SeaWorld: Their Reason For No Freedom

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     On March 17, 2016, SeaWorld announced they were ending their captive breeding program and the orcas currently held in captivity would be the last. Later on, in the month SeaWorld announced that they would not be sending their orcas to Sea Sanctuaries.

"While most are celebrating these announcements, some critics want us to go further; they believe we should simply 'set free' the whales and release them into the ocean. We

believe that would likely be a death sentence for our whales."- SeaWorld Cares

     SeaWorld claims that "sea cages" are dangerous for the whales because they would be helpless to contagious diseases, that they'd be "sitting ducks" stuck in one place. A captive Orcas' current living conditions sound about the same, stuck in a tank with nowhere to go. These whales have more dangers living in the state they're in right now than they ever would in a sea sanctuary. 

     Orca whales need to swim and dive down far below the surface but in their tanks, there is nowhere to go, many suffer sunburn from the lack of depth in the tanks. Lack of space also causes a backlash, whales will get frustrated and become violent, when this happens there is nowhere to go. Many whales and dolphins as well have suffered from the skin being ripped off, being pushed out of their tanks and some have even died from the violence. This is what these whales endure every day and what they will continue to endure for the rest of their lives if they are not released. 

     In the article, SeaWorld Cares wrote they bring up Keiko. Keiko is a whale who was born into the wild and then captured and used for entertainment before being retired to a sea sanctuary. SeaWorld Cares, states that sea sanctuaries for whales are not a concept and there is not one sanctuary around the world. This is a false statement. They continue to say that Keiko was released into the wild and then died soon afterward. This is a false statement as well. Keiko lived years after being rehabilitated into the wild and reunited with his family; the point is that he died happily. 

     SeaWorld can make all these claims and a lot of people will believe them, but we can't, in order to make a difference you have to see right through them. There is multiple, factual evidence out there that this can happen. SeaWorld could make this happen if they wanted too, but they don't care, they care about one thing; the money.      

Read More About This Topic Here: 

- https://seaworldcares.com/2016/03/Why-Sea-Cages-Are-Dangerous/
- https://www.thedodo.com/seaworld-orcas-sea-sanctuaries-pens-1700373682.html

My Visit To SeaWorld.

     I went to SeaWorld, and I'm not proud of it. In April 2016 my family and I took a trip to Florida and one of the stops on the way was SeaWorld. Now I have to say that this wasn't my choice and I preferred to go to Disney or Universal but this decision was heavily outweighed by the rest of my family. To avoid distress and family arguments I decided that I had to go. Though I'm not proud that I was a SeaWorld visitor, I am glad I was able to experience it as an insider... 

     The first question of the day as if the whales would perform because of the recent announcement that shows would be ending, after being reassured that the show would go on, my family happily proceeded into the park. We started the day at the dolphin rehab where a lot of unsanitized hands touched the vulnerable dolphins. The caregivers feeding them did not advise cleanliness but rather that you could pet a dolphin if it came close to you. Next, we moved over the Blue Horizons show where multiple dolphins performed vigorous routines for close to an hour. After that, it was immediately to the Sea Lion and Otter show where we then watched a Sea Lion and Otter do very unnecessary tricks that you would never see in the wild. Then to Shamu Stadium for the big event. 

     I remember sitting there and wishing and hoping the show wouldn't start. That they would cancel the show and it would all be over and we could go home. From the beginning I knew this wasn't right, the feeling in the pit of my stomach was almost unbearable. The show started and ended but it seemed like an eternity in between the start and finish. Don't get me wrong, seeing one of my favorite animals of all time up close was really cool, but it was not the ideal circumstance and I wouldn't wish it on any Orca, nor will I ever go back to witness it again. 

     At the end of the show, we went back to the viewing area where the most beautiful creature to live on this planet swam inches away from me, it was the most fulfilling and depressing moment of my life. This wasn't how I imagined it. I wanted the freedom to see this in the wild, much how he wants the freedom to live in the wild, this was the moment I met Tilikum. 

