Captive Cetaceans are tragically sad compared to their free ranging families in the ocean. Throughout this blog I have tried to provide links to information stated enabling you to check things out and make your own minds up. Research really is the key, don't be told what to think and say, check it out for yourself.
As you see from the document, this isn't actually research, this is people including Don Goldsberry and Jon Holer trying to contradict research by Bigg and Wolman, curiously they increased the figures in their documents from 263 captured to 303. What was the point of that??
A total of 303 whales were actually captured from November 1961 to March 1976.
A total of 237 were released
56 were kept for research and/or public display
and 10 killer whales died during the capture operations.
Individual members or entire pods of killer whales have been encircled by certain collectors more than once. The first collection from one pod yielded 2 individual animals in 1968, 2 additional animals in 1971 and the pod was spotted again in 1976 with 4 additional young. The pods total number had increased from 15 in 1968 to 19 in 1976. I find this a strange observation, if there were 15 animals in 1968 and 4 were taken, surely that leaves 11, if they then had 4 more calves that would put the total back to 15 not 19 as stated. This is hardly fantastic research.
The most disturbing thing I believe Asper and Cornell divulged was in the listings they provided to come up with their 303 total (see below)
We are all aware of the horror of the captures but many are unaware
that 5 of those killer whales were forced to strand and then taken
captive. see point a
Secondly we all know that during the Penn Cove captures 4 orcas had
their stomachs slit and were weighted with stone. Many believe that
these animals drowned as a consequence of the captures and were weighted
to hide the deaths.
This document that Seaworld have put in there research documents tells a completely different story of those 4 dead whales.
point b on the above table states Two of the 4 killer whales that died during this capture operation were experimentally tranquilized under the direction of Dr Merrill Spencer, Virginia Mason Research Center. The animals subsequently died! Were the animals sunk to hide the dead bodies, or were they sunk as they had been experimentally drugged causing their death? This seems to have been well hidden and not mentioned in any of the Penn Cove capture information, I have never seen it in any other document other than this one done by Seaworld.
Seaworld also strangely question Mitchells research on the size and sex of the captures, detailing table 2. The Southern Resident community of the Northeast Pacific lost 48 of its
members to captivity. By 1976, only 80 killer whales were left in the
community, which remains endangered.
With subsequent captures, the theme
parks learned more about avoiding injury during capture and subsequent
care of killer whales, and discovered that they could be trained to
perform tricks, a great attraction to visitors. As commercial demand
increased, growing numbers of Pacific orcas were captured, peaking in
1970
As we all know too only 2 orcas survive today from these captures, Lolita from the 1970 Penn Cove captures and Corky 2.
As Edward Asper was Curator of Mammals and Birds at Seaworld and
Lanny Cornell was Vice President, Research, Veterinary Husbandry at Seaworld and they wrote the contradicting report, it also shows that Seaworld were indeed the main capturers, as lately they seem to dispute that fact saying orcas went to various marine parks. Indeed they did BUT only Seaworld were named in the court case banning them from captures in the area.
An interesting report has been drafted for the United States Marine Mammal Commission, showing the risks to humans from working with and swimming with marine mammals.
In the United States, the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 stimulated increased efforts to rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured marine mammals.
Animal trainers, veterinarians, and volunteers that staff wildlife rehabilitation centers treating sick and injured marine mammals, as well as those who work at aquaria and oceanaria that exhibit marine mammals to the public, may be at risk.
During certain recreational activities the public may also be at risk of acquiring diseases from marine mammals.Thousands of tourists participate in “swim-with-the-dolphin” programs each year. In 1989, over 8,000 people participated in these programs in the United States alone (National Marine Fisheries Service 1990). While information on the injurious attacks made by dolphins on humans is available, little attention has been paid to the potential for transmission of infectious diseases.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk of human injury and illness associated with marine mammal captive management and research activities by surveying a sample of people involved in these activities. Questions regarding respondents’ association with marine mammals revealed the nature of occupational contact (research, rehabilitation, zoo and aquaria employment,and “swim-with-the-dolphin”
programs.
If those who work with them on a daily basis show signs of trauma, injury and disease.
Why have they not passed that knowledge on and STOPPED the general public from having contact with these animals?? It's their business!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT MARINE MAMMALS AND YOU
Like most animals, marine mammals can carry microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi) that can cause illness in humans. Many marine mammals that appear healthy and normal can carry organisms that are dangerous to humans. Marine mammals have been shown to carry many of the pathogens we associate with food poisoning, such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria. Like other wildlife, seals and sea lions can shed the protozoan, Giardia in their feces. Giardia can cause diarrhea and other symptoms in humans. In rare cases, marine mammals may be infected with very dangerous pathogens, like the rabies virus and the organism that causes tuberculosis.
Pathogens known to be transmitted from marine mammals to people
Mycoplasma found in seals can cause “seal finger” in humans. This painful and potentially serious disease can result from a seal bite or the infection of a pre- existing wound. Diligent hand washing is the best defense with infections often responding to tetracycline treatment.
Seal pox is a disease of stranded seals and can be encountered in rehabilitation centers. It can cause pox sores in humans that may persist for up to a year. There is no known effective treatment. Leptospirosis contracted from seals and sea lions can cause serious disease in humans.
Reported injuries and illnesses in people who work with marine mammals
A total of 483 marine mammal workers responded to a recent survey about their health. The majority of respondents identified research as their primary type of marine mammal contact.
Over half (54%) of workers reported having at least one injury or illness that they believed directly resulted from contact with marine mammals. Most were cuts, scrapes, bites, and rashes. About 1 in 10 (11%) marine mammal workers reported developing seal finger.
Injury occurred in over half (52%) of workers while handling marine mammals or tissues. Of those injuries, over a third (36%) were severe (e.g. deep wound or fractured bone). Several dangerous infections were reported by marine mammals workers, including tuberculosis, leptospirosis, and brucellosis.
While isolated cases of human disease acquired through contact with marine mammals have been reported, no evaluation of the risks associated with marine mammal work or volunteering has been attempted.
''Therefore, we designed a survey to estimate the risk of work-related injuries and illnesses in marine mammal workers and volunteers.''
