SeaWorld May Lose Killer Whale Shows Thanks to Shocking Documentary

reply to post by whyamIhere


More like YAY! I get to swim and jump and do all those whale things I should be able to do all the time. Grrrrr.

reply to post by whyamIhere


Fair enough.

When I was a kid I saw those dolphins in those petting tanks. I was horrified.

OK, now I see where you're coming from. The Petting tank is just that a petting tank. The Dolphins don't live in those tanks. They have a much larger one in back enclosure of the Dolphin Show stadium. Their Tank at Sea World San Antonio (where I used to work) is around 7-10 million gallons & 40ft deep.

I went to Sea World once when I was in the 6th grade. We saw the Shamu show and it was really good. But even then as we were walking around the tank to leave I wondered how healthy it could possibly be to keep a whale in such a small space. Years later after going to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure that same thought came to me. I have no doubt that the staff and trainers do what they do out of love for these majestic creatures. And I am not generally against zoo's or any of that but after doing some research for myself I find I simply cannot condone the keeping of killer whales for exhibition.

Sea World was right there with all the other aquatic theme parks in the 60's doing some extremely horrific things, including but not limited to hiding the corpses of young calves weighted with stones and anchors during their captures. And while they have risen far higher than most of their competition in certain areas they clearly are still lacking in others. I am sorry I just see no way to justify it.

reply to post by grey580


Bottom line is it right to keep a killer whale(s) penned up in a tank for our amusement?

I can tell that most have not watched the second video in the OP. And its actually very interesting to hear someones opinion who has worked with Orcas at Sea World and actually knows people who are in the movie.

At the end he says 85% of Black Fish is bs and gives examples of lies and gives examples of the 15% that is true.

Try watching it before hating on Sea World for all the wrong reasons.

reply to post by Indigent

I hope they do ban all whales and dolphins from seaworld, I refuse to go to these places. It's really a shame that these orca's are rounded up and separated from there families and caught in nets just for our viewing pleasure.
The Orca's know the game and try to protect their young from being caught the adults separate from the young and try to get the boats away from them.
I've not watched the documentary but my daughter did and it's heartbreaking.
These creatures do not belong in swimming pools regardless of the documentary!

reply to post by whatsup86


No one is hating on Sea World for all the wrong reasons. They are hating on them for all the right reasons. First Orcas at Sea World tend to have dramatically shortened life spans, exposure to mosquito borne diseases that they are unable to resist, forcibly bred to perpetuate the bottom line, forced breaking of their family units, decreased socialization and most of them are bred at ages far younger than their counterparts in the wild. Some of these animals are kept in tanks by themselves, something that surely cannot be healthy for a naturally social animal.

There is no justification that can be made for keeping these animals in captivity. Does Sea World care for them in the best methods humanly possible for a captive whale? Yes but the best possible care in captivity isn't even close to what is available for them in the wild. Good intentions of the trainers and staff aside they are no substitute for life in the open sea.

reply to post by Indigent


Why make a thread if you haven't even researched about the subject? Like watch the documentary and then give us your thoughts on it OP?

I have yet to see the documentary, but in the meantime, Orcas should be set free!

reply to post by Skywatcher2011


Perhaps because this thread is not about the documentary but the legislation that will prohibit the shows?

Complain less

TWILITE22
reply to post by Indigent

 

I hope they do ban all whales and dolphins from seaworld, I refuse to go to these places. It's really a shame that these orca's are rounded up and separated from there families and caught in nets just for our viewing pleasure.
The Orca's know the game and try to protect their young from being caught the adults separate from the young and try to get the boats away from them.
I've not watched the documentary but my daughter did and it's heartbreaking.
These creatures do not belong in swimming pools regardless of the documentary!

edit on 8-3-2014 by TWILITE22 because: (no reason given)

There not there misleading you the animals they get are from rescues or births that occur within the facility. Have you ever been to seaworld? Those animals receive incredible care having lived in Orlando i used to visit frequently i loved it there. I have always been fascinated by sea life and loved going to see what they were up to at seaworld. See in the 60s and 70s zoos and aquariums were about making money that shift changed when they started hiring biologists and doing research. Now they run off donations for animal conservation which i think is better. Sea world spends millions of dollars on animal rescue helping to save animals who would die otherwise with the goal of returning them to the wild. Here before you get all up in arms about sea world take a look into what they do. Dont judge them for mistakes made in the past because now they do more for preserving the creatures in the worlds ocean.And more importantly they educate people about wildlife preventing future generations from thinking its ok to kill a whale or shoot sea lions. Because in order to conserve wildlife we have to teach humans to understand it and appreciate its beauty you have to start somewhere.

seaworldparks.com...

kosmicjack
reply to post by grey580

 

Okay, let's say you are terminally ill, severely wounded or disabled...would you prefer to be with your family and spend your days free and in your own natural environment...or isolated and trapped in a confined space for the rest of your life?

By natural environment I assume you mean the ocean filled with sharks waiting to be eat you alive?

Well if that's your thing. Go for it.

reply to post by chrismarco


I don't know.