     The "expert" that was standing by was answering the questions everyone was asking. A young child asked if Tilly was Shamu, "No that's not Shamu but we call them all Shamu because it is like their last name, they're all family." If only that young child knew the truth behind that horrifying statement. Tilly swam by a few times before being released into a different pool so the other whales could come in. Someone else asked why Tilly's dorsal fin was collapsed and the "expert" told us that it's 'natural,' that all males have collapsed dorsal fins in the wild. 

     My dad then proceeds to ask about the baby Shamu that was born in 1985, the "expert" blatantly lied to my fathers face claiming that there was no "Baby Shamu" born in 1985 and she had no idea what he was talking about. My dad visited the park just days after the birth of Kalina (baby Shamu.) Kalina was baby to Katina and was taken at only 4 years old and moved to SeaWorld San Diego. 

     SeaWorld lies, they tell you what you want to hear because it sounds good. Wild Orca males never have collapsed dorsal fins unless injured or ill. Kalina was the original baby Shamu who was ripped from her mother at a very young age. All the whales' last names are "Shamu" because almost all of them have the same dad, Tilikum. 

     I will never step foot back into SeaWorld, I felt sad for the animals and mad at the world for letting this happen, for letting humans take these beautiful creatures away from their homes. They deserve a life worth living where they belong, in the ocean.   

           

Their Story; Tilikum.

Picture from www.independent.co.uk

     My name is Tilikum, I am currently living in SeaWorld Orlando. I am the largest recorded Orca in captivity, I weigh over twelve thousand pounds, and am a lengthy twenty-two feet long. I was captured near Iceland in November 1983 when I was only two years old. I spent almost a year in a cement holding tank before I was sent to SeaLand Of The Pacific in British Columbia. My tank there was only 100x50 feet, and it was only 35 feet deep. Food was withheld from me a lot like a training technique and I was often abused by Haida and Nootka, the two females I lived with. I was forced to perform every hour, eight times a day and seven days a week. After performing I would have to go to a metal-sided module with the other whales for fourteen hours before I could get out again.
     On February 21, 1991, my trainer Keltie Byrne fell into the pool, I was so frustrated and sad I pulled her down to the bottom and killed her. Not too long after that SeaLand closed and sold me to SeaWorld. SeaWorld wanted me for their breeding program. I now have lots of children and grandchildren, they make up 54% of SeaWorld's whales. I have been in captivity for a long time and I can get very aggressive. I chew on metal gates and concrete sidewalls. I also killed two more people, Daniel P. Dukes and Dawn Brancheau. After I killed Dawn I was put in a tiny enclosure where I couldn't swim, communicate with the other whales or interact with humans. I floated in that pool a lot and that's very rare for a whale like me. After a year of being alone in that pool, they made me return to performing.
     But now I am very sick and have been for a while. I have a drug-resistant bacterial lung infection and I am dying. Please help me, check the link down below.

Sign the petition to get me into a rehab: https://www.change.org/p/seaworld-inc-humanely-release-the-orca-whale-known-as-tilikum-to-a-seapen-for-rehab 

3 Ways You Can Help Save Captive Whales RIGHT NOW.

www.causes.com

     1. Educate.

          - Watch "Blackfish" ~ http://www.blackfishmovie.com/ ~ (Also on Netflix)

               - Read "The Killer In The Pool" ~ http://www.outsideonline.com/1924946/killer-pool

                    - Read "Killer Controversy" ~ http://www.hsi.org/assets/pdfs/orca_white_paper.pdf

                         - Visit and Read "Death At SeaWorld" ~ http://deathatseaworld.com/

                              - Read "Why Killer Whales Should Not Be Kept In Captivity"                                                                                                                                                       ~ https://www.bbc.com

                                   - Read "8 Reasons Orcas Don't Belong At SeaWorld"                                                                                                                                                         ~ www.SeaWorldOfHurt.com

                                        - Watch "Voiceless" ~ http://bluefreedom.org/#film

     

     2. Join an Anti-Cap Group.

          - Whale and Dolphin Conservation

               - Blue Freedom

                    - Free Morgan Foundation

                         - Orca Conservancy

                              - The Orca Project

                                   - SeaWorld Of Hurt

                                        - SeaWorld Slaves

     3. Sign Petitions. 

          - Release Tilikum To Sea Sanctuary

               - Investigate SeaWorld And Why Whales Keep Dying

                    - Urge SeaWorld To End All Animal Acts

                         - Get Starbucks Out Of SeaWorld And Boycott Until They Do So 

California Bans Captivity and Breeding!

www.takepart.com

     

     What we are doing is working, we are being heard. On September 13, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation that will outlaw Orca captivity and breeding programs like SeaWorld San Diego. Starting in June 2017, the Orcas that remain in captivity will only be used for "educational purposes." California is the first state to ban breeding and use of marine mammals in theatrical shows. 

