Sea World Under Scrutiny Again #endcaptivity

With the recent release of the highly anticipated documentary, Blackfish, which provides a critical look at the family orientated Sea World’s treatment of whales, two other videos released on youtube provide further insight into Sea World’s treatment of the dolphins and whales.

Distressed Pilot Whale at Sea World: Sea World find itself under fire after trainers failed to help a distress pilot whale stuck on a slideout ledge for approximately 25 minutes. The video was caught on camera by an audience member, who has stated that his views of Sea World have been changed forever.

Peta released this statement after the release of the video: “Audiences should be horrified by every video taken inside SeaWorld,” PETA wrote in an emailed statement Monday. Whether they show a pilot whale stranded on a concrete ledge in front of a shocked crowd, an orca killing his trainer, or intelligent, sensitive whales forced to swim day in and day out in tiny circles for a reward of dead fish, these videos are a potent reminder that SeaWorld keeps marine mammals trapped in concrete tanks that bear no resemblance to their habitat in the wild, with no room in which to swim, no family groups, and no stimulation.”

Take a look at the video below and draw your own conclusions on the treatment of whales and dolphins at Sea World.

Dolphin Escapes Tank at Sea World: During a public feeding of the dolphins at Sea World, one dolphin jumped out of the tank and landed on the concrete. “I do not have children, but this is not something I would want them to see on a family vacation.” – David Kirby (deathatseaworld.com) Not only is a situation like this extrememly dangerous for the dolphin itself, as you can see in the video from the blood on the concrete, it is also an extremely dangerous situation for spectators. If a child or adult was nearby and had been injured when the dolphin jumped out of the tank, then I can assure you there would be a media storm covering this story.

If you are contmeplating or even planning a trip to Sea World in the near or distant to future, then consider this: Sea World is not a place for education on dolphins and whales. The daily shows at dolphin & whale stadium and Shamu stadium are simply that a show, designed to entertain and have absoltely no educational benefit. The dolphins and whales of Sea World and conditioned to perform tricks for your entertainment receiving dead fish as their reward and in no resemble the natural habits of a dolphin or whale in the wild.

“There is as much educational benefit in studying dolphins in captivity as there would be in studying human beings by only observing prisoners in solitary confinement.”. Jacques Cousteau

Death at Sea World (voicefortheblue.com)

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Help @THEMikeGarrett Fight Marineland Canada

Marineland Canada is an infamous captive marine mammal park located in Niagara Falls Ontario Canada, which has one of the worst records in the world for deaths of orcas, dolphins and beluga whales. Details of animal abuse and neglect were brought forward by 15 employees in 2012 in a widely published expose in the Toronto Star newspaper. Marineland has a 50 year history of systematic abuse of animals, people, the environment and the legal and political systems. (Source)

Recently activist, Mike Garrett @THEMikeGarrett has been served with a 1.5 million dollar lawsuit by Marineland. This lawsuit follows several weeks of Mike standing on public property and offering leaflets to people exiting Marineland Canada. At the very beginning of this peaceful action of public protest the owner of Marineland, John Holer, was captured on video threatening Mike with violence in an attempt to intimidate him from exercising the fundamental freedoms guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In their claim against Mike, Marineland has made numerous false and unproven accusations about his activities near the park. Along with monetary damages they seek to limit his abilities to engage in peaceful and legal opposition against Marineland.

Unfortunately, Marineland is a giant corporation that has limitless resources and is picking on an average citizen who chose to stand up and fight against the ongoing atrocities of Marineland. Mike needs help to retain proper and competent legal representation to fight Marineland on behalf of all of us. If we choose to allow Marineland to successfully sue Mike, then unfortunately this means they can and most likely will do this to anyone else who choses to stand up for their beliefs and fight to shut down Marineland.

For anyone who believes that this is just cause, believes that we all have the right to stand up for our beliefs and wants to be a voice for the countless animals and marine mammals at Marineland Canada, then please consider helping Mike by donating whatever you can.

While I do not know Mike personally, I know what he wants to stand up and fight for and I support him 100% in his fight against Marineland!

For more information and how you can help Mike visit: http://www.gofundme.com/3o192g

For all the animals and marine mammals captive at Marineland Canada.

