Tuesday 15 April 2014

Research at SeaWorld Benefits Killer Whales in the Wild - which bit??





  Research at SeaWorld Benefits Killer Whales in the Wild  - which bit??
The killer whale research we conduct has direct benefit for science. The animals in our care allow researchers, biologists and conservationists to better understand and conserve these remarkable animals in the wild. SeaWorld conducts and publishes the results of research on and about killer whales, provides access to our parks and animals in controlled environments, and supports field research projects around the world.
As the orca are not behaving naturally, the research allows scientists to research captive orca only. 

This research contributes to conservation of wild whales.

As you can see from the list below, when you put the research into date order it forms a pattern where research hasn't been done for any other reason than for Seaworld itself. i.e. Studies for American captures, studies for Icelandic captures, research into illness's after their orca have died, eg, west nile virus, bacterial infection, reproduction research, leading to AI, sperm freezing and lastly, Sumars death. Apart from the Chinook Salmon research for the Southern residents all the other papers explain what has happened in your own tanks or have been needed for another phase in Seaworld history. 

While all killer whales around the world are not classified as endangered, the distinct population segment of Southern Resident killer whales off the U.S. and Canadian Pacific Coast are listed as endangered by the National Marine Fisheries Service and also protected by Environment Canada under the Canadian Species at Risk Act. The research we conduct and support at SeaWorld is made available to the scientific community and may someday help researchers understand why this population of whales is in decline and perhaps help to reverse the trend.
Scientists and wild whale biologists have already established why the Southern Resident killer whales had declined. As you wanted to capture fish eating orca for your tanks you targeted the Southern Residents. During 15 years of capturing in Washington and British Columbia. Many of those were caught by YOUR whale catchers, you took out a whole breeding generation for your tanks and many many died.

275 to 307 whales were caught

55 were transferred to aquariums

12 or 13 died during capture operations

  

Our parks = unique environments for researchers to understand killer whales.
We manage the largest collection of killer whales in a zoological setting; house them in state-of-the-art habitats; and provide researchers the unique advantage of animals that are trained and able to cooperate. Researchers can monitor these individuals daily over long periods of time. In short, we create a controlled setting for science that is impossible to replicate in the wild.  
For those trying to research whales in the wild, how does Seaworld think that trained killer whales benefit the wild community. The researchers could watch them for days as you say, but will never see them hunt, use echo location properly, see the matraline bonds, see the relationships between males and their mothers as no adult male is with his mother at Seaworld. All they could research is conditions of a captive whale.
The Research
Scientific research performed at SeaWorld is carried out by our own research staff, and by scientists from national and internationally renowned universities and research organizations such as UCLA, the San Diego Zoo and the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute
We publish the results of our research in peer-reviewed journals, making it available to scientists, those who manage animal populations, and other interested people around the world.  SeaWorld scientists have authored or co-authored hundreds of published papers.  Of these, more than 30 contain information specific to killer whales.
We also provide resources and financial support to field researchers.  This support is offered directly by SeaWorld, through grants from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens® Conservation Fund, and by research foundations associated with and supported by SeaWorld, including the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute.

 The publications below are from Seaworld pages where they state their research benefits those orca in the wild.  As you work through the publications it looks more like a history of Seaworld with the research being done purely to benefit themselves at the stage they are in the acquisition of orcas. Take note of the dates of publication.

Below are some of the research studies authored by SeaWorld. These published studies on killer whales showcase SeaWorld's larger commitment to animal welfare and conservation. Our parks provide a unique opportunity for SeaWorld and affiliated scientists and researchers to examine killer whales up close to better understand these animals. These studies complement and strengthen research efforts in the field.


Leatherwood, S:    Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) Photo-identified in Prince William Sound, Alaska, 1976 through 1987.  The Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol. 104.
 Identifying individual orca


 
Ralph Munro former Secretary of State

  Goldsberry, D.G., E.D. Asper, and L. H. Cornell:  Live Capture techniques for the killer whale, Orcinus orca, and live capture fishery statistics, 1961-1976.   Report to Sub-committee, Small Cetaceans, Scientific Committee International Whaling Commission, London, England,  1976;13 pp.
 Actual number of killer whales caught between 1962 and Aug 1973 was 263, total deaths during collection was 12, total number of killer whales kept for oceanaria 50. DURING THE PENN COVE CAPTURES THE REPORT STATES, 2 OF THE 4 WHALES THAT DIED DURING THIS CAPTURE OPERATION WERE EXPERIMENTALLY TRANQUILIZED UNDER THE DIRECTION OD DR MERRILL SPENCER THE ANIMALS SUBSEQUENTLY DIED. 


Goldsberry, D. G., E. D. Asper, and L. H. Cornell:  Live capture technique for the killer whale (Orcinus orca).   Aquatic Mammals. 1978;6(3):91-95.
Of 24 animals studied, 9 died before the age of 5 and the 15 remaining lived between 1.25 and 13 years giving a mean of 5.37 years. Causes of death from 41 records show the majority died from infection. 25% from pneumonia, systemic mycosis 22%, other bacterial infections 15.6%, mediastinal absess 9.4%, other conditions and one undiagnosed make up the other 28%. Mycotic infections are uncommon in OPEN AIR NATURAL SEA WATER SYSTEMS and killer whales kept in these conditions are considered LESS AT RISK.


Jehl J.R., Evans, W.E., Awbrey, F.T., and W.S. Drieschman:  Distribution and geographic Variation in the Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) populations of the Antarctic and adjacent waters.    Antarctic Journal. U.S.  1980; 15: 161-163.
 Population studies which had to be done prior to capture 


Awbrey, F.T., Thomas, J.A., Evans, W.E., Leatherwood, S:   Ross Sea Killer Whale Vocalizations:  Preliminary Description and Comparison with those of some Northern Hemisphere Killer Whales. SC/Jn81/KW7.  32nd Report International Whaling Commission.  1982;32:667-670.
 Vocalisations to identify the different types or orca


Dalheim, M.E., Leatherwood, S., and W.F. Perrin:  Distribution of Killer Whales in the Warm Temperate and Tropical Eastern Pacific. SC/Jn81/KW3.   32nd Report International Whaling Commission.  1982;32:647-653
 Distribution of orcas i.e. where they are .


Evans, W.E., Yablokov, A.V., and A.E. Bowles:  Geographic Variation in the Color Pattern of Killer Whales (Orcinus orca).   SC/Jn81/KW11.   32nd Report International Whaling Commission.  1982;32:687-694.
 How to identify the different types of orca


Cornell, L. H:  Hematology and clinical chemistry values in the killer whale, Orcinus orca.   L. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 1983;19(3):259-264.
You knew these orca were different before you started breeding the hybrid mixes.  Lactic dehydrogenase activity was lower in all animals of Pacific origin, as compared to animals from the Atlantic, regardless of age or sex. These "normal" differences emphasize the importance of establishing an animal's individual hematologic and blood chemistry profile by routine sampling.