Marine mammal work-related illnesses commonly reported by survey participants included: seal finger, conjunctivitis, viral dermatitis, bacterial dermatitis, and non-specific contact dermatitis. Severe illnesses were less commonly reported but did include tuberculosis, leptospirosis, brucellosis, and serious sequelae to sealfinger (e.g. surgery and septicemia). Respondents’ comments indicated that, upon their initial visit to medical facilities, physicians rarely had the information necessary to make appropriate treatment recommendations given the patients’ marine mammal exposure.
The prevalence of four major health outcomes (trauma, skin rash or reaction, respiratory illness, and prolonged malaise) was calculated from the total number of respondents. The major outcomes were further examined for severity and occurrence subsequent to or as a result of marine mammal contact.
Trauma
''cartilages broken for 8 weeks and holidays ruined as it was only
my 3rd
day. I almost died as couldnt breathe...and all my body
was in stroke.''
52% respondents suffered a traumatic injury as a result of working with marine mammals. Injuries were located on
the extremities 218/251 (89%),
on the torso or abdomen 20/251 (8%),
and on the face 11/251 (4%).
Ninety people, 36% of those reporting trauma, suffered one or more severe injuries including: a deep wound (77), a deep wound requiring stitches (26), or a fractured bone (10). Other severe injuries described included a dislocated shoulder and an amputation. Thirty-eight people, 15% of those reporting a traumatic injury, reported having been bitten. Of the reported injuries only 5 were self-inflicted traumas, such as needle sticks and necropsy knife cuts.
External Ailments
23% reported having a skin rash or reaction during the time they worked with marine mammals. Seventy-three of these (64%) reported that their skin rash or reaction occurred subsequent to direct contact with a marine mammal, while 36 (32%) reported that the ailment appeared subsequent to a bite from a marine mammal. The odds of workers acquiring a skin rash or reaction were doubled by having marine mammal contact for greater than 5 years or more then 50 days per year; by having contact with marine mammal excretions and/or vomitus; and by cleaning or repairing enclosures or equipment.
Illnesses commonly reported included seal finger (caused by either Mycoplasmaspp. or Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae) diagnosed either by survey participants themselves, consulting veterinarians, or their physicians; viral dermatitis (poxvirus,herpesvirus); bacterial dermatitis (caused byPseudomonas spp Staphylococcusaureus, Mycobacterium marinum); and non-specific contact dermatitis. Fifty-five people (11% of respondents) reported having had seal finger; however, there were no statistically significant risk factors specifically associated with acquiring seal finger.
This severity was illustrated by one of the surveys participants who reported suffering a prolonged malaise of more than six months with “life threatening toxemia/encephalopathy” as a sequelae to a “minor skin cut” acquired while working with a harbor porpoise carcass. Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was cultured from the infection, and despite treatment with 3 different antibiotics, amputation of the affecteddigit “proved life-saving.”
Respiratory Illness
18% of the total respondents, reported experiencing respiratory illness during the time they worked with marine mammals. Of those, only 20% (18/89) believed their ailment to be the result of marine mammal contact. Increased frequency of contact was associated with a higher risk of respiratory illness with workers exposed more than 50 days per year being 3 times more likely to have a respiratory illness than workers with less annual exposure.
One survey participant suffered for more than 6 months from a tuberculous pneumonia that her physician attributed to her work with dolphins. Unfortunately, the documentation provided in the survey response did not allow for other possible routes of transmission to be examined. Nonetheless, this rehabilitation volunteer experienced night sweats, weight loss, chronic fatigue and anemia; she was treated for 9 months with isoniazid for the tuberculosis, and “dozens of antibiotics” for secondary bacterial infections. She expressed that she “had always been an extremely healthy person” but now is in search of continued medical assistance from “a doctor who can completely help.”
Generalized Symptoms and Prolonged Malaise
Thirty people, 6% of all respondents,reported having suffered prolonged malaise during the time in which they worked with marine mammals. Of those, 30% (9/30) believed their illness was due to marine mammal contact. Many of these cases were never definitively diagnosed despite the workers seeking medical treatment. There were no statistically significant risk factors associated with prolonged malaise.
The most common health problems reported by marine mammal workers responding to the survey were traumatic injuries. Over half of survey participants reported having been injured by a marine mammal. The analysis of risk factors suggests that individuals who worked more than 5 years and those exposed to marine mammals more than 50 days per year were at highest risk for injury. It is logical that prolonged and frequent exposure to marine mammals increased risk for injury proportionately with frequency of contact. Most injuries described were cuts and scrapes, followed in frequency by bites.
What you can do:
Care must be taken to avoid all possible routes of exposure to marine mammal infections . Although bites and contact with existing wounds are the most common routes, infections can occur through your mouth, eyes, respiratory system and skin.
Report any animal bite, scratch, or other significant exposure to marine animal blood, saliva, or other excretions to the appropriate supervisor.
If you develop an illness or other condition that could be caused by exposure, be sure to tell your physician that you work with marine mammals
Regardless of experience and training, marine mammal workers are at risk of injury and infection. Exposure to marine mammals can mean exposure to the infections they carry.
Don't put yourself or your family at risk in the first place. Working with and rescuing the animals and using them for entertainment and pleasure are two different things, the latter is not a necessary risk.
Now you are aware that these sorts of injuries and infections can happen to professional people working with the marine mammals do you really want to put your self or your families at risk doing any of these?
Girl bitten by dolphin at Seaworld
The case against Dolphin Therapy by WDC can be seen here
Now do you want to put your children at risk of the above?
This is Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, where the majority of the worlds dolphins now come from. If you didn't buy tickets to do the things above, putting yourself and the dolphins at risk, this wouldn't have a market and wouldn't happen. Straight from their ocean home, to a tiny tank to a buyer.
Once again Awesome Ocean write a piece trying to avoid the facts of why people actually DO protest Seaworld.
People have protested orca captivity since it began, the things that have happened in those tanks over the years have only strengthened peoples resolve to finally bring this to an end and get those captive orcas out of there.
