Wednesday, 12 October 2016
Monday, 10 October 2016
Keep Calm and Know What is Good
Although it is easy to get wrapped up in what is wrong, it is also important to recognise the positives that have happened recently as direct a result of campaigns against orca captivity:
1) After the release of Blackfish in 2013, SeaWorld's shares went down by 30% and overall profits dropped by a massive 84%.
2) Theatrical orca shows are being phased out in San Diego, with promises from SeaWorld that their parks in San Antonio and Florida will follow.
3) In March 2016, SeaWorld made the announcement that it had ended its breeding program. Making this the last generation of orca whales in captivity.
4) Student Travel Association (STA) has stopped selling and promoting trips to marine parks.
5) People and mainstream media across the world are now beginning to recognise the issue and are starting to boycott places like SeaWorld that engage with keeping orcas captive.
1) After the release of Blackfish in 2013, SeaWorld's shares went down by 30% and overall profits dropped by a massive 84%.
2) Theatrical orca shows are being phased out in San Diego, with promises from SeaWorld that their parks in San Antonio and Florida will follow.
3) In March 2016, SeaWorld made the announcement that it had ended its breeding program. Making this the last generation of orca whales in captivity.
4) Student Travel Association (STA) has stopped selling and promoting trips to marine parks.
5) People and mainstream media across the world are now beginning to recognise the issue and are starting to boycott places like SeaWorld that engage with keeping orcas captive.
Saturday, 8 October 2016
Keep Calm and Boycott SeaWorld
Despite there being marine parks worldwide that are responsible for the captivity of orca whales - SeaWorld positions itself as the leading culprit for the mistreatment of these majestic animals with 23 orcas currently being housed at their parks across America. In addition to this, SeaWorld has 6 of its orcas being held at Lorca Parque marine park in Spain which is said to be a 'loan' by SeaWorld representatives.
Everything about how orcas came to perform at SeaWorld is diabolical. These beautiful animals endured relentless chasing by those instructed to capture baby orcas off the coast of Iceland. The process of capturing these orcas included separating the mothers from their calves by using ships, boats and even air crafts to locate and seal off any route of escape. This is an example of an anthropocentric activity in which humans believe they have the right to invade a habitat that is not their own.
The case against orca captivity is obvious - these animals are too big, too intelligent and too socially complex to survive in such a confined space. In the wild, orcas swim up to 100 miles a day and they are renowned for their social behaviours that allow them travel in large groups - known as pods. Each pod has its own set of vocalisations that are used for long and short range communication with one another. In addition to this, each pod has their own unique hunting tactics and methods of feeding. Therefore, it is and has been proven to be disastrous to put these animals in pools with orcas not from their pods. This type of forced interaction is damaging and dangerous for orcas as it is completely unnatural in the wild.
The display of orca's at marine parks is animal exploitation in its cruelest form. SeaWorld claims that the inclusion of orca's at their parks serves an educational purpose. But what is educational about manipulating visitors into thinking that this is the way we should observe and treat these creatures? Of course, the educational claim is not the reason SeaWorld chooses to hold these orcas captive. The real reason is the huge financial benefits these corporations gain by charging admission tickets to their parks.
The financial aspect is how you can differentiate between good and evil in this battle for orca's freedom. Campaigns such as 'Free Tilly' are not for profit organisations that only have one agenda - to ensure that these orcas have the opportunity to live out the duration of their lives in a sea pen that is far away from the damaging confinements of marine parks. In light of this, it becomes abundantly clear that those working selflessly and tiresomely to demand justice for non human beings are the people who should be trusted, not SeaWorld.
Boycott SeaWorld and make this the last generation of orca captivity.
Everything about how orcas came to perform at SeaWorld is diabolical. These beautiful animals endured relentless chasing by those instructed to capture baby orcas off the coast of Iceland. The process of capturing these orcas included separating the mothers from their calves by using ships, boats and even air crafts to locate and seal off any route of escape. This is an example of an anthropocentric activity in which humans believe they have the right to invade a habitat that is not their own.