Leatherwood, S.,  Bowles, A.E., Krygier, E., Hall J.D., and S. Igneel:    Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) in Southeast Alaska, Prince William Sound, and Shelikof Strait; A Review of Available Information.
 SC/35/SM 7.  34th Report International Whaling Commission.  1984;34:521-530.
 Review of information gathered on orca in these areas


Leatherwood,  S., Balcomb, K.C.,  Matkin, C.O., and G. Ellis:   Killer Whales, (Orcinus orca) of Southern Alaska. Results of Field Research 1984 Preliminary Report.  Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute Technical Report No. 84-175:1-59.
 Field research report


Cornell, L.H. and Hall:  Killer Whales, (Orcinus orca) of Prince William Sound, Alaska results of 1985 Field Research.  1986.  SWTC 8611C
 Field Research required before captures


Lyrholm T., Leatherwood S., and J. Sigurjónsson:   Photoidentification of Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) off Iceland, October 1985.  Cetology.  1987;52:1-14.
 Identification of Icelandic Orca 
 Duffield, D. A:   Orcinus orca:  taxonomy, evolution, cytogenetics and population structure.  Behavioral Biology of  Killer Whales. 1986;19-33.
You were made aware of the structure of killer whale populations and had all the information you needed yet chose to ignore as your shows were more important than the whales themselves which were replaceable


Bowles, A.E., Young, G.E., and E.D. Asper:   Ontogeny of stereotyped calling of a killer whale calf (Orcinus orca) during her first year.    Rit Fiskideildar  1988;11:251-27
Vocalizations to identify calves in a pod 


Duffield, D.A., and K. W. Miller:   Demographic features of killer whales in oceanaria in the United States and Canada, 1965 – 1987.    Rit Fiskideildar, 1988;11:297-306.
Demographic features are studied of how the orca relate, age, sex, what they do etc
  

Moore, S.E., Francine J.K, Bowles, A.E., and John K.B. Ford:  Analysis of calls of killer whales (Orcinus orca) from Iceland and Norway.   Rit Fiskideildar.  1988:11:225-250.
 Identification of Icelandic vocalization


Myrick, A.C., Yochem,  P.K., and L.H. Cornell:  Toward calibrating dentinal layers in captive killer whales by use of tetracycline labels.  Rit Fiskideildar. 1988;11:285-296.
 To establish accurate age estimations


Sigurjónsson, J , Lyrholm J., Leatherwood S., Jónsson, E., and G. Víkingsson:  Photoidentification of killer whales, (Orcinus orca) off Iceland, 1981 through 1986.  Rit Fiskideildar. 1988;11:99-114.
 Photo identification of Icelandic killer whales

Gudrun

Sigurjónsson, J., and S. Leatherwood:  The Icelandic live-capture fishery for killer whales, 1976 – 1988.   Rit Fiskideilder.  1988;11:307-316.
From  1976 - 1988 59 whales were captured, 8 were released, 3 died in the holding facility and 48 were exported.  This is not something I would brag is on my list if I was Seaworld.


Benirschke, K., and L. H. Cornell:  The placenta of the killer whale, Orcinus orca.  Marine Mammal Science. 1987; 3(1):82-86.
I would think although my own view researching a wild whale placenta would be very difficult and this article is by Larry Cornell who you sacked in 1987


Griner, L. A:   Cardiac candidiasis in a captive killer whale.  Verh. ber. Erkrg. Zootiere. 1992;34:159-161.
Hall, et. al.:  Increasing Flexibility in Photographic Techniques for Identifying Killer Whales.  1987.  Cetology 53. This report shows that this is so common in captive killers whales it has to be aggressively treated


Bowles, A. E., W. G. Young, and E. D. Asper:  Ontogeny of stereotyped calling of a killer whale calf, Orcinus orca, during her first year.   Rit Fiskideildar.  1988;11:251-275.
 Calf vocalizations during their first year


Duffield, D.A., and K. W. Miller:  Demographic features of killer whales in oceanaria in the United States and Canada, 1965-1987.  Rit Fiskideilder.  1988;11:297-306.
 As Above


Stevens, T. A., D. A. Duffield, E. D. Asper, K. G. Hewlett, A. Bolz, L. J. Gage, and G. D. Bossart:   Preliminary findings of restriction fragment differences in mitochondrial DNA among killer whales (Orcinus orca).  Canadian Journal Zoology.  1989;67:2592-2595.
 The observed Hae III restriction pattern differences suggest that mitochondrial DNA analysis will be a valuable technique for investigating regional and local distributions of maternal lineages among killer whale pods, especially in the North Pacific.


Buck, C., G. P. Paulino, D. J. Medina, G. D. Hsiung, T. W. Campbell, and M. T. Walsh:  Isolation of St. Louis encephalitis virus from a killer whale.  Clinical Diagnostic Virology.  1993; 1:109-112.
Killer whale killing virus 


 Duffield, D. A., D. K. Odell, J. F. McBain, and B. Andrews:   Killer whale (Orcinus orca) reproduction at Sea World.   Zoo Biology. 1995;14:417-43
  Captive reproduction


Clark, S. T., and D. K. Odell:  Allometric relationships and sexual dimorphism in captive killer whales (Orcinus orca).  Journal of Mammalogy.  1999;80(3):777-785.
Changes in growth etc between male and female orca 


Clark, S. T., and D. K. Odell:  Nursing parameters in captive killer whales (Orcinus orca).  Zoo Biology. 1999;18:5, p. 373-384.
  Nursing parameters examined included cumulatives of suckles per day, bouts per day, and suckle duration (seconds) per day. Daily cumulatives of all nursing parameters peaked within the first 2 days after birth then decreased through time. For the ages from birth until 42 days


Clark, S. T., D. K. Odell, and C. T. Lacinak:  Aspects of growth in captive killer whales (Orcinus orca).  Marine Mammal Science. 2000; 16(1):110-123.
  Self explainatory


Funke, C., D.P. King, J.F. McBain, D. Adelung, and J.L. Stott:  Expression and functional characterization of killer whale (Orcinus orca) interleukin-6 (IL-6) and development of a competitive immunoassay.  Vet Immunology and Immunopathology.  2003 May 30; 93(1-2):69-79.
Animal testing to help animals??



 Colegrove KM, St. Leger JA, Raverty S, Jang S, Berman-Kowalewski M, Gaydos JK: Salmonella newport omphaloarteritis in a stranded killer whale (Orcinus orca) neonate. J Wildlife Dis. 2010;46(4):1300-1304.
  Disease research


Clark, Steve,  Hoffman, L., Knofczynski, G:   Spatial relationship patterns in captive killer whale (Orcinus orca) cow/calf dyads:   Estimation of Parameters in the Join point Two-Regime Regression Model.  Communications in Statistics - Simulation and Computation. 2010; 39: 1562-1576.
Nursing research 

Clark, S.,  Williams, R.., Krkosek, M., Ashe,E., Branch,T.A.,  Hammond, P.S., Hoyt E., Noren, D.P,  Rosen, D., and Winship A: Competing Conservation Objectives for Predators and Prey: Estimating Killer Whale Prey Requirements for Chinook Salmon. PLoS ONE 6(11): e26738. Dol:10.1371/journal.pone.0026738. Published November 9, 2011.
  This is actually a benefit

 According to your website this isn't actually finished 
Kastelein, R.A., S. Walton, D. Odell, S.H. Hieuwstraten, and P.R. Wiepkema:   Food consumption of a captive female killer whale (Orcinus orca).  Aquatic Mammals. 2000; 26(2):127-131
''Follow-up research with SeaWorld’s killer whales will look at metabolism in two ways. First, we will repeat this study with additional whales to add data on resting metabolism.  Next, we will look at how changes in activity patterns change food demands.   This will allow scientists to understand how foraging for food might increase the caloric needs of wild whales.''