I really wish we knew what they were thinking so we could see if they liked it or not.

reply to post by Indigent


i read this on mobile a few days ago, so didn't post.

my wife watched this documentary a couple weeks ago, on Netflix. I listened with half an ear. Their argument is compelling, and supporting common sense. Essentially: these whales are going insane in captivity.

Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. But i find it hard trying to imagine a scenario where it would humane to do what we do to them in captivity. Whether the video is bogus or not, i would like to see someone provide more than pseudologic to dispute it.

reply to post by Indigent


I'm no more of an animal lover then the next guy, but I say good. These killer whales have and continue to suffer both physically and mentally.

bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by Indigent

 

i read this on mobile a few days ago, so didn't post.

my wife watched this documentary a couple weeks ago, on Netflix. I listened with half an ear. Their argument is compelling, and supporting common sense. Essentially: these whales are going insane in captivity.

Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. But i find it hard trying to imagine a scenario where it would humane to do what we do to them in captivity. Whether the video is bogus or not, i would like to see someone provide more than pseudologic to dispute it.

What do they do to them in captivity exactly? As far as ive seen the people love those animals and treat them like there family. You have to realize they're not hiring anybody to do this they hire marine biologists there trainers have PHDs. People only do this if they truly love marine animals.Now we have no idea what killer whales or dolphins are thinking we cant so to say there depressed or hostile is human emotions being subjected to another species that we dont even know if it applies. For example everyones heard stories of dolphins saving people in trouble from drowning but theyve also drowned people as well. It could be they saved them because they saw another species in trouble and sees us as another mammal and trying to help.Or its instinctual and the same as a sick dolphin the dolphins help them to the surface as well it could be just instinct. Or something as simple as they found something interesting to play with we have no idea id like to think they mean to help but hey who knows. But i will say this The only way people learn is through experience and the only way we care about things is when we understand them and we learn to care is when we've learned this is worth caring about. Id say the benefits of those thousands of children visiting and learning means that someone will be around in the future who cares. And hopefully one day we wont have people killing whales or shooting sea lions just because they can.

iRoyaltyIndia have also recently given them non-human person status, due to scientific studies on their intelligence.

You mean this same india?Linky Really, think please. The doc makers had an agenda, deal with it. And, by no means compare this to "the cove", its an insult to the debacle "the cove" is.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

Essentially: these whales are going insane in captivity.

I think the same can be said about a lot of animals in captivity. We visit a zoo just outside of Seoul on a special tour that takes you behind the cage. You are always with a specialist/trainer who works specifically with the animals you interact with.

The chimps made an impression on me (as someone else pointed out earlier in the thread). This one reached gently out to my forearm and then put quite a squeeze on me ... just showing me what he could do. I asked about that and the trainer said it's fine until they grow older. I asked what happened to the older animals and he wouldn't answer. We can probably be pretty sure they aren't shipped back to Africa.

The guy in the long video mentioned something about a parrot rescue. Ever seen a parrot go insane in a cage? They pull all their feathers out. Sometimes they bite their skin until it bleeds and gets infected ... almost looks like they're committing suicide. I've heard people say this is because they're ignored and become too bored.

I have a dog. I don't want her to bite me. I grew up on a farm. I have a healthy respect for livestock and won't turn my back on them unnecessarily. We had several nesting pairs of eagles, there was a panther, and a gator in the lake. I think the dog's fine on the porch, the livestock are good in the pasture, and the wild things belong outside of those boundaries.

As far as Sea World, zoos, etc. go ... there are people who want to see, because people are naturally curious. I don't see any real harm in an operation that provides an excellent environment and excellent care to animals over their normal lifespan.

reply to post by Snarl


Not all zoos are bad, Pretoria zoo is pretty amazing and a few hours of where i live its one called Cabarceno which is awesome for the animals, the place where the elephants are its perhaps as big as sea world Orlando; i been twice to this place, once in summer and once in winter, last time i went there were 2 newborn elephants and my child was amazed of seeing the elephants, it was a very fun moment.

But even in this wonderful place when i went in winter i could see the African animals suffering, they are never exposed to this cold conditions in their original habitats, keeping animals in captivity is wrong

So if in Cabarceno the place for the elephants have to be a few hundred acres, what is what a whale really requires? and why do we make them do things they dont do in nature for our entrainment

Cabarceno elephants


Sea world whales

reply to post by Indigent

That's an incredible photo!!

As for the questions you posed ... I'm pretty neutral on the subject. BFFT's point was what prompted any in-thread response from me at all. The mental health of these animals should be a serious consideration. I'd lean 'against' if they're being harmed (which I suspect).

In that light though, I'd be doing harm to our dog if I put her out on the street. She's truly part of the family. So, at what point do we draw a line? Is it wrong to cage a parrot or keep a chimpanzee beyond a certain age? Dogs are considered domesticated and I've refused to sell some livestock at auction because they were more like pets.

I could add a lot more to this, and I apologize for starting this reply too late. If this thread lives, and I find a relevant entry point, I'll post my own experiences diving with/near whales and dolphins. Some of that might add to the overall equation in a mind that's not already made-up.

-Cheers