Read More:

- http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-california-bans-orca-captivity-and-1473800196-htmlstory.html

- http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/14/us/orca-killer-whales-california-ban/

Rest In Peace.

http://www.seaworldofhurt.com/features/lives-stolen-seaworld/

Their Story; Namu

www.orcahome.de

     My name is Namu, I was the first healthy Orca to have ever been captured from the wild. I was the first healthy Orca to be displayed in an aquarium and perform with a human as well. I was captured in June 1965 and was sold to the Seattle Marine Aquarium for $8,000. The owner of the aquarium brought in a female whale named Shamu a few months after me, we didn't get along and she had to leave.

     I also starred in a movie called "Namu, The Killer Whale" or "Namu, My Best Friend" that was released in 1966. It was a fictional story set in the San Juan Islands. But after starring in a movie and performing for a year I passed away in captivity on July 9, 1966.

www.mefeedia.com

www.historylink.org

Rest In Peace Namu

Orcas Are Not The Only Animals Suffering.

picture from: www.sdnews.com

     We've done well. We've made some huge steps in the anti-captivity community, but are we doing enough? We spend so much of our time protesting for the Orcas, but what about the other animals who are still being bred? Forced to perform? Who are also stuck in the same small pools? Orcas are not the only animals suffering and we need to remember that. 

www.flickriver.com

www.krusakafamily.com

     SeaWorld's Bottlenose Dolphins are kept in a tank that is available to the public. Visitors can walk right up to the pool and pet the dolphins as they wish. SeaWorld doesn't ask visitors to wash their hands before touching, this has caused bacterial infections in the dolphins. 

     The Pacific White-Sided dolphins live in Beluga Stadium where they perform with Beluga Whales. The public can swim with the Beluga's, touch, hug and kiss them as much as they want. Many of the marine mammals living in SeaWorld already have low immunity to infection, adding public contact with an animal is dangerous and deadly. SeaWorld, as of February 2016 has reported 5 animals dead in an 8-month time span. 

        

 Read More here: https://www.thedodo.com/seaworld-dolphin-died-1594637580.html

SIGN A PETITION TO END CAPTIVE DOLPHIN BREEDING:

----> https://www.change.org/p/support-animals-end-seaworld-s-dolphin-breeding-program

     

Why I Support SeaWorld Rescue.

     I know what you're thinking. "How do you support SeaWorld Rescue but not the parks?" Well, I'm going to tell you. There is a lot of facts and research that go behind my decision to support their rescue efforts. What you see in the parks, at the shows, those are mostly captive-bred animals who have never seen the ocean and have been forced to perform. But, a majority of the other animals who are living there are in rehabilitation and will soon be free to roam their homes again soon. 

     - Did you know that SeaWorld has rescued over 25,000+ animals? 

https://seaworldcares.com/2015/04/twenty-five-thousand-rescues/

     

     - Did you know that SeaWorld is the largest rescue and rehabilitation program in the world?

www.seaworldparks.com

     - Did you know only a small percentage of rescues do not get released? 

www.seaworldparks.com

  

     - Did you know that, though SeaWorld's Orcas are not rescued, they have assisted in whale rescues?

www.telegraph.co.uk

More sources to check out below:      

Four reasons why condemning SeaWorld is a bad idea: - http://awesomeocean.com/2014/12/04/four-reasons-condemning-seaworld-really-bad-idea/

SeaWorlds Rescue/Rehab information book: 

 - https://seaworld.org/en/animal-info/animal-infobooks/rescue-and-rehab/

SeaWorlds conservation blog: 

- http://www.insideconservation.com/?pos=2&webSyncID=a2510d23-1981-970b-9c5c-397c8c067d79&sessionGUID=7aeda78b-7c04-10ba-124a-05bb30323c72

The rescue of a Gray Whale Calf: 

- http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2013/images/10/11/blackfish.seaworld.27-03_stewart_papers.pdf

Fact Check:

- http://www.seaworldfactcheck.com/

Their Story; Lolita.