LaMere, S.A., St. Leger, J.A., Schrenzel, M.D., Anthony S.J. Rideout, B.A., and D. R. Salomon:  Molecular Characterization of a Novel Gammaretrovirus in Killer Whales (Orcinus orca).  Journal Virology.  2009;83(24):12956-12967.
 Again killer whale cancer research


Miller, D.L., E.L. Styer, S.J. Decker, and T. Robeck: Ultrastructure of the spermatozoa from three odontocetes, a killer whale (Orcinus orca), a Pacific white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) and a beluga (Delphinapterus leucas).  Anatomia Histologia Embryologia. 2002;31:158-168
 Research for AI


Walker, L. A., L. Cornell, K. D. Dahl, N. M. Czekala, C. M. Dargen, B. Joseph Aaron, J. W. Hsueh, and B. L. Lasley:  Urinary concentrations of ovarian steroid hormone metabolites and bioactive FSH in killer whales (Orcinus orca) during ovarian cycles and pregnancy.  Biological Reproduction. 1988;39(5):1013-1020
 Reproductive cycle research

Patterson, W. R., L. M. Dalton, D. L. McGlasson, and J. H. Cissik:  Aggregation of killer whale platelets.  Thrombosis Research. 1993;70:225-231.
 Research showing no effect from diving

Patterson, W. R., L. M. Dalton, and D. L. McGlasson:  A comparison of human and killer whale platelet fatty acid composition.  Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B. 1998;120(2):247-252.
 Same report with comparison to humans


Robeck, T. R., A. L. Schneyer, J. F. McBain, L. M. Dalton, M. T. Walsh, N. M. Czekala, and D. C. Kraemer:  Analysis of urinary immunoreactive steroid metabolites and gonadotropins for characterization of the estrous cycle, breeding period, and seasonal estrous activity of captive killer whales (Orcinus orca).  Zoo Biology. 1993;12:173-187.
 Cycle monitoring for breeding


Robeck T. R., Dalton L.M: Saksenaea vasiformis and Apophysomyces elegans Zygomycotic Infections in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), a Killer Whale (Orcinus orca), and Pacific White-Sided Dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens). J Zoo Wildlife Med. 2002;33(4):356-366.
 Research into fungal infections infecting the orca


Robeck, T.R., K. J. Steinman, S. Gearhart, T.R. Reidarson, J.F. McBain , and S. L. Monfort: Reproductive Physiology and Development of Artificial Insemination Technology in Killer Whales (Orcinus orca).  Biology of Reproduction. 2004;71, 650-660.
 AI research no value to the wild

Robeck, T.R., and S.L. Monfort:  Characterization of male killer whale (Orcinus orca) sexual maturation and reproductive seasonality.  Theriogenology.  2006; 66(2):242-250.
 Wild research already discovered when an animal is sexually mature


 St. Leger J, Wu G, Anderson M, Dalton L, Nilson E, Wang D: West Nile Virus Infection in Killer Whale, Texas, USA, 2007. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011;17(8):1531-1533.
 No west nile virus ever recorded in the wild


St. Leger J.A., Begeman L., Fleetwood M, et al.: Comparative pathology of nocardiosis in marine mammals. Vet Path. 2009;46(2):299-308.
 Bacterial lung infection research


Robeck, T.R., S.A. Gearhart, K.J. Steinman, E. Katsumata, J.D. Loureiro, J.K. O’Brien:   In vitro sperm characterization and development of a sperm cryopreservation method using directional solidification in the killer whale (Orcinus orca).  Theriogenology.  2011;76:267-279.
Research was conducted to characterize seminal traits and to develop a sperm cryopreservation method using directional freezing (DF) for the killer whale (Orcinus orca

Robeck T. R., and H. Nollens:  Hematological and Serum Biochemical Analytes Reflect Physiological Challenges during Gestation and Lactation in Killer Whales (Orcinus orca)   Zoo Biology. 2013;in press.
The last 12 months of gestation had greater physiological impact than lactation, but changes associated with and immediately following parturition were the most dramatic. During this period, killer whales may experience increased susceptibility to illness, and anthropogenic and environmental disturbances.  Even though the report states the above, females are not taken out during their pregnancies to avoid disturbances and even participate in shows. 

Begeman, St. Leger, Blyde, et.al:  Intestinal Volvulus in Cetaceans.   Veterinary Pathology.   2013;50:590.
 9 captive and 9 wild orca have died from this. Sumar being one of them, hence the investigtion


Upon reading all these publications, the things I find most disturbing are - back in 1995, your OWN research stated that the bacterial infections killing your animals were less at risk in open air Sea Water facilities, yet despite your parks being near or on the ocean, you chose to ignore it. 

In 1983 you researched DNA and realised the different groups had different DNA sequences, which proved that the individual groups did not cross breed in the wild, yet you did it anyway. Why would you ignore something like that and create hybrid orca, who now have no group in the wild, so would always have to be captive?? 

Your gestation and lactation research shows that pregnant and nursing mothers need rest, quiet, yet you had them performing in shows whilst pregnant and whilst nursing. When you have research showing you the effect why would you carry on doing that?? 

There isn't much point in having research which you pick and choose at, research is research and yet you have ignored the parts that don't suit you, same as you ignore the parts from other researchers who don't suit your wish to keep these orca's in a tank performing tricks until they die. 

No one wants to see Seaworld close, what the 'radical activists' want to see is you giving the lives you stole back to those orca. You know you would be perfectly capable of teaching them to catch their own food, and you know a sea pen facility could still be managed by the trainers they orca know and people will learn so much more from seeing wild behaviours than made up ones. If you go on a whale watching trip you can never guarantee seeing any orca, but in a sea pen setting you would be guaranteed seeing the orca, and seeing the orca you know too, how could people not want to see that? 




Monday 14 April 2014

Responses to Seaworld's videos

Blackfish once again shows Seaworld up.    Read the full report here.  

My take on the recent Seaworld videos.


Bit of double standards here, JJ was a week old stayed captive for 18 months yet was released, nothing to worry about in the ocean there! Those prize orca are a different story though if it was safe for JJ its safe for them!
WDC explain a lot better than me, read here 




Where are they going to get a video of Sam Berg doing what Holly Byrd did in this clip. This wasn't to take anything away from Holly it was showing the procedure that all the orca trainers had to do. Anyone with half a brain would realise that. When you watch an action movie on say Vietnam the people in the film aren't really getting shot, but to find original footage of them being shot would be very difficult indeed, most people know it is only giving you an example, unless of course you are working your backside off to try to discredit it.


This is not the best choice of orca to try to discredit a film either. As you say, Takara was grown when she was moved, on the Blackfish movie it shows a grown orca in the sling. What you fail to say is at the time of the move in 2009 Takara had 2 calves, Kohana and her younger brother Trua. Trua was left behind, he would have stayed with Takara for life and Kohana went with her as you say. You didn't finish off the story though, Kohana was one of the orca sent to Loro Parque, so she was separated from Takara, meaning she had had both calves taken from her. This is the statement from John Hargrove regarding his injured face Wendy was supposed to be his friend but lied for Seaworld here.  So the statement you made saying I want to be a good role model why would I work for a company that does that is very relevant. Why would you work for a company that does that???




If you check through Hubbs/ Seaworld documents you have only ever released 2 studies. Growth in captive orca in 2000. I dare say people would be able to see how they grow in the wild and one about killer whale reproduction in 1995. That is hardly valuable research to help the wild orca, that is research to help captive breeding.