Luckily this piece enables all the factual information from places like NOAA to be put into one place so people can actually check out the information themselves. NOAA, Courts, Government Agencies have no agenda and are neither one side or the other, but they do hold FACTS which prove which side is trying to mislead the public. Is it Seaworld who at the end of the day are trying to protest their financial interests or those Awesome Ocean call Keyboard Warriors and Animal Activists?
I will just add in the information from neither Seaworld, Blackfish or PETA as Awesome Ocean seem so obsessed with them so you can see and check both sides of the story and you can decide for yourself.
As usual on this blog I will leave Erin McKinney's blog in Black and add in the replies in red.
Keyboard warriors and animal activists alike have been jumping on the
SeaWorld bandwagon for a while now and attempting to convert ordinary
people to support their cause with as little validated, balanced
information as possible. Once again the name calling starts from the first few words, whatever Erin chooses to call anyone doesn't make the slightest bit of difference, the only difference maker is the FACTS. I could be called an activist, and many who think the same as I do are trying to ''convert'' no one they are only trying to provide links to factual evidence so you can see the truth for yourself so I will continue to do just that.
In some cases, this has been successful, especially when said
activists conceal their true radical agenda within the guise of
“progressive animal welfare.” I notice again here there is no link or evidence to show what Erin thinks the 'true radical agenda' actually is, it is just something that has been used over and over as a distraction technique to draw people away from the evidence showing that those wanting those orcas out of the tanks are not actually lying about anything. The freedom of information act allowed many people to request and access files that Seaworld had locked away for a long time. Ordinary people can access court transcripts, citations, animal profiles and autopsy and necropsy reports so nothing remains hidden any more.
However, as we see through the actions of PETA in the case of Maya or the Blackfish crew’s misguided support of sea pens, the agenda drives much deeper then simply “free the orcas.” Again to put links to your own rantings is not really proving anything to anyone, the only way to do that is to produce FACTUAL evidence, from unbiased sources, so people can then again make up their own minds based on the actual documents.
Although PETA really have nothing to do with the things that have happened in Seaworld tanks, I will still answer to the above. For what ever reason Erin McKinney, Eric Davis and Seaworld have a fixation with PETA trying to mislead people that everyone who opposes Seaworld must be part of PETA. They are very very wrong, but whilst PETA still have a kill policy, which many of those who want the orcas out of the tanks also protest, it provides the distraction from what Seaworld have actually done to many people. The link to Maya's story is HERE and a quick check through PETA's social media accounts will show you that there are far more activists protesting about Maya than there are actual Seaworld supporters. I have written on both and emailed them telling them that they really need to explain what went on here, how come they were there in the first place, and as taking a basket of fruit seemed like an apology, they need to explain themselves to the family to help that poor girl get some closure.
I was also argued with on there, and by Eric on twitter, strange though but I didn't see any direct contact with PETA from either Erin or Eric, which seeing as they are supposed to be so outraged you would think there would be wouldn't you?
You’re actually supporting hate campaigns on a whole lot of other good stuff, without even knowing it. Well as I said at the beginning we will see and more importantly let everyone else see too
Here’s what you’re effectively condemning if you’re one of the many misguided souls who thinks “SeaWorld should close:” This is really not true at all as we will see below
1: The largest rescue and rehabilitation program in the world
SeaWorld self-funds the largest marine animal rescue and
rehabilitation program on the planet, with 24,000 successful animal
rescues ranging from sea turtles to dolphins to pinnipeds to birds and
more.
Seaworld DOES NOT and NEVER HAS self funded their rescues. As you can see from the screen shot below, had it not been for the Prescott fund grant which funds the majority of the rescue organisations, Seaworld lacked basic supplies and equipment to respond to live animals, had no capacity for archiving and lacked capacity to process valuable samples. How can that be if Seaworld has been there for 50 years and self funds ''the largest marine animal rescue and
rehabilitation program on the planet''??
The link to the screenshot above can be seen on NOAA's website here
They receive another $99,996 here They received another $99,964 here
It doesn't matter where the money comes from to help the rescuers, but as you see from the links many other organisations are also in the NOAA stranding team who openly advertise the fact that the grants have helped them. Why is Seaworld the only one in that group who do as Erin has just shown above and lie to people saying that they are totally self funding. If that was the case wouldn't they have bought their own boat, freezer etc and said give the grant to a rescue facility that need it more? As for research and to show a comparison. The Marine Mammal Center Their mission says ''Our core work is the rescue and rehabilitation of sick and injured
marine mammals, supported by state-of-the-art animal care and research
facilities, a corps of dedicated volunteers, and an engaged community.'' They rescue the same animals as Seaworld, they have no captive orcas stating they need them to fund the rescues, and they have out researched Seaworld hands down Their science publications are here As a comparison to Seaworld's research documents The marine mammal center has papers for
These are just 4 of many which can all be seen and investigated here to give an example of research that does actually benefit the marine mammals in the wild.
In comparison I already broke down some of Seaworld's research publications on my blog previously, you can see that here But to show the comparison some are here
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.
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.
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.
As you will see from the link above I already explained some of these research papers, but you can type them into google yourself to view them in their entirely for those who are not linked. How to identify and capture whales, studying diseases that have killed the captive orcas after the event and AI research does nothing to help the wild populations at all.
This program operates under the supervision of federal and state governmentsagain another link to Awesome oceans own page and abides by all levels of regulation regarding what animals can and cannot be reintroduced into the wild (read: not the orcas). Do Read this link as it isn't not the orcas, it is NOAA's STANDARDS FOR RELEASE. Which highlights exactly what the problem is here.
Attacks on SeaWorld ignore the fundamental fact that the structure of
SeaWorld parks is integrated with the rescue and rehabilitation
program, and that level of funding and infrastructure is only possible
under the greater system of the company.
Basically: close the parks, stop the rescues. Unless you’ve got
several hundred thousand dollars lying around to fund them yourself… this again is fabrication to try to influence people to support Seaworld through guilt.
As you can see from NOAA's website this is actually not true at all. Rescues are a recent event in Seaworld's history as you can see from the screen shot above which is dated 2001-2010, and states very clearly that prior to that Seaworld had no rescue programme. You also need to add into that, the manatee and sea turtle rescues which are funded separately also by government agencies.