Picture from www.grayline.com

     My name is Lolita, I'm 20 feet long and I weigh 7,000 pounds. I live in the Miami Seaquarium and I've been here since 1970. I was captured from my home on August 8, 1970, in Puget Sound, Washington. At first, they named me Tokitae, but renamed Lolita from some novel. I lived with a whale named Hugo for 10 years in an 80-35-20 foot pool in Miami, Florida. Hugo was captured two years before me but he passed away on March 4, 1980, and I've been in this pool all by myself since. 

     I have a lot of attention on me, I am known as the loneliest Orca in the world. I was part of a documentary called "Lolita; Slave To Entertainment." A lot of people fight for me and want me to be released back home, some have even started a protest at the Seaquarium where I live and started a hashtag online called "#FreeLolita." 

     I really like that people fight for my freedom, my tank is too small, to begin with. My tank violates Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services for size requirements. My tank should be at least 48 feet wide but mines only 35 feet wide; that only gives me 15 feet to swim. My tank is also very shallow and I get sunburns all over my body. 

     In November 2011, Animal Legal Defense Fund, PETA and a few others filed lawsuits against National Marine Fisheries Service to end the exclusion of me and my state of life from the Endangered Species Act. As of February 2015, I am now included in the endangered species list. My whole pod back home is also endangered.

     I am currently still living in the Miami Seaquarium all by myself. I still have to perform in shows and behave well. Please help me. 

Visit this website to learn more about me and how to help: http://hope4lolita.com/

www.ecorazzi.com

www.miamiherald.com

SeaWorld: Announcing A Drop In Attendance

Picture from: www.theodysseyonline.com

    August 4, 2016, SeaWorld announced a major drop in attendance. The parks have lost over half a million visitors and have lost more than eighteen million dollars. This is the lowest drop since 2013 when "Blackfish" was released. For 3 years SeaWorld has been blaming poor weather and holidays for their decrease in visitors.
     In March 2016 SeaWorld announced the end to their captive breeding program in hopes to get an increase in revenue but it seems like it's not enough. SeaWorld has denied moving their whales to sea sanctuaries claiming it would be a "death sentence" for the whales. (Because keeping them in a tiny tank isn't a death sentence. *rolling eyes*)
     On Monday, August 1, SeaWorld announced Kasatka was being treated for a bacterial respiratory infection. Earlier in the year announcing Tilikum was dying of a mysterious respiratory infection. Both whales illness' were announced around the quarterly earnings report periods. SeaWorld is blaming both Tilly and Kat's infections on "old age."

Read more about this topic here: https://www.thedodo.com/seaworld-attendance-drop-1958918497.html

SeaWorld: End To Captive Breeding Program

     On March 17, 2016, SeaWorld announced that they will be phasing out Shamu Shows and ending their captive breeding program, this will be the last generation. These whales will live out the rest of their lives in their concrete habitats, with a new "natural encounter" show. 

    "SeaWorld has not collected an Orca from the wild in almost 40 years, and the vast majority of our orcas were born under human care. These orcas have never lived in the wild and could not survive in oceans that include environmental concerns such as pollution and other man-made threats."  - https://seaworldcares.com/en/Future/Last-Generation/

     Just a few short weeks after SeaWorld announced their end to the captive breeding program, CEO Joel Manby came out with a statement that shocked everyone. Basically. The decision to stop breeding wasn't for the welfare of the animals but because of money.

    "We understand some customers are upset and you may feel betrayed, but in a simple way, the data and trends showed it was either a SeaWorld without whales or a world without SeaWorld, we are an organization that needs to have cash flow to [succeed] and unfortunately, the trends were not in our favor."- https://www.thedodo.com/seaworld-breeding-ban-reason-1702760044.html

     
     If SeaWorld was interested in the welfare of their animals they would have allowed them to be sent to sea sanctuaries. SeaWorld has also claimed that putting captive-bred Orcas in the wild would be even worse than dropping them in the middle of the ocean. 