This statement is also made to be misleading. On an article attacking a Jeff Ventre statement you wrote
THE WHALES ALWAYS RECEIVE THEIR FULL DIETS, THEY ARE NEVER 
CUT AS HE SUGGESTS. THE FOOD IS MOVED SO THAT BEHAVIOR PRINCIPLES RELATED 
TO MAGNITUDE OF REINFORCEMENT ARE UTILIZED TO HELP CONDITION TOP
BEHAVIOR CRITERIA. THESE PRACTICES ARE NORMAL PARTS OF BEHAVIOR 
MODIFICATION TECHNIQUES USED WITH OPERANT CONDITIONING, THE SCIENTIFIC
 APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING AND MODIFYING BEHAVIOR TO ENHANCE RESULTS. 
EVERY EXPERIENCED TRAINER WITH DEVELOPED BEHAVIORAL KNOWLEDGE
USES THESE PRACTICES TO ENHANCE THE INTERACTIONS WITH THE ANIMALS 
SO THAT FOOD IS ALWAYS PRESENT BUT THE AMOUNTS CAN VARY TO MAXIMIZE. 
IF IT’S ALWAYS FED THE SAME WAY AND AMOUNT IT COULD BECOME BORING 
TO THE ANIMALS AND THUS LOSE THE VALUE OF ITS REINFORCING QUALITIES.
 DURING THESE VIP SHOWS THE WHALES ARE HELD AT HALF BASE LEADING UP TO
 THE SHOW AND THEN MAGNITUDED THE REST OF THEIR FULL DIETS FOR THE SHOW.

How is keeping them on half base leading up to a show, and stating food is always present but the amount can vary to maximise performance, be interpretted as anything else that food is with held????? 

Interesting choice of trainer too seeing as you said that Keto killed Alix Martinez because the trainer
supervising Brian Rokeach didn't give him his 'reward' and gave neutral responses which then frustrated
Keto resulting in the attack and death of Alix. Why would they get frustrated if food wasn't part of the
reinforcement techniques???


After discovering that Mark Simmons company Ocean Embassy are actually dolphin brokers working with the Solomon Islands, all credibility of anything he has to say anymore goes right out of the window. He would have to support captivity otherwise he would be damaging his own company.


This video goes right back to the dinosaur issues. Did people need to see them to appreciate them? No they didn't. Everything they learnt about them was from books, TV, archeology, yet people love them. In relation to the orca, WDC is English, and is a great campaigner for orca freedom. People across the globe other than in the USA, France and Japan which are the only countries holding captive orca, fight for their freedom. Why would they do that, they can't see them in a tank yet they know about them, take boat trips to see them, read, watch TV and research them. So that in itself blows this clip right out of the water, people do not need to see them in a tank.



Firstly what is this video for, is it not someone criticizing on the internet?  I have never ever seen any activist criticize a rescue,  why would they?  Seaworld are not the only people who rescue animals, there are many facilities all over the USA doing exactly the same thing, it just isn't shoved in peoples faces as much. Sea Shepherd are called activists yet they rescue all over the world. Greenpeace are called Activists, they rescue all over the world, Ric O Barry and Earth Island rescue all over the world,  need I go on??



Again not the best of examples, Katina and 2 of her babies, one who cannot go anywhere are she is a full inbred, mother and son.

 Katina, who is a wild caught orca, had Kalina first, Kalina was taken to do a tour of the Seaworld parks and not returned until she was 9 years old. Whilst away she had a calf of her own at the extremely young age of 7, 18 months gestation so she was 5 and a half years old and Seaworld allowed her to become pregnant. When Keet was 18 months old his mum was moved again as she was pregnant again. SEAWORLD SAID KEET BECAME DEPRESSED after her move but he was cared for by Haida 2 and made friends with Kuyquot and Katerina, despite that at aged 5 he was moved to away from them too.

She then had Keto - SEAWORLD SAID HE WAS MOVED OUT OF ORLANDO TO CORRECT HIS BAD HABITS he was 3. He stayed at San Diego for 9 months, then was moved to Ohio and then to San Antonio. He finally formed a bond with Kayla even fighting with Ky over her and was then reunited with his brother and they too became really close. Despite the bonds he made as he would have naturally been at his mothers side all his life, he was then sent to Loro Parque never seeing any of them again. People wonder then why he killed poor Alix Martinez, Seaworld knew he was messed up as they tried to correct his bad habits, who gave him those bad habits? Even though they knew about Keto they still let the trainers in Loro Parque swim with them, being supervised by Brian Rokeach didn't stop the death.

As you know the orca so well what possible reason was there to take Tuar from Kalina? He too would still be at his mothers side?

Then there is Skyla how old was she when Seaworld took her from her mother? 2, what was the reason for that??

When Kalina died from septicemia, she had none of her calves with her, why was that as Seaworld state they don't separate them??? Those 4 orca would have stayed in Katina's matriline after Kalinas death, so thats one calf.
Katerina - Katina's second calf was taken aged 2, and sent to San Antonio, she died there aged 10. Why did they take her from Katina as Seaworld's lovely videos say they respect the mother and calf bond, and the simpering mother of 4 says 'we wouldn't do that' but they would and have.
Taku was so messed up he mated with his own mother, producing Nalani a full inbred who can go nowhere as she will never be part of the breeding programme, if she ever is there certainly would be uproar as no respectable institution would breed an animal knowing they were full inbred. As you know them so well, how was that allowed to happen?? He died at San Antonio of pneumonia aged 14.
Unna - where is Unna and how old was she when she was moved?? She has been on birth control since miscarrying her first calf. Why isn't she still with Katina??
Ikaika was only 4 when he was traded for 4 Belugas and sent to Marineland. After winning the court battle he was brought back to Seaworld, so why wasn't he brought back to the same tank as his mother as he would have been with her for life in the wild??
Nalani - beautiful Nalani can't go anywhere as she can never be used for the breeding programme due to being the result of mother and son mating.
7 calves later she had Makaio, who is still with her. She should have all her calves with her and as 3 of them have died from septicemia, pneumonia and infection which then raises the question of how have these orca got those infections as Seaworld says their tanks are free from bacteria, infection and pathogens. Look through the causes of death for the other orca too, this is obviously NOT the case. 


To produce a video saying Seaworld are aware of the mother and calf bonds makes the situation so much worse, as ignorance could have been an excuse, now there is no excuse for separating these orca. 


Same response as above, firstly Mark Simmons input since being revealed as a dolphin broker is of no importance. But just to cure the twist of words they use to try to deny they take calves from their mothers. My daughter is 17, when she was a baby she was obviously my baby, even though she is now 17 she is still my baby. When she gets married and lives elsewhere, she will still be my baby. Seaworld stop using the word calf to twist up your argument. It makes no difference how old the offspring was when you separated them,  they would still be with their mothers if they were wild. You know it and so do we!

 
The list of Seaworld drivel just gets longer and longer, it is almost like they deliberately insult peoples intelligence with them, using orcas and people who are so easily researched.  Sometimes it is almost embarrassing to see Seaworld supporters taking in every bit of it, without questioning one thing.

What the supporters seem to miss is if Blackfish hadn't been made people would still be protesting Seaworld because of the horrible things these orca have gone through, and they seem to miss the fact that every video released lately by Seaworld is to challenge Blackfish, making them believe that people are only having something to say because of the movie.  Take note Seaworld supporters they have NEVER released a video stating why Taima was pregnant at 5, why Kalina was pregnant at 7, why Kalina was taken from her mum and taken on a tour around Seaworld parks. Why have 44 orcas died in their tanks? Why have there been over 100 incidents of orca, trainer aggression?  Why are there incidents of orca on orca agression? Why wasn't Kandu V separated from Corky as they had a history of incidents before the one when Kandu died?

There are lots of incidents to answer too but hey lets keep the focus on Blackfish and people won't ask about them. Wake up supporters and look past the movie you like to quote so much.

Orkid




Ken Peters and Kasatka

Alix Martinez and Dawn Brancheau - how many more?