The case against orca captivity is obvious - these animals are too big, too intelligent and too socially complex to survive in such a confined space. In the wild, orcas swim up to 100 miles a day and they are renowned for their social behaviours that allow them travel in large groups - known as pods. Each pod has its own set of vocalisations that are used for long and short range communication with one another. In addition to this, each pod has their own unique hunting tactics and methods of feeding. Therefore, it is and has been proven to be disastrous to put these animals in pools with orcas not from their pods. This type of forced interaction is damaging and dangerous for orcas as it is completely unnatural in the wild.
The display of orca's at marine parks is animal exploitation in its cruelest form. SeaWorld claims that the inclusion of orca's at their parks serves an educational purpose. But what is educational about manipulating visitors into thinking that this is the way we should observe and treat these creatures? Of course, the educational claim is not the reason SeaWorld chooses to hold these orcas captive. The real reason is the huge financial benefits these corporations gain by charging admission tickets to their parks.
The financial aspect is how you can differentiate between good and evil in this battle for orca's freedom. Campaigns such as 'Free Tilly' are not for profit organisations that only have one agenda - to ensure that these orcas have the opportunity to live out the duration of their lives in a sea pen that is far away from the damaging confinements of marine parks. In light of this, it becomes abundantly clear that those working selflessly and tiresomely to demand justice for non human beings are the people who should be trusted, not SeaWorld.
Boycott SeaWorld and make this the last generation of orca captivity.
Keep Calm and Research
In order to be fully informed about the worldwide campaigns for orca release from capvitity and the long standing legal battles against SeaWorld and other marine parks, visit these websites and blogs that are constantly advocating for the humane release of these beautiful animals:
https://theorcaproject.wordpress.com/page/6/ - The Orca Project is a brilliant long standing blog that has documented the battle against SeaWorld for many years.
http://us.whales.org/blog/2014/02/can-captive-whales-or-dolphins-be-returned-to-wild - Whales and Dolphins is a website dedicated to educating people about marine animals as well as advocating for the release of orcas in captivity.
http://www.takepart.com/feature/2016/06/14/killer-whales-new-life-after-seaworld - A article written by 'Death at Seaworld' author David Kirby that is a continuation of his argument that orcas are should not and should have never been forced into captivity and new plans to release these animals to a sea pen.
http://www.thestranger.com/features/feature/2015/09/30/22939219/its-time-to-free-lolita-a-puget-sound-killer-whale-thats-been-trapped-in-miami-for-45-years - An in-depth history into how orca shows came out and an insight into Loitla, a female orca whale in captivity at SeaWorld Florida.
https://theorcaproject.wordpress.com/page/6/ - The Orca Project is a brilliant long standing blog that has documented the battle against SeaWorld for many years.
http://us.whales.org/blog/2014/02/can-captive-whales-or-dolphins-be-returned-to-wild - Whales and Dolphins is a website dedicated to educating people about marine animals as well as advocating for the release of orcas in captivity.
http://www.takepart.com/feature/2016/06/14/killer-whales-new-life-after-seaworld - A article written by 'Death at Seaworld' author David Kirby that is a continuation of his argument that orcas are should not and should have never been forced into captivity and new plans to release these animals to a sea pen.
http://www.thestranger.com/features/feature/2015/09/30/22939219/its-time-to-free-lolita-a-puget-sound-killer-whale-thats-been-trapped-in-miami-for-45-years - An in-depth history into how orca shows came out and an insight into Loitla, a female orca whale in captivity at SeaWorld Florida.
Keep Calm and Hear the Truth
In the aftermath of Blackfish, SeaWorld launched a campaign to discredit much of what they were accused of in the documentary. In their advertisements like the one shown here, SeaWorld used the opportunity to try and convince people that they have only ever been involved in the 'collecting' of orcas as oppose to the 'capturing' - which is the correct term for the brutality these animals experienced at being separated from their pods and taken from their natural habitat.