     SeaWorld doesn't care about their animals. 

   

Their Story; Shamu.

Picture from www.orcahome.de

      I am starting a series here called "Their Story;" I will be sharing with you the tragic story of every whale that has been captured and forced to perform for many places including SeaWorld. I wanted to start this series off with the original Shamu, she started a sickening trend in the entertainment industry and her story, as well as the others, needs to be shared. 

     My name is Shamu, nobody knows when I was born, only when I died. I was captured in Puget Sound, Washington in October of 1965. Very soon after I was captured I was sent to a Seattle Public Aquarium where I met Namu, Namu and I didn't get along very well so they sold me to SeaWorld San Diego in December 1965. I was forced to perform every day for 7 years before I got to retire. 

     I was retired for bad behavior. I bit on the legs and hips of one of the employees because I wasn't used to my trainer not wearing a wet suit. I attacked people in the past as well because they weren't wearing wet suits and that confused me. I showed a lot of erratic behavior during shows and they didn't know I was sick. Five months after I was retired as a performer I passed away in August 1971. 

www.shamudictionary.tumblr.com

www.fineartamerica.com

Rest In Peace Shamu

5 Facts You Want/Need To Know about the Orca;

imgur.com

     The Orcinus Orca whale is one of the most majestic creatures in all of the sea. Education about Orcas is my number one priority, I believe in the safety and conservation of these animals so here's a few facts that you want/need to know about these beautiful marine mammals. 

     1. Orca whales will live up to 50-80 years in the ocean, females lasting 20 years longer than males.

          - 1B. Orcas in captivity very rarely make it past 20 years old. 

     2. Orcas are known as the "Killer Whale" because they are at the very top of the food chain being an apex predator. 

          - 2B. Orcas are not hunted by any other mammal besides humans. 

               - 2C. Orcas are not truly killer, there has never been a record of an Orca killing a human in the wild. 

     3. Orcas use "echolocation" to prey on food and to navigate the large abyss. 

          - Echolocation: A psychological process for locating distant or invisible objects using sound waves reflected back to the emitter. - www.merriam-webster.com

     

     4. Orcas are part of the dolphin family. 

          - 4B. In rare instances, an Orca can mate with a Bottlenose Dolphin and give birth to a hybrid dolphin known as a Wholphin. 

     5. Orcas live in pods, each pod has its own unique sound and ways to communicate. 

          - 5B. Pods will sometimes work together forcing much fish into one area and take turns feeding. 

               -5C. Pods consist of 5-30 whales, some even combining to over 100. 

                    - 5D. Pods establish hierarchies and are always led by females. 

#OrcaWeek

     July 18-22 is Orca Week. This week is dedicated to all the whales being held in captivity at SeaWorld and other Seaquariums around the world. I thought this week would be the perfect time to launch this blog "over-whale-ming." This blog is dedicated to Tilikum, one of SeaWorld's captive whales. 

     I will cover topics ranging from SeaWorld to the documentary Blackfish and beyond. I am very passionate about marine life in general so occasionally you may find posts about other marine life or marine life-based subjects. I am so happy to be starting up this project, I hope I can make a difference in at least one whale's life. 

     The above picture is a formation of names I have compiled from lists of Orcas who are currently being held in or have deceased in captivity. Typing these names into the generator was overwhelming. Some of these whales haven't seen their pods in years, some have passed away in brutal ways and some have no clue that there is a whole other world waiting for them. These lovely creatures don't belong in a concrete bathtub. Please help them. 

Links that could help these whales get back home; at least into Sea Sanctuaries: 

• Pledge to not attend Marine parks; http://www.seaworldslaves.com/#!takethepledge/d6mzt
• Urge SeaWorld to send Orcas to Sea Sanctuaries;  https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2945 
• Watch the documentary "Blackfish" on Netflix and get educated; https://www.netflix.com/search/blackfi?jbv=70267802&jbp=0&jbr=0