Wednesday 9 April 2014

Seaworld Orca and Trainer 'Incidents' prior to Blackfish



 Incidents have occurred between the Seaworld orcas and their trainers since captivity began. The majority of incidents can be backed up if research is done correctly, many of them done from Seaworld's own animal profiles.

Although some of the incidents say bumped, fluked etc and it may seem like nothing, remember these are huge animals and these actions were directed at trainers, the majority of those types of incidents have also been taken from the Seaworld Animal Profiles who deemed them warranted to be permanently mentioned.

Those animal profiles are linked to each incident where available so you can check out what Seaworld themselves too.

San Diego     first incident    1971 - 2010 duration of  39 years  have had    48 incidents
San Antonio  first incident    1989 - 2010 duration of  21 years  have had    10 incidents
Orlando        first incident    1989 - 2010 duration of 21 years   have had     11 incidents 2 resulting in death
Loro Parque first incident     2007- 2010  duration of 3 years    have had       4 incidents 1 resulting in death
                                                                                                                  73 incidents in total
                                   plus 14 incidents cited in court cases in 1987            87 incidents


These are the ones that have been documents, many haven't.

20/4/1971     Shamu   SD  PR Secretary Annette Eckis, wearing a bikini, slid off the back of an orca she was riding for a publicity stunt. 5-year-old female Shamu seized her leg and swam around the tank refusing to release the screaming woman until familiar divers entered the pool. Eckis suffered lacerations and puncture wounds.

22/05/1978   Winston  SD 8-year-old male Winston attacked trainer Greg Williams, who was treated at a hospital for several small puncture wounds. Winston took the trainer's legs in his mouth during a training session. News link - once again 'he was playing'

23/02/1984   Kandu V  SD  7-year-old female Kandu 5 took trainer Joanne Hay in her mouth and pinned her against a wall during a performance.

12/08/1984   unknown  SD  Two killer whales grabbed the legs of trainer Bud Krames and pinned him against a glass retaining wall during a performance. Krames suffers bruises.

11/02/1984   Kandu V  SD  7-year-old female Kandu 5 briefly grabbed the legs of trainer Georgia Jones during a Shamu show but released the trainer unhurt. The 4,500-pound killer whale took Jones’ legs in her mouth, but didn’t bite down.

16/11/1986   Kandu V SD  9-year-old female Kandu 5 pressed her snout against trainer Mark Beeler and held him against a wall for a few seconds during a performance before several hundred spectators.


In November 1987  SD  things opened up at Seaworld San Diego, newspapers reported on at least 14 incidents that hadn't been documented.  On November 21, 1987, Orky the mature five-ton male came crashing down on 26-year old John Sillick during a show in San Diego. At the time Sillick was riding on the back of a female orca. It was a crushing blow. Sillick almost died. He had severe fractures to both his hips, his pelvis, ribs and legs. After six operations in fourteen months, according to Sillick's lawyer, he was "reconstructed" with some three pounds (1.4 kg) of pins, plates and screws, including a permanent plate inserted in his pelvis and all his thoracic vertebrae permanently fused. He can walk today but his activity is limited.
After Sillick's injury, changes were finally made at Sea World. Sea World's owner, Harcourt Brace jovanovich (HBJ), the book publisher, stepped in with chairman William jovanovich calling the shots. The trainers were told to stop riding the whales, to stay out of the water with them, and to go back to the old training methods. Chief trainer Butcher was dismissed along with long-time zoological director and veterinarian Lanny H. Cornell and Sea World San Diego president Jan Schultz.



Various reasons are given for the accidents, but none can be fully explained. Some could have been simple miscalculations on the part of the whales, or missed signs. There might also have been poor signals from inexperienced trainers. The Orky incident with John Sillick did not surprise trainers who knew Orky, his history and his recent circumstances. Captured in April 1968, Orky had grown up with Corky at Marineland of the Pacific near Los Angeles, California. Soon after becoming mature, in 1978, he pinned trainer Jill Stratton on the bottom of the pool, nearly drowning her. "After that," said long-time Marineland head-trainer Tim Desmond, "we didn't regularly do water work with him because we didn't feel it was safe." On January 20-21, 1987, three weeks after Sea World owner HBJ bought Marineland, and promised not to move the orcas, Orky and Corky were trucked to San Diego, to join several other orcas. The new situation new breeding age females and much breeding activity - altered the social interactions of all the whales. But probably more important, Orky was being asked to perform according to the Sea World method with several trainers in the water. For Orky it had all happened almost overnight. Some Sea World trainers contend management was in too big a hurry to break in Orky. Did Orky have trouble making the transition? It is difficult to determine, but Robert K. Gault, Jr., then Sea World's president, admitted to the New York Times that they may have over-emphasized the importance of the entertainment, adding: "We did not have enough experienced trainers."

When Butcher had brought in his new methods and tried to standardize training in all four parks, he alienated several veteran trainers. In one year, about 35 trainers departed, according to Bud Krames, a senior trainer who left because he didn't agree with the system. New trainers had to be hired. Three of the five trainers in San Diego had three months or less experience working with orcas. Sillick, a veteran by comparison, had less than two years. In the year following the accidents, some of the injured trainers began to blame Sea World for not warning them about the "dangerous propensities of killer whales" as one lawsuit put it. Jonathan Smith's lawyer charged that Sea World and HBJ "negligently and carelessly owned, maintained, trained, inspected, controlled, supervised, located, transported and placed" the orcas, thereby exposing Smith to serious injury. Sillick and Weber also filed lawsuits. All three were later settled out of court with gag orders imposed. Following the terms of their deals with Sea World, the lawyers have refused to reveal any more than the basic details of their clients' cases. This means that no one can know any findings behind these cases; no one can learn or benefit from the thousands of pages of prepared evidence.

Way back then there were incidents causing the same concerns as today. 

After Butcher left, Sea World revamped the training programme. Under new chief trainer Michael Scarpuzzi, they returned to a simple, consistent approach of rewarding each behaviour. Instead of going into the water, trainers began directing the whales from the deck with hand or underwater acoustic signals. But less than half a year later, they were back in the water. This time the animals were being taught to focus their attention on the main trainer on stage, ignoring trainers in the water. All of it was conveniently just in time to celebrate Sea World's 25th anniversary with a new orca show. The show must go on! Only time will tell if the current training programme proves safer than those of the past.

Only time will tell if the training programmes prove safer was said back in 1987. Well we know the answer to that question. NO IT HASNT as we shall see 

03/04/1987 Kandu V /Keanu  SD
A six-ton orca suddenly grabbed trainer Jonathan Smith, 21, in its teeth, dove to the bottom of the tank, then carried him bleeding to the surface and spat him out. Smith gallantly waved to the crowd - which he attributed to his training as a Sea World performer - when a second orca slammed into him. He continued to pretend he was unhurt as the whales repeatedly dragged him 32 ft to the bottom of the pool. Smith was cut all around his torso, had a ruptured kidney and a six-inch laceration of his liver, yet he managed to escape and get out of the pool. Later reports indicate that the whales involved had been 10-year-old female Kenau and 9-year-old female Kandu 5.
A suit filed in March by ex-trainer Jonathan Smith is pending in Superior Court. Smith alleged that injuries inflicted by two of the whales during a show last year were caused by the negligence of the company.He sued Seaworld.  His suit says officials concealed the "dangerous propensities of killer whales" from him and assured him that it was safe for him to participate in the shows, even though he had no formal training.