As NOAA and the NMFS co ordinate the rescues, should there come a time when there is NO Seaworld, they would not leave the animals stranded or in need of rescue as it is them who co ordinate who goes where not Seaworld.
As for ALL the comments above stating that the agenda people who want those orcas out of there have is to close Seaworld down completely. This again is total fabrication from the likes of Erin, Eric and Seaworld as scientific evidence has been put forward to Seaworld many many times and no one has said close it down not even PETA who they like to use as an example so often. See below PETA's website says Please take a moment to ask SeaWorld to immediately set in place a firm
and rapid plan to release the animals to sanctuaries that can provide
them with a more natural environment.
Naomi Rose put forward a win win Situation to Seaworld which states ''These facilities can work with experts around the world to create
sanctuaries where captive orcas can be rehabilitated and retired. These
sanctuaries would be sea pens or netted-off bays or coves, in temperate
to cold water natural habitat. They would offer the animals respite from
performing and the constant exposure to a parade of strangers (an
entirely unnatural situation for a species whose social groupings are
based on family ties and stability -- "strangers" essentially do not
exist in orca society). Incompatible animals would not be forced to
cohabit the same enclosures and family groups would be preserved.''
AB2140 also does NOT ask for the orcas to be freed into the open ocean. There are many links here together for you to check through to prove that too. So as you see the statements above from Awesome Ocean are also part of Seaworld propaganda as they are simply not true and can be proven to be untrue, by doing a little research no one has asked for Seaworld to close no matter what they have you believe.
Things like this are perfectly within Seaworld's capabilities, it is more educational as people would get to see orcas behaving as orcas, as no where in the wild does anyone see orcas with their mouths wide open begging for dead fish. They would also have the best of both worlds, they would get to feel the ocean, catch their own fish, swim in their matraline groups and have the trainers there as care takers for husbandry.
Seaworld have the room at the San Diego park and it is probably already set up for netting as they used to hold dolphin shows out there. If they did something like this their profits would increase, their respect and regard would increase too as those protesting outside would then be inside visiting those orcas.
As you can see below Seaworld San Diego has the perfect place for them, wouldn't this be better for them and those orcas? Wouldn't this be a better alternative giving them the space to escape altercations with other orcas? Wouldn't this be better for those orcas, more space to explore, using their echo location, swimming in their family matraline which have been separated across the parks? Wouldn't this be a much better use for the hundreds of millions they say they have to spend building new tanks? From here they could live as near as natural as possible and be the orcas they were born to be, not the entertainers you see today.
2: Millions of dollars in conservation funding annually
SeaWorld operates two not-for-profits. One is the SeaWorld Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, which donates millions to land and sea conservation programs all over the world.
WDC explain the Conservation Fund spending much better than I can, take a look here They concluded - This therefore leaves only US$76,588 directly attributable to monies
spent focusing on “wild” whales and dolphins. And that works out at 14%
of the total spent on whales and dolphins and a mere 0.88% of the total
spent on ALL their projects.
That includes wild orcas. As yet when Seaworld launched their blue world project they stated As part of the project’s vision, we have also committed $10 million in
matching funds focused on threats to killer whales in the wild,
especially those identified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration related to the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale.
To date none of that money has been forthcoming.
The Center for Whale Research has been working with the Southern Residents for years. Ken Balcomb is a world renowned wild killer whale expert, working with NOAA If Seaworld truly want to help the Souther Residents wouldn't you think it would be advisable to work with or donate to someone like him, who has been studying them for 37 years? Sadly as Ken was interviewed for Blackfish, purely because of his expertise, and has given statements saying Given the natural differences among killer whales, breeding them at
parks is contentious. "SeaWorld states it's saving an endangered
species, but that's bogus," Ken Balcomb, senior scientist at the Center
for Whale Research, says. "They make up stories about their lifestyle,
social structure, and life span and try to sell it as fact. It's like
Disneyland telling a mouse biologist the way it is. It's horseshit."
Seaworld attacked these experts calling them too as being radical animal activists. Stating The film also relies on animal rights activists masquerading as scientists:
The film relies heavily on the dubious reflections of scientists who
have aggressively campaigned against marine mammal display for decades,
and have no expertise with killer whale behavior in captivity. I also looked into that and you can see the evidence of their scientific abilities here In the meantime Ken Balcomb continued working and fighting for the Southern Residents.
Awesome Ocean couldn't resist sickeningly using the death of Southern Resident J32 Rhapsody to also try to boost Seaworld attendance in their recent article. There are some bridges no one crosses, but please do read it as one again the death of that poor first time mother in labour and the bullying of Ellen Ericksen have once again been rolled into one article.
Calling people names, trying to discredit them and misleading the public does nothing for the campaigns of either Seaworld or Awesome Ocean. The initial opening of ''Keyboard Warriors'' is a bit rich coming from people who write Awesome Ocean, Stand with Seaworld, Seaworld podcast, I love Seaworld, Micechat, etc. How much time away from a keyboard do they have?
Bullying seems to be common place and many do jump on that bandwagon with them, but that does nothing for Seaworld and certainly does nothing for the wild marine mammals. I have in the past debunked so many articles and supplied the facts via links to external sites, so people can look at the evidence themselves and make up their own minds.
I wouldn't expect anyone to blindly follow anything without giving them the tools to look into things for themselves. Nor do people on this side of the fence use diverting tactics, they just stay focussed on the evidence, unlike these articles below. Awesome ocean attack Melissa Cronin
The diversionary tactics, name calling and lies to mislead people is getting to ridiculous levels now from Awesome Ocean. Maybe they are unaware of the facts themselves, maybe it is deliberate, only they themselves know.
This sort of behaviour does nothing to help either the orcas in Seaworld's care or those in the wild.
From a ''radical activist, keyboard warrior'' stand I would love it if people WOULD actually look at the links that are neither to Blackfish nor to Seaworld and see the actual evidence for themselves.
No one can make a conscious rational decision if they haven't been given all the facts.