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| SeaWorld separates mothers and their offspring. Orca calves are taken away from their mother at as young as four years old. In the wild, an orca never leaves its mother side. The entire process is extremely distressing for both mother and calf. In the aftermath of this separation, some orcas in captivity have been recorded making vocalisations that have never been heard before in the wild. |
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| It has been proved on multiple occasions that SeaWorld has been responsible for an inadequate standard of care for orcas. One of the main causes of premature orca death in captivity is poor nutrition and bacterial infection. SeaWorld is in charge of both of these factors and therefore they are responsible for the sickness of these animals that leads to their deaths. Humans can not provide the healthy lifestyle that these orcas would experience in their natural habitat. |
Despite being an old advertisement, SeaWorld still uses human interaction with orcas as a unique selling point for their marine parks. However, this 'come talk to the animals' slogan encourages people to view orcas as an animal that humans can explicitly talk to and engage with as oppose to the reality which is that orcas are not meant for human interaction.
Keep Calm and Read 'Death at SeaWorld'
In addition to watching Blackfish, reading 'Death at SeaWorld' by David Kirkby will provide anyone that is interested with a groundbreaking insight into the darker side of SeaWorld. It has been on The New York Times best seller list and has been widely credited for its scientific expose of the cruelty orcas endure at the hands of marine parks.
'Death at SeaWorld' embarks on a journey that begins with documenting where orcas originate from in the wild to how they became global entertainers in the human world. It provides readers with an in depth analysis into how intelligent orcas are which points to one of the many reasons that they should not be used for entertainment purposes.
'Death at SeaWorld' also offers an alternative outcome for orcas in captivity. It discusses the option to humanely release orcas to sea pens where they could live out the duration of their lives in an environment that is as close to the wild as possible for these emotionally damaged animals.
'Death at SeaWorld' embarks on a journey that begins with documenting where orcas originate from in the wild to how they became global entertainers in the human world. It provides readers with an in depth analysis into how intelligent orcas are which points to one of the many reasons that they should not be used for entertainment purposes.
'Death at SeaWorld' also offers an alternative outcome for orcas in captivity. It discusses the option to humanely release orcas to sea pens where they could live out the duration of their lives in an environment that is as close to the wild as possible for these emotionally damaged animals.
Keep Calm and Remember Lolita
With Tilikum being the star of Blackfish, it is sometimes difficult to remember that there are other orca whales still in captivity who are still forced to perform - one of these orcas is Lolita. Lolita is the oldest living killer whale in captivity and she lives in the in the smallest orca tank in the country at Miami Seaquarium. Since her capture in 1970, Lolita has been kept in a tank that violates the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) standards for size requirements.
There have been ongoing campaigns for her release since she was brutally captured in 1970. The images below show the cruel and frightening tactics that were used by fisherman to separate the baby orcas from their mothers. It has since been reported by those who were there at the time that the adult members of the pod refused to leave their offspring during the ordeal and made vocalisations similar to human-like cries in a desperate attempt to try and communicate with their calfs.
Lolita spends her days performing one or two shows and the rest of the time she can be found floating aimlessly in a pool that offers no environmental stimulation. There are several groups attempting to retire Lolita from her tank that violates Department of Agriculture size regulations at the Miami Seaquarium to a more humane existence. A plan has been proposed by the Orca Network to retire Lolita to a transitional ocean sanctuary in her native waters in the Pacific Northwest.
Scientist and movie-maker Dr Ingrid N. Visser from the Orca Research Trust made an 8 minute long video that documented a day in the life of Lolita. Visit http://www.savelolita.org/ for more information.
There have been ongoing campaigns for her release since she was brutally captured in 1970. The images below show the cruel and frightening tactics that were used by fisherman to separate the baby orcas from their mothers. It has since been reported by those who were there at the time that the adult members of the pod refused to leave their offspring during the ordeal and made vocalisations similar to human-like cries in a desperate attempt to try and communicate with their calfs.