15/06/1987 Kandu V SD  Trainer Joanne Webber, 29, suffered a fractured neck when 9-year-old female Kandu 5 landed on top of her and pushed her to the bottom of the pool during a practice session. Webber had five years experience working with orcas.She sued Seaworld in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in San Diego Superior Court that Sea World and its parent company, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, knew that the whales were "ferocious and dangerous" and were "likely to attack and injure human beings," but induced her to enter the pool by telling her the whales were "safe" and "gentle."
Webber's injuries were aggravated by Sea World personnel who delayed treatment, insisting that her wetsuit be removed at the park so that it would not be damaged by medical personnel who would try to remove it at the hospital, the lawsuit says.
Webber, who returned to a job at Sea World after her health improved, went back on medical leave last week after Sea World officials requested that she either take an office job at the park or go back in the water with the whales, according to Paula Tupper, an associate in the law firm of Patrick R. Frega.
Her injuries included fractures of the first cervical vertebra, contusions of the skull and scalp, and bruises to the left arm and shoulder. After a year, two cracks in a vertebra in Webber's neck still have not healed completely, and she has lost 50% of the side-to-side motion in her neck, Tupper said.
'In Great Pain'
Webber was able to free herself and get out of the pool after the whale attack, Tupper said. Park personnel then allowed her to walk about 50 feet from the pool to an enclosure, where she was told to remove her wetsuit, Tupper said.
"In great pain" and unable to comply, the lawsuit says, she was "stripped of (the) wetsuit by Sea World personnel." Tupper added that Webber was told to dress and walk about 200 yards to a waiting ambulance.

The lawsuit also names 35 unidentified defendants and asks for unspecified damages.
The defendants "well knew that killer whales had a dangerous propensity for attacking, ramming, dragging and smashing persons located in the pool," but concealed those facts, the lawsuit says.
They also knew that the whales were "capable of uncontrollable erratic behavior, aggression, and attack," but nevertheless placed a newly acquired and "known dangerous" male whale in proximity to female killer whales, thus increasing "the likelihood of erratic behavior and attack," the suit alleges.
Webber never would have gotten into the tanks if she had known the facts, the suit contends.

28/09/1987   SD  Trainer Mark McHugh was bitten on the hand while feeding an orca between shows.

As you see above all 3 cases were settled out of court with gagging orders incorporated  Following the terms of their deals with Sea World, the lawyers have refused to reveal any more than the basic details of their clients' cases. This means that no one can know any findings behind these cases; no one can learn or benefit from the thousands of pages of prepared evidence.

30/09/1987   SD While working with one orca during a performance trainer Chris Barlow, 24, was being rammed in the stomach by another orca. Barlow was hospitalized with minor injuries.

Trainer were taken out of the water.

08/04/1989 Kasatka  SA  12-year-old female Kasatka mouthed a trainer's leg. SW Animal Profile

30/09/1989 Kasatka SA  12-year-old female Kasatka mouthed a trainer's feet. Sw Animal profile 

29/10/1989 Katina   SO  13 year old Katina mouthed a trainers waist. SW Animal Profile 

21/04/1990 Orkid  SD  1-year-old female Orkid bumped a trainer's head. SW Animal Profile

08/07/1990 Kasatka SD 14-year-old female Kasatka mouthed a trainer's thigh. SW Animal Profile

28/07/1990 Corky 2 SD 24-year-old female Corky 2 pushed the mid-section of a trainer. SW Animal Profile

31/07/1991 Kasatka SD 14-year-old female Kasatka grabbed a trainer's foot (termed "jaw popped on foot" in Injury Report) and fluked a trainer's back SW Animal Profile 

02/04/1992 Katina SO 15-year-old female Katina bumped a trainer's hip. SW Animal Profile

11/10/1992 Kasatka SD  14-year-old female Kasatka mouthed a trainer's foot. SW Animal Profile

1992          Kayla  SD  3-year-old female Kayla pushed a trainer back toward pool during training. SW Animal Profile

25/04/1993 Kasatka SD mouthed feet and legs during hydro SW Animal Profile

15.07/1993 Kasatka SD 16-year-old female Kasatka mouthed a trainer's feet and legs, grabbed a knee and dunked the trainer, grabbed a foot and dunked the trainer. SW Animal Profile

03/08/1993 Katina SO 17-year-old female Katina bumped a trainer's body. SW Animal Profile

24/02.1994 Katina SO 18-year-old female Katina bumped a trainer's hand. SW Animal Profile

30/06/1994 Corky 2 SD 28-year-old female Corky 2 pushed a trainer. SW Animal Profile

23/10/1994 Orkid SD 6-year-old female Orkid bumped a trainer's thigh. SW Animal Profile 

 16.11.1994 Taku    this incident was unreported but filmed 

09/02/1995 Katina SO 19-year-old female Katina pushed a trainer. SW Animal Profile

30/07/1995 Takara  SD 4-year-old female Takara swam over a surfaced trainer. SW Animal Profile

25/01/1996 Orkid  SD  7-year-old female Orkid opened her mouth at a trainer and mouthed a trainer's thigh. SW Animal Profile

02/09/1996 Orkid SD  7-year-old female Orkid bumped a trainer's thigh, bumped a trainer's body and fluked a trainer. SW Animal Profile

03/07/1996 Orkid SD 7-year-old female Orkid pushed a trainer. SW Animal Profile

20/07/1996 Kayla SA 7-year-old female Kayla split to slide out during the show after a non-bridged behaviour. At that time, a guest tried to touch her and she thrashed her head from side to side with her mouth open. No injury occurred. SW Animal Profile

22/11/1996 Orkid SD 8-year-old female Orkid head popped a trainer's arm. SW Animal Profile

03/10/1997  SD 20 year old Ulises came out at a trainer SW Animal Profile

15/11/1997 Orkid  SD 9-year-old female Orkid bumped a trainer's hip. SW Animal Profile

23/06/1998 Orkid SD pushed a kayak with a trainer inside around SW Animal Profile

16/07/1998 Orkid SD 9-year-old female Orkid was performing a hydro-hop behaviour during a night show. The trainer accidentally hit her tail flukes with his hand upon his re-entry and she responded by hitting him in the stomach with her head. She responded to a stage call calmly. SW Animal Profile

09/03/1999 Takara SD 7 year old Takara came out at a trainer. SW Animal Profile

12/06/1999 Kasatka SD After her calf Takara split to a back pool during a show, 23-year-old Kasatka, the dominant female in the park, began to fast swim around the perimeter, grabbed trainer Kenneth Peters' leg and attempted to throw him out of the pool at SeaWorld San Diego. Peters was pulled out of the pool by another trainer. SW Animal Profile

05/07/1999 Tilikum SO Daniel P Dukes Seaworld said died o Hypothermia and his animal profile states Tilikums involvement not known, the autopsy report shows pre and post mortem injuries and complete avulsion of testes.