Who knows once you see the evidence for yourself maybe you will never go to Seaworld again. Either way that choice is entirely yours based on ACTUAL facts rather than the rants of a blog that supplies you with none.
If feeding time at Seaworld doesn't look like this you have learnt nothing from your visit
This has to be one of the most sickening things I have seen. The death of a beautiful Southern Resident used to twist the truth to promote Seaworld.
Once again it has to be put right as Eric Davis seems obsessed with his PETA distracting agenda.
While the world celebrates the Killer Whale just born at SeaWorld San
Diego, a sad reminder of the harsh realities for wild whales has washed
ashore.
The world did not celebrate at all. Posts, news articles, science
Off the coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, the body of
J32, also known as Rhapsody, an 18-year-old member of the J Pod from the
Southern Resident Killer Whale population has washed ashore.
J32 was believed to be pregnant, and while no known cause of death is
known right now, it is an immediate reminder of the immense pressure
that wild whales experience everyday.
Incorrect information yet again! The Southern Residents are the ONLY orcas listed as endangered, mainly because their range is so close to human population and the dams have blocked up the salmon runs which they rely on.
''Southern Resident killer whales are
the only known resident population to occur in the U.S. Southern
residents are comprised of three pods: J, K, and L pods. The Southern
Residents are considered one "stock" under the Marine Mammal Protection
Act (MMPA) and one "distinct population segment" (therefore, "species") under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Southern Resident Killer Whale population is currently estimated
at about 80 whales, a decline from its estimated historical level of
about 200 during the late 1800s. Beginning in the late 1960s, the
live-capture fishery for oceanarium display removed an estimated 47
whales and caused an immediate decline in Southern Resident numbers. The population fell an estimated 30% to about 67 whales by 1971. By 2003, the population increased to 83 whales. Due to its small population size, NMFS listed this segment of the
population as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2005
and designated critical habitat in 2006. Their range during the spring, summer, and fall includes the inland
waterways of Washington state and the trans boundary waters between the
United States and Canada. Relatively little is known about the winter
movements and range of the Southern Resident stock. However, in recent
years, they have been regularly spotted as far south as central
California during the winter months.
Please make sure you have signed the petition to take down the deadbeat dams and let the salmon run properly again, it is important to the Southern Residents. HERE
This is the point where the article starts to turn sick and twisted to promote the Seaworld agenda. Before moving onto that I feel the need to make Eric Davis aware that PETA are not the only people standing against Seaworld. The way to make that perfectly clear is to ask one simple question.
WHAT DOES PETA HAVE TO DO WITH THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN SEAWORLD'S ORCA TANKS?
People protest Seaworld because of Seaworld, because of their dead orcas, injured and dead trainers, offspring being taken from mothers, orcas as young as 6 becoming pregnant. Lies being uncovered by court transcripts, necropsy reports, NOAA, citations. Those things have been done by Seaworld not by PETA.
PETA Operative Ellen Erickson
What makes you think Ellen Ericksen
is a radical activist because she protests outside Seaworld San Diego?
Has she ever said she is a PETA member?
This isn't the first time Awesome Ocean has targeted Ellen Ericksen I debunked a pervious article where bullied her for her strong beliefs that captivity is wrong. See here
After speaking to Ellen Ericksen regarding the bullying from Eric Davis and Awesome Ocean she gave the following statement...
''Yes
PLEASE use my name since he has been targeting me also. My last name
is also spelled
wrong in his article. I have been organizing protests there every
holiday for years, I don't work
for PETA although at times we do
use there materials.
I was on the news this week about the birth of the
baby it aired twice, which has probably
prompted Awesome Ocean to include me in the article.
I have a great
respect from the media outlets here and the public.
Earlier this week when SeaWorld announced the birth, radical activists "mourned" the birth at SeaWorld, painting a fantasy fairytale-like picture of wild orcas.
Radical Activists were not the only people who were sad about the birth. That baby is beautiful but it will never surf a wave, never see a live fish, never swim in the kelp and never listen to the sounds of the ocean.Do you think that is right? The baby has been born to a hybrid mother so will itself have no conservation value what so ever, and will never be allowed back to the open ocean. Do you think that is right? The mother Kalia was AI'd at 8 years old, she isn't 10 until the 21st December. Do you think that is right?
However, the harsh reality is wild Orcas are in serious trouble. Wild orcas are not in serious trouble, this is misleading people. A trip to wikipedia can tell you that. ''Worldwide population estimates are uncertain, but recent consensus suggests an absolute minimum of 50,000.[2][32]
Local estimates include roughly 25,000 in the Antarctic, 8,500 in the
tropical Pacific, 2,250–2,700 off the cooler northeast Pacific and
500–1,500 off Norway.[90] Japan's Fisheries Agency estimated 2,321 killer whales were in the seas around Japan''
The
Southern Resident Killer Whale populations which include J, K and L pods
is now down to 77 members from a peak population of 98 members in 1995;
all the while radical activists keep trying to defame SeaWorld. It is
time for that to end. You would use the decline of the Southern Residents to stop people 'defaming' Seaworld. How sick is that, as said earlier in the article people protest Seaworld because of thing's Seaworld have done including raping the Southern Residents for their entertainment business.
Here at Awesome Ocean, have been reporting about premature orca
deaths here since we launched this past summer. We have tried to
showcase the immediate need and plight of wild whales. Where have you written about the plight of wild whales as if you had done that you would have already identified that the only ones classed as endangered are the Southern Residents and you would hav reported why people say they are endangered too?
The very whales
that truly need our help. The 77 remaining orcas of the Southern
Resident whales need our money, research, tweets, Facebook posts, and
blog rants. They need our full attention. What have you done about that? Your facebook, your blog rants, your tweets ALL focus on PETA, show me anywhere on your Stand with Seaworld page, your Awesome Ocean page, your Unofficial Seaworld Podcast page where YOU have asked people to take down the dams, improve the salmon runs, or encouraged Seaworld to breed orcas who are not hybrid and could be released back into the population, as happens with other reputable breeding programmes for endangered species.
