw for Hargrove came when another trainer, Dawn Brancheau, was fatally mauled by a whale named Tilikum in 2010.
“SeaWorld’s … statement was that it was not aggressive and that he was simply playing with Dawn … no reasonable person would believe it,” said Hargrove. “I cannot tell you how pissed off I am when I hear this … And she’s not alive to defend herself.”
The company has rejected Hargrove’s claims about the whales’ captivity in a statement.
“We expect this episode to rehash a tired and misleading narrative driven by discredited and disgruntled activists,” SeaWorld told the Orlando Sentinel. “As an organization, we are focused on providing world-class animal care and setting the record straight about our mission to advance vital scientific research, rescue and conservation efforts in our parks and across the globe.”