Another small link in the vast chain that subjugates the animal kingdom has finally been broken. Watching an enormous, majestic predator like an orca (Orcinus orca), endowed with astonishing emotional intelligence and an extremely complex social life, perform humiliating circus tricks for the amusement of ignorant and unaware spectators is truly disheartening — fortunately, it will no longer happen in California.

No more orcas in shows

California Governor Jerry Brown has signed a law called the Orca Protection and Safety Act, which prohibits the breeding of orcas and their performance in water parks. The only orcas in captivity in California will therefore remain the eleven individuals held by SeaWorld in San Diego; it will, however, be permitted to capture injured or beached orcas in order to treat them. This does not mean that all orcas will be returned to their natural environment: the law stipulates that from 2017, orcas already present in water parks may be used for what are defined as "educational orca encounters". The cetaceans will still be captive but, at the very least, they will not be forced to perform in unnatural shows and will have tanks better suited to their needs (insofar as a cage can be).

The impact of Blackfish

Public sensitivity regarding the exploitation of orcas increased exponentially following the release of Blackfish, a 2013 documentary that, through the story of Tilikum — an orca that in captivity killed three people — exposes the mistreatment suffered by these animals in water parks. In the wake of the film's release, the share price of SeaWorld, a US company operating in the amusement park sector, collapsed, falling from 39 dollars in 2013 to the current 18. SeaWorld's own chief executive Joel Manby admitted that the decision to phase out orcas came in response to heavy criticism and a drastic reduction in visitor numbers.

The future of entertainment will be shaped by respect for animals

"Thanks to Blackfish, more and more people have decided to give up this type of entertainment, and the future looks promising," commented Carney Anne Nasser, a consultant for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, an organisation founded with the aim of protecting animals and their rights through the legal system. Through this law, California has set an important precedent, and other states, such as Texas and Florida, could soon follow its example. The road, though still uphill, is nonetheless charted, and in the near future the exploitation of animals for human entertainment will be a sad memory of the past.