Focusing on SeaWorld's 27 loved and cared for killer whales does
nothing to help the plight of the Southern Resident Killer Whales. There are 30 orcas in Seaworlds inventory, so who are you missing out?
What does and will help is visiting SeaWorld. How does that help?
SeaWorld announced as part of it's Blue World project that they would
be donating $10,000,000 to help the Southern Resident Killer Whales, an
unprecedented investment in this population of animals. So while
activists defame SeaWorld, they are hurting the very organization that
is doing and investing the most to save the animals they claim to love. This is yet again misleading. Do you think NO ONE is helping the Southern Residents other than Seaworld?? Saying they are donating $10,000,000 and having done it are 2 different things, they have given NOTHING yet.
In the meantime The Centre for Whale Research is out with them AND don't hide the fact that the federal government funds the research into the Southern Residents. Remember Ken Balcomb the man who has been studying and working with the Southern Residents for 37 years. The man YOU called a radical activist as he was interviewed for Blackfish as his knowledge is well valued by everyone apart from you? Ken Balcomb who since 2007, the Center for Whale Research has been
under contract with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to
conduct the Orca Survey project, as well as monitor the Southern
Resident Killer Whales. NMFS uses this information to make informed
management decisions, as well as to support other research. As
government funding continues to shrink, we depend more and more on the
public for support.
Or maybe WDC who offered a reward for the dolphin shooting on Seaworld's doorstep whilst they did what - OH YES NOTHING!
Have you added your voice to this as I sent it to you. http://uk.whales.org/dams
There are many people out there campaigning and doing positive things for the Southern Residents already, but you no doubt won't have bothered with them as you see them as the enemy, or are to busy calling them names or focusing on PETA hoping that will take peoples attention off what Seaworld have done to orcas over the years in those tanks, as that is the REAL reason people protest.
We ask for everyone who is tweeting #BlackFish and #EmptyTheTanks to
stop, and join us as we start tweeting #SaveThePods as a call to arm for
everyone who loves Killer Whales. Together we can work to save the
Southern Resident Killer Whales, together we can save wild populations
of Killer Whales from suffering the same fate as J32.
Join us, as we work to save animals that truly need our help, the Southern Resident Killer Whales.
#SaveThePods
As for this last statement my personal comment to that would be GET STUFFED. Had you not been so focused on your own agenda, making stupid little meme's to attack PETA hoping people wouldn't see what was going on and spent less time slating people for doing fantastic jobs out there with the wild orcas, you would have known already that people CAN and DO fight for the Southern Residents whilst STILL protesting Seaworld. This once again is my own personal opinion, but I think this is the lowest I have ever seen Awesome Ocean stoop, to use the death of a Southern Resident to try to rally more support for Seaworld. You really do make me sick.
Well Kalia the hybrid has given birth to yet another hybrid, in a dysfunctional family.
The hybrid lineage goes from her father Keet. Her mother is Kasatka who
is Icelandic wild caught, and father Keet who is the son of Kalina who
was hybrid and Kotar who was Icelandic.
Kalina's mother is Katina who is Icelandic and Winston who was a
Southern Resident who is described as one of the most aggressive orcas
in captivity. But once again Seaworld don't care and breed an orca with
an attack history regardless. You then have to add in the fact that
Kalia is 10 meaning she was pregnant aged 8 and a half does it bother
Seaworld that wild orcas are usually pregnant in their late teens, not
at 8, not a bit. Babies bring in money and that is their focus not those
orcas.
If Seaworld wasn't managing
their own stud book, would hybrids be allowed? The answer is - definitely not as they
have no conservation value what so ever and will never be allowed into
the open ocean for fear of contaminating the wild orca population who
have not cross bred for over 10000 years. These orcas should never be put in that position as no reputable organisation would deliberately breed hybrids. This poor baby, will
never surf a wave, will never swim in the kelp, it will never rub on the
stones or chase the herring fleet like grandma did when she was a calf.
Unless we do something about it, this baby will NEVER ever see a live
fish even though it is the oceans apex predator and that is a disgrace.
Although it will never be allowed back to the open ocean it could still
experience the ocean from a netted bay, which would be a much better
option than allowing it to think that sitting at the side of a tank with
your toothless mouth open begging for fish is normal killer whale behaviour.
Seaworld
need to do right by those orcas, science has moved on and left them
standing and they need to catch up really quickly as the public are
aware of what is wrong in those tanks and it will only get worse unless
they do something about it soon. This report shows
In February 1984, there was a workshop on "Animals on Display: Educational and
Scientific Impact" held at the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. In it, the
AAZPA's Ethics and Law Working Group considered the ethics of keeping animals
in captivity. The group, which included representatives from marine parks and
Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute they agreed amongst other things to display animals under conditions that, so far as possible, allow
them to behave naturally. That still hasn't happened. In the 1983 conference it was decided
"Efforts should be made to bring to an end, in due course, the keeping of
cetaceans in captivity."
In July 1990 the Symposium decided "Whales and dolphins are
self-aware beings that routinely make decisions and choices about the details
of their lives. They are entitled to freedom of choice. Thus, they are
entitled to freedom. Imprisoning them in captivity is, quite simply, wrong."
1985
Critics argue that oceanaria exploit cetacea primarily for profit and that this
is morally indefensible because it causes suffering to cetacea who, as
intelligent and complex beings, are entitled to greater consideration by
humans
philosphers Dale Jamieson and Tom
Regan argue that, although scientific study may have many benefits which will
accrue to cetacea themselves, the morality of these benefits depends "on the
means used to secure them. And no benefits are morally to be allowed if they
are obtained at the price of violating individual rights."
The Australian Senate Committee concluded "The fact that cetacea undergo some suffering in
captivity is not, of itself, an overriding factor in determining whether
cetacea should be held in captivity. The committee noted that empirical data has shown that cetaceans suffer
varying degress of stress and trauma during capture and captivity.
But, after weighing all the evidence, the committee concluded that cetaceans
should "not be subjected to the possibility of deprivation or suffering
which conditions and quality of life in captivity might occasion."
Perhaps the clearest explanation of the ethical arguments is given by Victor
B. Scheffer, former US federal biologist and chairman of the Marine Mammal
Commission.