16/08/1999 Kayla SA   10-year-old female Kayla became aggressive with a trainer during a waterwork sequence in the show after several behaviours without reinforcement, in combination with social problems between Kayla and adult female Winnie. SW Animal Profile

2000      Corky  SD Prevents trainer from exiting pool by rostrum blocking SW Animal Profile

2000      Ikiaka  SO Young male Ikaika has a history of aggression, often of a sexual nature, which began with an attempt to breed a young calf at SeaWorld shortly before his transfer to Canada. SeaWorld's veterinarians then sedated Ikaika twice daily with Valium to "try to mellow him out." "We've already seen some of the precursors (of a human attack) up there, meaning he's grabbed boots, he's grabbed targets, he's grabbed an arm before," Chuck Tompkins, a senior executive at SeaWorld and head animal trainer, said in an affidavit. Those are signs Ikaika is testing his environment and seeing what he can do, Tompkins told the court. "And if you're not aware of all the little things that killer whales do, you can get somebody really, really hurt," Tompkins said in his affidavit. "I've got grave concerns on the safety of the staff and inevitably the safety of the animal because of the lack of change. News report on the court case with Marineland

2000's  Tuar SO  While a trainer was retrieving an article from the back of the mouth, young male Tuar clamped down on the trainer's arm and held tight for several moments. SW Animal Profile

2000's Tuar SO  Young male Tuar was involved in one swim over a surfaced trainer during waterwork with another young male, Tekoa. He did respond to a recall after two attempts. SW Animal Profile

2000's Tuar SO Since his move to Texas in April 2004, young male Tuar has opened his mouth towards trainers on a few occasions while in the water with him. This behaviour seems to present itself when sequences are predictable, and has been during solo waterwork only. SW Animal Profile

2002 Ulises SD 25-year-old male Ulises was doing a waterwork session in "A" pool. His trainer was on his back and wanted him to move closer to the acrylic by giving him the cue to "steer" him in a directional way. Ulises did not know this behaviour. Instead, he took this as a finger roll, the trainer fell off and Ulises began to go on a descent. He ignored the trainer on the porch trying to receive him and turned around to go back towards his trainer in the water. He turned ventral and scooped her up, and then started to become erect. She was able to get off at the porch and reinforce him. He was calm. SW Animal Profile

31/07/2002 Orkid SD 13-year-old female Orkid was given the opportunity to rehearse pulling a trainer into the water by her bootie (sic!). After placing a foot in Orkid's mouth several times Orkid pulled the trainer in the water and pulled the bootie off. SW Animal Profile 


07/08/2002 Orkid/Splash  SD  A female SeaWorld trainer was hospitalized and recovering from a broken arm after an incident at Shamu Stadium on Wednesday. The 28-year-old Tamaree was doing poolside training with 12-year-old male Splash and 13-year-old female Orkid. "She was playing with the whales, talking to them," said SeaWorld spokeswoman Darla Davis. "The next thing we know, as it appears from the video, she was pulled into the water." The park has its own video from a pool camera, and it also reviewed a video taken by a visitor who was recording his children nearby. Park officials said the trainer swam out of the water on her own. She was taken to a local hospital, where a pin was put in her arm. Doctors also are monitoring scrapes for possible infection. SW Animal Profile

2003 Kayla SA  14-year-old female Kayla had refused multiple separations prior to the show opening. She proceeded to perform abnormally high bows on a fast swim cue, came back and received an LRS(* see below), performed another set of bows on the fast swim. She was then asked for a line up, tactile was applied and she lined up with a slight lean. As the trainer backed over the wall, she then came out of the line up towards him with her mouth open. No contact was made. She then performed a head bobbing behaviour and split to the front pool. After several minutes staff attempted control and they were able to separate her to the back pool to continue the show. SW Animal Profile

01/08/2003 Kyuquot  SA  During a portion of the show, 16-year-old male Kyuquot refused to let a trainer exit the pool. He did not become aggressive, but refused callback tones and slaps, and would not allow the trainer to leave the pool. The trainer was able to get close enough to the glass to pull himself out very quickly, and Kyuquot then proceeded to fast swim around the pool, followed by sliding out at stage. SW Animal Profile

17/05/2004 Orkid SD  15-year-old female Orkid bumped a trainer's thigh. SW Animal Profile


27/07/2004 Kyuquot  SA  12-year-old male Kyuquot repeatedly slammed trainer Steve Aibel underwater during a show. Aibel, who was uninjured, had trained Kyuquot for 10 years. Kyuquot refused a rocket hop during a show, then repeated it well. However, Kyuquot then refused to allow the trainer to exit the pool. He then proceeded to swim over the trainer, blocking any exit from the pool for two to three minutes. He refused several callback attempts, including tones, hand slaps, and attempts at control by trainers in various positions around the pool. Once the trainer was close to the middle of the pool, Kyuquot then calmed down, finally drifting close to the stage, where the trainer was able to quickly exit. During the whole incident, Kyuquot never once opened his mouth on the trainer. SW Animal Profile

22/08/2004 Ulises  SD  27-year-old male Ulises was doing a Scuba session with his trainer in "A" pool (a spotter Scuba diver was also at the bottom), when he looped around, became erect, and then swam on top of his trainer. He ignored a hand slap and tone before responding to a second tone. SW Animal Profile

Summer 2004 Kayla SA  During a night show, 15-year-old female Kayla had performed the first two songs of the show acceptably, and then did two ventral squirt bow cues. She responded well to both LRS  that occurred, and then received a primary reinforcement for the second LRS. She was then asked for a fluke splash to the back, and then asked to separate to the back pool. During the separation attempt, she lunged at her trainer, although no contact occurred. After several minutes, she separated into the back pool, allowing the show to continue. SW Animal Profile

18/10/2004 Kasatka SD  A trainer was attempting to Scuba dive in "E" pool with 28-year-old female Kasatka and her 3-year-old male calf Nakai. The trainer did not have approval to swim with fins. He may have brushed her with his fins and she became aggressive, mouthing fins and Scuba gear. She eventually responded to a hand slap stage call. SW Animal Profile

01/04/2005 Taku SO A SeaWorld Orlando trainer is expected to return to work soon after being injured by an "overly excited" killer whale, a theme-park spokeswoman said Sunday. 11-year-old male Taku, one of nine at the park that go by the stage name Shamu, swam rapidly past the trainer and circled back, bumping him repeatedly during the Shamu Adventure show at 12:30 p.m. Friday, spokeswoman Becca Bides said. "The trainer maintained control of the animal," Bides said, and the show continued uninterrupted. The trainer, supervisor Sam Davis, was taken to Sand Lake Hospital for unspecified minor injuries and released the same day, she said.
Additional eyewitness account: "The trainer and Taku were about to slide on the slide out at the end of the show when Taku completely stopped and started "bumping" the trainer. The trainer was male and he finally swam out of the tank. I knew something was wrong because non of the whale except Kalina wanted to perform. Then they finally got Taku out to splash people at the end of the show, when this incident took place
."  Killer whale jolts trainer, Orlando Sentinel, April 4, 2005.


 14/04/2005 Orkid SD During a two whale - one trainer interaction, 16-year-old female Orkid initially responded to a stage call but quickly reached back and pulled a trainer by her ankle to the bottom of "A" pool. Orkid responded to the call back tone. Seaworld Animal Profile

06/05/2005 Orkid SD   16-year-old female Orkid grabbed a trainer's foot and dunked the trainer. Seaworld Animal Profile

2006  Corky 2 SD   After a good playtime session including waterwork in "A" pool, while sitting at stage with a few trainers next to her, 40-year-old female Corky 2 began to mouth a trainer's ponytail. She corrected quickly once asked by a trainer on stage to sit "heads up". Seaworld Animal Profile

Oct 2006 Kayla SA  After performing a sequence in the show, 17-year-old female Kayla was in the stage slide out with her trainer receiving secondary reinforcement. As the trainer attempted to point her back in the water, Kayla lunged at thim with her mouth open, contacting him and throwing him several feet. She immediately came back to control, separated to the back pool perfectly, and was very good behaviourally the rest of the day.  Seaworld Animal Profile

Nov 2006 Kayla SA  After performing a med pool separation well, 17-year-old female Kayla was receiving various secondary reinforcers while the gate closed when she pulled away from the wall. She was asked to come back to control, which she did. After a whistle bridge, the trainer went to feed her. Kayla lunged at her, knocking a bucket off the wall. No injury occurred. Seaworld Animal Profile



