Before I started working on the documentary "The Cove," I assumed like many others that dolphins and orcas enjoyed living at Sea World and other marine parks. They always seemed to be smiling, jumping merrily around their tanks, eager to put on a show for human spectators.

However, when I met Ric O'Barry, my perspective changed. O'Barry was the man responsible for capturing Kathy -- the original "Flipper" -- from the wild and helping to create the language used to train dolphins to do tricks and flips. When Cathy died in his arms some years later, O'Barry realized the whole process of capturing and training dolphins was wrong.

He eventually co-wrote the book "Behind the Dolphin's Smile," where he explains that the smiles you see on these animals are not true reflections of happiness. In actuality, they hate to be enclosed in their holding tanks and are often not fed until it is time to perform their daily routines. During his time as a trainer, O'Barry learned dolphins had true feelings -- they would get depressed, stressed out, even suicidal. In some parks, the trainers have to give the animals Maalox and Tagamet to treat the ulcers that develop from their stress.

The horrific tragedy that occurred last week at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, has left me deeply shaken. My heart goes out to Dawn Brancheau and her family. Dawn lost her life doing the job that she loved, yet I -- like O'Barry -- believe that this job should no longer exist.

We know now that the whale involved in this accident has a well-documented history of violent behavior. SeaWorld knew of this history yet continued to exploit the animal and endanger the lives of its employees to put money in its pockets. If this isn't a wake-up call, I don't know what is.

[1] [2] 下一页