In trying to understand both sides of the issue, he has explored
the sentiments people have about animals in general and whales in particular,
and has written perceptively about it in his many articles and books:
"At the core of humaneness," he wrote in the final chapter of Marine
Mammals of Eastern North Pacific and Arctic Waters, "is the idea of
kind-ness, or the idea that we and the other animals are basically of
one kind." To Scheffer, the key is that we are all "part of the living animal
world ... caught up together in a sort of spiritual biomass" and therefore "we
have the right to insist not only that animals be spared distress (pain and
fear) but that they be used in ways acceptable to large numbers of thoughtful
men and women."
A useful marine mammal, they say, is
one out there somewhere in the wild - free, alive, hidden, breathing,
perpetuating its ancient bloodline.
"In the long run," says Paul Spong in a recent article in Whalewatcher,
"the whales will only be truly saved when we humans no longer regard them
as resources to be exploited and 'managed', but rather as fellow creatures -
self-organized social animals with clear rights that we acknowledge, grant, and
protect. Paramount among these rights should be those that address issues of
habitat protection and freedom."
Part of that freedom is freedom from captivity.
We must intensify non-invasive research programmes and, at the same time, fight
against those who would distort scientific information or use it, for example,
to exploit whales. We need the scientific background to know when whale
populations are in trouble and what might be done to help them. Humans,
despite a poor record of respecting the rights of other humans, as well as
whales in general, or orcas in particular, are now in the position of helping
or hurting all life on Earth. The question may well become: Can humans be good
managers without assuming the traditional role of exploiter?
The Captive Industry have been aware of all these conferences and meetings for a long long time. The UK stopped the display of captive cetaceans in 1993, only the USA, France, Japan, Canada and Argentina continued with holding captive orcas. The rest of the world listened to the science and stopped it, it is time for those 5 countries to catch up.
Don't buy a ticket and
sentence this baby to a life of begging and swimming in circles, let it
be free of the tank whilst the head of the matraline is still there and
has some wild knowledge. If it was free it would get to meet auntie
Takara, uncle Keto, it would meet cousins Kohana, Trua, Sakari and Kamea
and second cousin Adan. As it is now it will never meet them as
Seaworld broke up that matraline despite saying they respect the bond
and it will swim round in circles until it goes the way of all the other
captives, leaving on the back of a flat bed truck.
When you see these animals in captivity, instead of asking what you get from them, ask what does that orca gain from your visit? What do you give that orca that it wouldn't have if you didn't go?
When you have answered those questions then you will know that if you loved them it would be a 2 way mutual benefit, not one just for yourself.
Although albino dolphins are incredibly rare, sadly the Taiji killers have captured 3 in 2014.
Angel with her mother and pod
Angel in the Taiji whale museum
Little Angel was captured in January of 2014, the only white bottlenose dolphin in captivity was soon shipped to the Whale museum. Her photo story is here
On the 23rd November 2014 a small pod of Risso's dolphins were driven into the cove with another albino dolphin in the pod.
Albino Risso's dolphin with his/her mother
After many comments about the Japanese name given to this little dolphin, some of which are below,
we decided to call this baby Hope. In hope that this will be brought to an end and they can continue to swim in freedom.
I dont like the name , they are not Japanese Dolphins , so can you ask us to vote for a name please Cove Guardians thank you
why are you giving them a japanese name? this is a slap in who caught them
A
Japanese name for dolphin !!!! WE honor the dolphin they stole from
ocean with a Japanese name. How about "soul light" meaning the special
one this dolphin is rare and is an angel amoung many dolphins sent to
us. Don't insult the dolphin with JAPANESE Name IT IS A dishonor.
I don't think u shud respect the Japanese enough to give that poor little baby a Japanese name!!!
Change the name. It shouldn't have a name associated with the very culture that it has been kidnapped by.
Shiro Iruka for Risso's dolphin is very starange and laughable to Japanese. Hire a professional translator.
I
think its an insult to give this baby a Japanese name when it was
captured and will be in a Japanese prison for the rest of its life. Yes
we are frustrated and human, it is just poor taste to give a Japanese
name to a Japanese prisoner.
Ceta BaseJust FYI, Taiji Whale Museum already has a Risso's dolphin named Shiro シロ
Pretty sure that 'Iruka Shiro' means Beluga in Japanese so maybe not such a good name?
'Shiro' is apparently a name commonly given to a dog?
This little dolphin Hope and her pod mate friend who we named Cara are now also hidden in the whale museum
Hope and her friend Cara
The Taiji whale museum translation says
''Large
parts of the body color in the flock of captured Risso's dolphin in
November 23, 2014 , make sure that there are white Risso's dolphin , we
began training in the hotel on the 27th .
This Risso's dolphin is a large part of the body is white , such as the black part occiput also seen , from that eye is also a normal black , albino is estimated that ( congenital albinism ) rather than white strange individual .
Future in the hotel , through the genetic information of the individual
, we have a plan to carry out the investigation , such as differences
between the albino individuals .
In addition, please note that currently we do not do therefore open to the public of this Risso's dolphin .
About Risso's dolphin white strange individual Capture Date: November 23, 2014 Gender: Female Body length : 240㎝ Body weight : about 180㎏
Risso's dolphin English name : Risso's Dolphin Scientific name : Grampus griseus
In growing even length is a little less than 4m , small whale of about
body weight also 300㎏ ~ 600㎏ . And inhabit the sea of temperate and
tropical , has been living in a herd of about 10 dolphins and 50 dolphins ,
in the Kumano is year-round observation . Squid is not only in the lower
jaw teeth in the staple food , only grows fourteen at most .''
As they know the eyes are black and the pigmentation is not the same as in Angel, they know this dolphin is not a true Albino.
On the 28th November 2014 another small pod of Risso's dolphins were driven in containing yet another white dolphin although this time it doesn't seem to be a calf.
Again as the Japanese name was objected to we called this dolphin Snow(translation of Yuki)
Snow was also taken to the harbour pen
Snow was also taken to the Whale Museum.
