SeaWorld Trainer Speaks Out: John Hargrove Ripped For Joining Anti-SeaWorld Campaign Too Late

Days after a former SeaWorld trainer spoke out about his feelings concerning the company, the internet has responded.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, John Hargrove worked at SeaWorld for 14 years. Years after his employment ended, he wrote a book about the mistreatment of Orca whales, and how he felt that SeaWorld had lied to the public. For many, Hargrove’s words echoed those of the documentary film Blackfish(which Hargrove was a part of). But some can’t help but wonder if he coming forward with all of this information too late.

While there are thousands of people who want to see SeaWorld suffer following the alleged truths exposed in Blackfish, there are some that wonder if people like Hargrove are just capitalizing on a trend.

When former SW employees come out and say that SW is awful, I have to ask, “Why did you work there for so long then?” Credibility lost…?

— TiffinyKaye (@TiffinyKaye) March 21, 2015

Glad I really didn’t like @TheDailyShow already since John Hargrove is taking his money making propaganda campaign there next #seaworldcares

— Jim (@coasterj) March 25, 2015

When a SeaWorld trainer speaks out about the company he or she once worked for, one has to wonder if they are sincere or if they are just trying to make a name for themselves in the world. Many people support the movement to force SeaWorld to free their killer whales and to stop keeping these majestic mammals in captivity, but some also wonder how someone like Hargrove could work for them for so long, knowing what these whales were put through.

Hargrove says that SeaWorld was a “cult-like” environment, and he explained that the company made it extremely difficult for whale trainers who wanted to leave. He alluded to SeaWorld making threats against employees who wanted to leave, and it seems like this was the reason that he ended up staying with the company for so long.

According to NewsMax, Hargrove says that his new book, Beneath the Surface, was written to make more people understand what is really going on at SeaWorld. He says that he tried to change things while he was there, but all he has now is his story.

“I could not pull it off. The only true way to change this that’s left is to leave and speak out and tell people my story.”

When a SeaWorld trainer speaks out, people tend to listen. These people have been up close and personal with these whales, and they have seen more than the public even knows about. Hargrove might be late to the campaign, but he wants a change. According to People Magazine, Hargrove was attached to these animals, and now he’s trying to help make a difference for their future.

“As I became higher-ranked, I saw the devastating effects of captivity on these whales and it just really became a moral and ethical issue. When you first start to see it, you first try to say, ‘Okay, well, I love these animals; I’m going to take care of them.’… You think, ‘I can change things.’ And then all these things, of course, never improve and then you start… seeing mothers separated from their calves; you start seeing trainers being killed, and then they blame [the trainers] for their own deaths.”

Do you think Hargrove is just trying to make money or do you think his heart is in the right place? Sound off in the comments below.

[Photo by Matt Stroshane/Getty Images]