By Erin McKinney
In one of my forays into the world of internet “debate,” I saw one self-titled activist post a photo of SeaWorld Orlando’s “Blue Horizons” show. It included a sanctimonious question, “What are we learning from this?”
I’ve heard the same question (or accusatory statement, depending on the individual) posed many times in many different ways – from casual observers and disgruntled activists alike. They *ask*, why aren’t SeaWorld’s (and other zoological facilities’) shows more “educational?”
One must assume in this context that people, like our esteemed friend @SteveJack3, are defining “educational” experiences as fact filled and content heavy. More like a lecture on marine mammal biology then a theatrical production – a real snooze fest if you’re not studying to be a marine biologist.
It is as if the audience must be told and retain a specific number of fact bytes for any value whatsoever to be gained from the experience. There will be a test at the end of the show!
Without this kind of *education*, the activists cry, the shows are merely exploitation – designed to draw the largest crowds possible to line pockets on the backs of animals.
Frankly, it ignores everything we know about sound education.
This view limits educational experiences by saying that the most literal definition of “learning,” committing pieces of information to memory, is the only one of value. Entertainment and education are, in the minds of these critics of SeaWorld, firmly divided into two separate categories.
Despite everything we know about learning, the two shall never meet!
This is the case even when it has been shown, through the work of play researchers like Dr. Stuart Brown, that entertaining learning has a higher retention rate then traditional learning (Brown, 2009)
Education is so much more then rote memorization or a lecture over a microphone. You know this is true. Just think about your favorite teachers or your kids’ favorite teacher.
Education is something that changes perspectives, something that introduces a new idea or exposes something previously unknown. And what better way to change the perspective of thousands of people at a time then by the killer whale shows which display some of the ocean’s most powerful ambassadors doing awe-inspiring things. These animals are so awesome to witness that they have, on numerous occasions, moved adults to tears.
And we should just hold a lecture?
There is no question whatsoever that the presentation of animals in zoological facilities is a transformative experience for many. It’s the story told a thousand times by children and adults of all ages. On a family vacation to SeaWorld, they stopped to see a 25 minute presentation at Shamu Stadium, Dolphin Theatre or Sea Lion and Otter Stadium. 25 minutes later they walked out, never the same, and filled with an intense passion for animals and the sea. Some of these youngsters went on to become animal trainers, some animal scientists, some veterinarians, some conservationists, and some educators and instructors.
Even some misguided activists.
Maybe these children didn’t learn hard facts through rote memorization. Maybe that day they didn’t know the average weight of a male killer whale or the preferred diet of a Bottlenose dolphin. But what they gained might be a life-altering, world changing view of animals and the sea. It was probably many times more valuable and lasting then anything most classroom-like lectures could provide.
To further this idea, it must be noted that a park like SeaWorld Orlando is situated in the heart of Florida’s tourism industry. Their clientele is vastly diverse. The come from all over the world and speak a hundred different languages. Millions of guests move through the park each year experiencing the offerings as part of their vacations.
One Killer Whale show alone can play to 5,500 people.
SeaWorld’s shows are about relationships, trust and love. They are celebrations of the wonders of the ocean. These shows cross all language and cultural barriers. They unite people.
They are universally stunning, universally accessible, and universally powerful. The sheer number of people who experience them is testament to their ability to reach and transform. There is most certainly a place for biology lectures. However, a stadium packed with 5,500 people from around the world isn’t that kind of experience.
It a wholly different and a lot more emotionally connected. One between a human and an animal.
That being said, it would also be completely wrong to say that SeaWorld has no focus on “traditional” education. From camp programs to school programs to the traveling animal ambassador teams, the park-wide Education and Conservation department to San Antonio’s seasonal educational shows to the huge database of online info books – SeaWorld’s parks understand that education and entertainment complement each other. They know that their guests will want more after being exposed to the animals through something as compelling as a Shamu show.
It is those who have their eyes firmly closed that claim SeaWorld does not teach. Those same blind people demand the release of the collection rather then recognize the critical role they play in creating an interest in conservation.
Rather then imparting a rehearsed sequence of facts, SeaWorld’s shows offer the opportunity to connect and thus the opportunity to make a lasting change in the lives those who experience them. It is an undeniable change in perspective.
If you don’t learn from that, maybe you just aren’t listening.