Snow pictured in the Taiji Whale museum
The whale museum writes -
Hana Gondo that a whole body was white
confirmed that I was this time and, from a pod of Hana Gondo captured on
November 28, 2014, started training with our building from the evening of the same day.
Hana Gondo that most are white of the color of the body is found and
started training with our building from 27th, but such Hana Gondo that
it is unusual is found again in a short term and is surprised very much
the other day.
In addition, this individual is supposed with a
white strange individual not an albino (native achromasia) because eyes
are normal black. I investigate differences with an individual and the
albino individual carried in yesterday and continue being going to
follow you up in future. くださ to understand because this Hana Gondo still
less opens it to the public
Once again people have objected to the Japanese name of Yuki on the cove guardians page
he/she
should not have a Japenese name , I really am fed up with you calling
the 2 Albinos Japenese names , we should be allowed to vote for these
poor babies names
ENOUGH
WITH THE JAPANESE NAMES ALREADY.... Name it something the rest of the
world understands... It is time to stop doing this. You are making a lot
of people upset.
As there are many new people who may be confused (although when Ric called the first Albino, Angel and Paul Watson a few days later ignored that and called her Shoujo, it didn't seem to cause confusion) but incase it does we will stick to the translation of Snow, Japanese people will still call her Yuki in their native tongue anyway.
The three white Taiji dolphins, will never see their families or their ocean homes again
Albino causes.
Chimo who you can read about here was the only white orca to have been in captivity. Her colour was due to Chediak-Higashi Syndrome. She sadly died from this condition as it damages immune system cells, leaving them less able to fight off invaders such as viruses and bacteria.
It is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that arises from a mutation of a lysosomal trafficking regulator protein, which leads to a decrease in phagocytosis. The decrease in phagocytosis results in recurrent pyogenic infections, partial albinism and peripheral neuropathy. It occurs in humans, cattle, blue Persian cats, Australian blue rats,mice,mink, foxes, and the only known captive white orca Chimo.
Albinism is relatively unusual: Scientists estimate that albinism in mammals occurs in about one of every 10,000 births. The condition is seen across a very wide range of species and is due to
genetic defects that inhibit the production of melanin, or skin pigment.
Albinism is a condition that can affect all vertebrates. It is a
congenital disorder (meaning it is inherited from the parents) and is
characterised by the complete or partial absence of pigmentation in the
skin, hair and eyes. This pigmentation is called melanin and there are
varying degrees of melanin expression in individuals. "True" albinism
only occurs if both the parents carry the recessive gene for the
condition and the offspring receives both copies of the recessive gene.
Depending on the degree of albinism, the individual may have all or some
of the following characteristics: white or pale skin (and hair), pink
or red eye colouring and often, impaired vision and hearing.
Amelanistic albinos lack melanin and are white with no markings and with unpigmented pink eyes.
Partial (blue-eyed) albinos have some residual pigmentation.
There are various degrees of patchy albinism (piebaldism) due to localised mutations in skin cells.
Temperature dependent albinos have residual colour on cooler parts of the body i.e. Siamese cats where pigment develops on the head, tail and legs, but not on the warmer parts of the body.
Bluish-grey anerythristic albinos lack the red colour.
Axanthic albinos lack the yellow colour.
The actual colour and pattern of these animal depends on what other colours are in the pattern.
Tyrosinase-negative albinos lack tyrosinase (an enzyme which synthesises melanin) in their cells; this usually produces a pale yellowish or cream animal with pink-eyes.
The more common Tyrosinase Positive albino cannot synthesise melanin, but can synthesise tyrosinase, giving a fawn or lavender (platinum) colour.
Leucism is often mistaken for albinism. Leucistic animals, such as white lions, are white or very pale, with dark eyes and some pigmentation, for example ghost markings.
Chinchilla is sometimes mistaken for albinism, but is caused by a different mutation that affects the distribution of pigment on the hair shaft. White tigers are chinchilla.
As the Whale Museum has already established that Hope has dark eyes, so far only Angel is a true Albino.
Some animals can be white or lighter-coloured than usual but not be a
"true albino". Unlike albinos, they have dark coloured eyes and usually
possess a few dark patches of skin, for example on the dorsal fin or
around the eyes. This condition is called leucism, and occurs when the
melanin is partially absent, meaning that it is expressed in some
regions of the body but not others. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in all types of skin pigment, not just melanin.
Leucism (occasionally spelled leukism) is a general term for the phenotype resulting from defects in pigment cell differentiation and/or migration from the neural crest to skin, hair, or feathers during development.
This results in either the entire surface (if all pigment cells fail to
develop) or patches of body surface (if only a subset are defective)
having a lack of cells capable of making pigment.
The conditions can be seen in many animals but their distinction can be best seen in these below.
Albino hedgehog, total loss of colour, pink eyes.
Chediak-Higashi Syndrome gives a faded look to the coloration as seen in this calf.
leucism coloration is patchy rather than total. Eyes still have colour
These creatures are very beautiful and the chances of catching 3 in a year is unheard of, yet the Taiji killers have done just that, it does raise a worrying question from the observations made below.
Interestingly, The incidence of albinism can be artificially increased in fish by exposing the eggs to heavy metals (e.g.,
arsenic, cadmium, copper, mercury, selenium, zinc) and may occur in fry
originating from crosses in which adult specimens have been exposed to
heavy metals (Oliveira & Foresti, 1996).
As we know that the dolphin meat is almost toxic waste because of the mercury content, it raises the question of whether the waters in the Pacific should be checked more thoroughly for heavy metal contamination as this could be a factor in the capture of 3 albino dolphins from roughly the same place off the Japanese coast.
What ever the cause these dolphins have now witnessed their families being slaughtered and they will be sentenced to a life of captivity never seeing or feeling their ocean homes again.
For those who are unaware of what happens in Taiji, you need to see this and educate yourself as this really must be stopped.
What the future holds for these dolphins we will have to wait and see, but for now the Taiji Whale Museum has them hidden from the outside world, so we can only watch and wait.
We are all aware of the horror of the captures but many are unaware
that 5 of those killer whales were forced to strand and then taken
captive. see point a