15/11/2006  Orkid SD  A SeaWorld trainer was injured, when 18-year-old female Orkid grabbed senior trainer Brian Rokeach by the leg, pulled him to the bottom of the pool and held him under water for about 26 seconds. Orkid released Rokeach after Peters repeatedly slapped the water, the signal for the animals to return to the front of the Shamu Stadium stage. Rokeach suffered a torn ankle ligament but was not hospitalized. In response to the incident, SeaWorld increased to five the number of trainers who must be available during live performances and other times when trainers are in the water with the whales. Seaworld Animal Profile



29/11/2006 Kasatka SD  30-year-old female Kasatka attacked Kenneth Peters, SeaWorld San Diego's most experienced trainer, during a show at Shamu Stadium. Kasatka grabbed the trainer's foot and dove to the bottom of the 36-foot tank. They surfaced less than a minute later, but she ignored other trainers' signals to draw her to the side. The orca dove a second time with the trainer for about a minute. Peters only escaped after other trainers worked a large safety net between the two. He suffered puncture wounds and a broken left foot. That's the second reported attack by Kasatka on Peters. Seaworld Animal Profile

06/04/2007 Tuar SA  7-year-old male Tuar opened and closed his mouth around a trainer's leg after a dive in prior to the ballet sequence of the show  Seaworld Animal Profile

10/04/2007 Orkid SD  18-year-old female Orkid was doing an Artificial Insemination session. She had been a bit vocal but was asked for the roll over behaviour for an ultrasound. The trainer then asked Orkid to perform a slide-out behaviour. She refused this behaviour and then swiped her head making contact with the trainer which resulted in the trainer falling over the wall. She did perform the slide-out behaviour after this. The 35-year-old trainer was taken to a hospital for examination and was found to have suffered minor injuries after the bump from the 5,900-pound whale. Seaworld Animal Profile

06/10/2007 Tekoa LP  A trainer at the Loro Parque theme park on Tenerife is in hospital after she was injured this weekend during a training session with 6-year-old male Tekoa at the centre in Puerto de la Cruz. The Canarias 7 newspaper says the incident happened at the pre-show warm up on Saturday, when the orca crashed into the trainer, injuring her right lung and breaking her forearm in two places. She was rescued by two colleagues after the marine mammal dragged her down to the bottom of the pool. The trainer is now said to be stable after surgery on Saturday. Later it becomes know that the injured trainer is 29-year-old biologist Claudia Vollhardt from Germany, who has worked at the park since 2003. OME News write that it was a male orca that hit the trainer and dragged her down after the impact. Then that same animal grabbed the trainer by the arm and brought her back up to the surface.  OME News Spain

Jan 2008 Takara SO 16-year-old female Takara hit a trainer with her tail fluke, who was smacked off the slide-out. Seaworld Animal Profile

18/03/2008 Kasatka SD  32-year-old female Kasatka came out at a trainer. Seaworld Animal Profile

10/09/2010 Kasatka SD 32 year old Kasatka came out at a trainer  Seaworld Animal Profile

Spring 2009 Skyla LP  In the spring of 2009, during a public show, 5-year-old female Skyla started pushing her trainer around the pool and up against the pool wall. Shortly thereafter, special protocols (limits on water work and a mandate that only senior trainers work with her) that had been standard practice for Tekoa after the incident in 2007 were enacted for Skyla as well. Outside magazine

Sept 2009  Keto LP  Incident with Brian Rokeach and Keto. Outside Magazine

24/12/2009 Keto LP  KETO KILLS ALEX MARTINEZ A Loro Parque trainer has been killed by one of the whales during a training session. The trainer was 29-year-old Alexis Martínez, and the accident occurred at 10.30 am this morning during the first training session for the Christmas Special planned for the New Year. The other 7 trainers were also present in the training session. As far as can be determined right now, Alexis was hit by 14-year-old male killer whale Keto, and his death was caused by drowning because he was under the water unconscious for several minutes before he could be rescued. The autopsy report on Martínez was telling and states bluntly that his was a "violent death." It describes multiple cuts and bruises, the collapse of both lungs, fractures of the ribs and sternum, a lacerated liver, severely damaged vital organs, and puncture marks "consistent with the teeth of an orca." It concludes that the immediate cause of death was fluid in the lungs (i.e., drowning) but that the fundamental cause was "mechanical asphyxiation due to compression and crushing of the thoracic abdomen with injuries to the vital organs." In other words, at some point Keto probably slammed into Martínez with such force that he caved in his chest. Outside Magazine


2010 Orkid SD  21-year-old female Orkid has been sliding out in various slide-out areas on her free time which has resulted in possibly dangerous scenarios for guests at the Dine with Shamu area. Changes are (were?) being made to the areas to help decrease the frequency of this behaviour in areas where person might be injured  Seaworld Animal Profile 


24/02/2010 Tilikum SO  A veteran animal trainer whose dream was to work at SeaWorld Florida was killed Wednesday when one of the show's killer whales dragged her underwater. SeaWorld said that 29-year-old male Tilikum pulled Dawn Brancheau, 40, into the orca's tank about 2pm. Witnesses told that the animal suddenly grabbed Brancheau by the upper arm, tossed her around in his mouth and pulled her beneath the water as dozens of tourists looked on in horror. The autopsy report shows multiple injuries including a complete avulsion ( an avulsion is an injury in which a body structure is forcibly detached from its normal point of insertion by either trauma or surgery) of the left upper extremity with associated fracture of the proximal left humerus. 


Just to establish fact as I know Seaworld has stated it is a lie -  the autopsy report does indeed state Dawn Brancheau's left arm was separated from her body as in the picture above. .  You can see from Tilikums Animal Profile it just states, grabbed pony tail, pulled in water, held trainer underwater, carry tow trainer.  For Keltie Byrne it says be advised Tilikum was involved in an accidental drowning and for Daniel Dukes it says drowning no specific behaviour noted. As you can see from the records, autopsy reports etc, above this is hardly giving the trainers a full view of what happened and what danger they could be in, other than telling them Tilikum had his own protocol, it doesn't tell them why. 

It also states during times of frustration due to social stress in the environment, Tilikum has demonstrated aggressive behaviour by mouthing the stage, vocalisations, deep fast swimming, tightening body posture, banging gates, and sometimes lunging towards control trainers.  It also says occasionally he has displayed possessive behaviour of objects and whales in his environment.

This is the show prior to Ms Brancheau's death which shows social stress in the environment. One orca rammed up out of the water and control lost so much the trainers left the stage 


The report on the incident states
Finally—now holding Brancheau by her arm—he was guided onto the medical lift. The floor was quickly raised. Even now, Tilikum refused to give her up. Trainers were forced to pry his jaws open. When they pulled Brancheau free, part of her arm came off in his mouth. ( I suspect this is where the paramedic on Blackfish got his information from so he wasn't actually lying).  The paramedics went to work, attaching a defibrillator, but it was obvious she was gone. A sheet was pulled over her body. Tilikum, who'd been involved in two marine-park deaths in the past, had killed her.

It was this article that Gabriella Cowperthwaite wanted to investigate and in doing so Blackfish was born. 

There are probably more videos on you tube if you choose to look for them. These incidents are documented although the early ones are in newspaper archives,  the majority are documented by Seaworld themselves.  These incidents are all before the movie Blackfish was created, and I hope it gives you some insight into one of the reasons people protest Seaworld regardless of the movie Seaworld like to keep your attention on.