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Death at Sea World

DEATH AT SEAWORLD “is a groundbreaking scientific examination that exposes the dark side of SeaWorld, America’s most beloved marine mammal park. From the tragic death of trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010, to other, less-publicized violent incidents, journalist David Kirby puts these brutal animal-on-human attacks in context and explores the controversial and even lethal ramifications of keeping killer whales in captivity. It introduces the real people taking part in this debate, from former trainers turned animal rights activists to the men and women that champion SeaWorld and the captivity of whales. Kirby follows the story of Naomi Rose Ph.D., marine mammal scientist for The Humane Society of the United States and senior scientist for The Humane Society International, whose warnings against keeping killer whales in captivity fell on deaf ears. He also covers the media backlash, the eyewitnesses who come forward to challenge SeaWorld’s glossy image, and the groundbreaking OSHA vs. SeaWorld case. On May 30, 2012, the judge ruled on this case, stating that trainers performing with huge ocean predators need to be protected by physical barriers, or some other means providing the same level of safety. The strict standard could effectively prevent SeaWorld from ever allowing its trainers to get back into the water during shows with the whales.” (Source)

Thoughts on Death at Sea World:

With the upcoming release of the new documentary Blackfish, I decided to finally read Death at Sea World. Simply put, it is an inspiring, heartbreaking, thriller, that provides significant insight into the lives of Killer Whales in captivity. Kirby takes you through a gripping investigation that is hard to put down. The book in the end, is an eye opener to Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity.

The chapter entitled Capture, which is told from Tilikum’s perspective, is absolutely heartbreaking. It is hard not to view the capture of Tilikum as similar to that of a child being taken away from its mother at such a young age. Especially considering that male killer whales spend most of their time by their mother’s side from infancy through old age. While they may swim off for a few hours or days to mate with females from other pods, at the end of the day they always come back to their mother. As Kirby puts it, “in other words, male resident orcas are the planet’s ultimate mama’s boy.” Here is a little excerpt from the chapter “Suddenly you are snagged in another, smaller net. You cry out in shock and fear, calling for your mother. You feel the net being pulled through the water toward the boat. Your heart races and you surface to breathe, quickly and with difficulty. What is going on? Where is your mom? Then you hear her. You have never hear this wretched wail before: mournful, ragged, spiked with rage and terror. Now your other relative have joined the awful remonstration. You answer their panicked cries with your own chaotic vocalizations as you’re hauled from the water on a canvas sling.”

Interestingly enough, no killer whale had been reported to have killed a human in the wild, or even seriously attacked a human in the wild, and no killer whale had ever been known to be killed in a fight with another whale. All three of those things have happened in captivity

According to Kirby there are two vital questions:

1) Is captivity in an amusement park good for orcas: Is this the appropriate venue for killer whales to be held, and does it somehow benefit wild orcas and their ocean habitat, as industry claims?

2) Is orca captivity good for society: Is it safe for trainers and truly educational for a public that pays to watch the whales perform what critics say are animal tricks akin to circus acts?

Clearly my answer to these two questions is no, but what would your answer be?

After reading Death at Sea World, this what I can say with certainty: 1. I will continue my pledge to never visit Sea World or anything similar 2. I will be a voice for the voiceless by informing others of the brutal reality of captivity for Killer Whales and other cetaceans, 3. The only place I ever want to see Killer Whales is in their natural environment and thanks to David Kirby I hope to one day travel to Johnstone Strait and Telegraph Cove to do so.

That being said, I urge each of you to pick up Death at Sea World by David Kirby and sit down and read it. I guarantee you that it will completely change your outlook on Sea World and the Killer Whale captive entertainment industry. Secondly, if you haven’t already heard about the new documentary Blackfish, then view the trailer below and check for local screening times on the website http://blackfishmovie.com/

Interested in reading and learning more:

http://deathatseaworld.com/

http://theorcaproject.wordpress.com/

Sea World’s Dark Secrets revealed in Blackfish (voicefortheblue.com)

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The Real Sea World 2

Approximately 20 dolphins were spotted hunting on the Moray Firth in Scotland.

Amateur photographer Alister Kemp, 47, was watching from the shore and managed to captured a series of amazing and stunning shots. Alister, from Evanton in Ross-Shire, said: ‘I took these pictures when the salmon were returning to the river to spawn during low tide.

The pod of 20 dolphins had been laying in wait for the annual ‘salmon run’, where they can be guaranteed a tasty snack as hundreds of fish swim from the sea back to freshwater to spawn. Once the dolphins have got a fish they will throw it out of the water and then you will see them leap out after it.

“I have taken hundreds of pictures of the dolphins over the years but I think these could be my best so far. Sometimes I have waited two to three hours to see them but I have also been there at just the right time to spot them, when the tide has just started to come in.”

Why spend hundreds of dollars to go to Sea World when you can watch an amazing display such as this in the wild. This is the REAL SEA WORLD!