Lolita spends her days performing one or two shows and the rest of the time she can be found floating aimlessly in a pool that offers no environmental stimulation. There are several groups attempting to retire Lolita from her tank that violates Department of Agriculture size regulations at the Miami Seaquarium to a more humane existence. A plan has been proposed by the Orca Network to retire Lolita to a transitional ocean sanctuary in her native waters in the Pacific Northwest.
Scientist and movie-maker Dr Ingrid N. Visser from the Orca Research Trust made an 8 minute long video that documented a day in the life of Lolita. Visit http://www.savelolita.org/ for more information.
Keep Calm and Know the Facts
1) Collapsed dorsal fins - All male orcas in captivity have flopped over dorsal fins. This is caused by the lack of space in their confinements. Flopped over dorsal fins in the wild are extremely rare and are normally a sign of an unhealthy orca.
2) Life Span - The average age for an orca to live to in captivity is 13 years. In the wild, a male orca can live up to 70 years and a female up to 100 years. The lower life span in captivity is partly due to acts of aggression from other orcas and being fed an unnatural diet of thawed dead fish.
4) Orca's Teeth - Orca's in captivity have been known to break their teeth by gnawing on the iron bars that keep them inside the pools. This is the result of boredom, stress and anxiety at orcas being kept in such small confinements. 
5) Orca aggression - In the wild, orca confrontation is rare due to the masses of space. However, in captivity, orcas are forced to live in close confinements. One of the ways orcas attack each other is by raking their teeth along their victims flesh.
Keep Calm and Watch Blackfish
In order to grasp an understanding about the pain and suffering that orcas endure whilst in capvitity, it is important to watch Blackfish. Despite campaigns to ban the captivity of orca whales spanning over decades, it was the release of this documentary in 2013 that gave the fight for orca release global recognition. Blackfish documents the mistreatment of orca whales in marine parks with the focus being SeaWorld. The core revelations disclosed by filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite make for a shocking documentary.
Blackfish presents facts about SeaWorld that will completely change the way viewers think about marine park entertainment. The film works to dismantle SeaWorld's lies and produces real life footage to accompany their revelations. The information disclosed in Blackfish comes from interviews with ex SeaWorld trainers who give first hand accounts of the mistreatment that orca whales endure.
In addition to interviews and footage, Blackfish delves into the horrifying facts of how orcas came to be captured by humans, separated from their families and forced to entertain. One of the most shocking stories revealed in the film is that of Tilikum - the biggest orca whale currently in captivity at SeaWorld.
Blackfish reveals that Tilikum has been in captivity for the entirety of his adult life and in that time, he has been responsible for the deaths of three people. These fatal attacks were the result of Tilikum living in captivity and being forced to endure confined living quarters, mixing with orcas not from his pod, a lack of exercise and poor nutrition.
Blackfish provides viewers with information that has been undisclosed to the public for decades. It aids the orcas battle for freedom and gives humans a reason to boycott SeaWorld and become a part of a bigger movement that wants to end orca captivity.
Blackfish presents facts about SeaWorld that will completely change the way viewers think about marine park entertainment. The film works to dismantle SeaWorld's lies and produces real life footage to accompany their revelations. The information disclosed in Blackfish comes from interviews with ex SeaWorld trainers who give first hand accounts of the mistreatment that orca whales endure.In addition to interviews and footage, Blackfish delves into the horrifying facts of how orcas came to be captured by humans, separated from their families and forced to entertain. One of the most shocking stories revealed in the film is that of Tilikum - the biggest orca whale currently in captivity at SeaWorld.
Blackfish reveals that Tilikum has been in captivity for the entirety of his adult life and in that time, he has been responsible for the deaths of three people. These fatal attacks were the result of Tilikum living in captivity and being forced to endure confined living quarters, mixing with orcas not from his pod, a lack of exercise and poor nutrition.
Trailer for Blackfish
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