Leave Motley out of animal cruelty

Gain pain: Loud noises disrupt orcas' communication

Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee has demanded that a “cruel” SeaWorld orca show should never include any of his band’s music.

He believes exposing the animals to loud music is dangerous and stressful for them, and wants the performances to end.

In an open letter to SeaWorld San Diego, the musician – who recently told of his pain when a fan asked for a photo as he collected his mother’s ashes – explains how he was recently informed of the Shamu Rocks shows, which see orcas entertaining tourists to a backdrop of rock songs.

Scientists believe the music is played as much as six times louder than the total amount of noise the animals can deal with.

Lee says: “I just learned the latest way SeaWorld makes captive marine mammals miserable.

“I’m writing to ask you not to play any Motley Crue songs at any of SeaWorld’s parks during this sad show. We don’t want to be a part of making innocent animals’ lives hellish.

“These animals are very sensitive to sound as they communicate by sonar. Loud noises mess with their most basic instincts and drive them more nuts than they already are when trapped in your tanks.

“Whales are not headbangers so stop cranking the music. I’m among those who would like to see the dolphins and whales at SeaWorld moved to a coastal sanctuary – but at least give them some peace and quiet.”

PETA, the body promoting the ethical treatment of animals, say: “The Shamu Rocks shows put these animals in an environment that’s even more stressful than the one they’re already forced to endure.

“Orcas at SeaWorld are denied everything that is natural and important to them.

“Some experts say a noise level of 70 decibels is too much for orcas to handle – yet Shamu Rocks shows reach up to 90 decibels.” Since the decibel scale is logarithmic, the 20db difference adds up to more than six times the amount of noise.

Meanwhile, it’s been revealed the will of Beastie Boy Adam Yauch prevents the use of his music in advertising. The rapper died of cancer in May and left instructions reading: “Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in no event may my images to name, or any music or any artistic property created by me, be used for advertising purposes.” The phrase “or any music or any artistic property created by me” was added in handwriting. Yauch left an estate worth $6.4m to his widow and daughter.