Captivity

Tragedy, Horror & the Reality of the Drive Hunt & Slaughter in Taiji

After a pod of pilot whales spent a total of 2 days netted off in the killing cove with no access to food or water, the killers mercilessly slaughtered 16 of them. Once the killers arrived in the cove the repeatedly ran over the pod with skiffs and tethered members of the pod to the side of the cove as they awaited their fate of slaughter. Is this Taiji’s version of hunting and fishing? Starving cetaceans for 2 days and then tethering them to the cove to await their fate … this is not hunting … this is the reality of what happens between September and March of each year in Taiji.

Below are photos courtesy of the Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians … who stood at the cove and witnessed this intolerable cruelty to a pod of innocent pilot whales.

This matriarch of the pilot whale pod, struggled and thrashed for 30 minutes while tethered to the rocks of the cove. Killers eventually attempt to drag the female under the tarps for slaughter.

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The entire pod surrounded the matriarch as she was thrashing. The killers were unable to control the pod as they defended the matriarch of the pod.

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Two pilot whales cling together as they await slaughter.

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Another pilot whale, becomes entangled in the nets.

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The youngest of this pod, a baby pilot whale, was badly injured throughout this process.

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Pilot whale bodies being dragged into the Taiji Butcher house.

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After the killing in the cove was completed the killers drove the remaining pod members back out to sea, however as reported by the Coe Guardians, 1 pod member did not fair well and its dead body was dragged back out to sea.  While it may seem as though the killers showed some mercy in not slaughtering the entire pod, do not be mistaken … in the end it is all about profit and greed. The killers are given a quota for each species and with that the smaller and younger pilot whales are not worthy of fulfilling this quota. The bigger the pilot whale, the more meat and the more money it sells for … its as simple as that.  Unfortunately for the remaining pod members, driven back out to sea, survival is very slim. After 2 days without food and the traumatizing experience of witnessing your family slaughtered will take its toll on these innocent cetaceans.

Please take the time to follow the Cove Guardians on Facebook and Twitter for daily updates.

Also check out Call of the Cove … they have some great information on how to get involved and what you can do to help.

For the dolphins and pilot whales of Taiji!

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Inhumane killing method of Taiji #tweet4taiji

Below is a photo from Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s Cove Guardians, taken today in Taiji. Blood tinged waters are visible now as entire pod of 25-30 pilot whales are under the tarps in the killing cove. Whales are still alive and conscious being dragged to the butcher house. How can the mayor of Taiji claim that this is a humane killing method?

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The killing tools of the Taiji fisherman. A sharp metal rod that is driven into the spine of a dolphin or whale. A plug is then inserted into the hole in an attempt to hide the blood. This is far from a humane way of killing. This process will cause paralysis but not kill and leaves a dolphin or whale still alive while being towed to the Taiji butcher house. Most of the dolphins or whales will drown while being dragged to the butcher house and those that do not are mercilessly slaughtered on arrival.

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RIP Pilot Whales

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The Cove Runs Red: First Slaughter of the Season #tweet4taiji

Yesterday morning before sunrise the dolphin killers of Taiji were already in the water herding a family of Pilot Whales toward the shore of the killing cove for slaughter.  In the end a total of 18 Pilot Whales were slaughtered. These were the largest adult whales, since the juveniles and babies are not large enough and not worthy of the quota. After several hours of witnessing in horror and lingering in the bloody water of the Cove next to their murdered family members these juveniles were driven back out to sea. Being left to fend for themselves, the likelihood of these young Pilot Whales surviving is slim.

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The pod begins to panic as their family members are pushed towards the shore of the killing cove.

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The monarch female pilot whale (largest of the pod) struggled for over an hour under the tarps, as other juvenile whales continued to linger at her side.

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The killers tie ropes around the whales flukes to drag the to the shore of the killing cove.

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The trauma of the slaughter was simply too much for this Pilot Whale to bear as it continued to barely swim on its back after witnessing the slaughter of it’s family.

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Juvenile lingers beside it’s dying mother in the killing cove.

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Blood begins to seep out of the killing cove as the remaining pod is forced to swim in the bloody water of their family members.

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The remaining pod of juveniles and babies were left to fend for themselves and driven back out to sea

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As the killing and kidnapping season has only begun in Taiji, it is vital to note the potential number of lives that could be taken from the waters off of the coast of Taiji by both killers and trainers alike. The 2013-2014 season quota is as follows:

  • 134 Pacific white-sided dolphins
  • 450 Striped dolphins
  • 557 Bottlenose dolphins
  • 400 Pantropical spotted dolphins
  • 265 Risso dolphins
  • 137 Short-Finned pilot whales
  • 70 False Killer whales.

Please follow the SSCS Cove Guardians for the daily activities in Taiji:

Twitter: @CoveGuardians

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeaShepherdCoveGuardiansOfficialPage

Live Stream: http://livestream.seashepherd.org

All photos courtesy of the Cove Guardians,

For the dolphins and whales of Taiji!

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2 Days 18 Bottlenose Dolphins – This is Taiji #Tweet4Taiji

And so it begins … the beginning of another dreadful season of the dolphin drive hunt in Taiji.

September 1, 2013 was the opening day for the dolphin drive hunt and the killing boats left Taiji Harbor by 5:15am in search of dolphins and small whales.

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The killers did not waste anytime as they quickly drove a pod of 60-70 bottlenose dolphins into the Cove. These dolphins who were unfortunate enough to pass through the waters of Taiji were held in the Cove overnight without food awaiting captive selection the following day.

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After spending the night in the cove, this pod of dolphins huddled together exhausted from the drive into the cove and terrified of what is to come next, as the killers and trainers arrive for the captive dolphin selection. In this process, the trainers select the young juvenile dolphins deemed suitable for captivity, generally those without any scarring visible.

A total of 18 bottlenose dolphins were taken captive, kidnapped from their mothers and their home in the ocean. Now, they are destined for a life of misery and imprisonment in a Marine Park with the sole purpose of being entertainment. The dolphins taken captive are placed in the Taiji harbor pens, which are 10’x10′ and typically have 4-6 dolphins placed in them. The remaining pod was driven back out to sea, which is just as vicious as the drive into the Cove, as the dolphins often panic and do not want to leave their loved ones behind. While the remaining pod was driven back out to sea, this does not ensure their survival. The stress and trauma endured over the past 2 days, along with no food and no hydration, significantly increases the chances that some members of this pod will die and show up washed ashore.

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All photos and information from SSCS Cove Guardians, via twitter, Facebook and live stream.

Please follow the Cove Guardians: Twitter: @CoveGuardians Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeaShepherdCoveGuardiansOfficialPage

Live Stream: http://livestream.seashepherd.org/

Commentary from Paul Watson on the Cove Guardians and Operation Infinite Patience: “The Cove Guardians are passionately compassionate men and women who come from all over the world including Japan. They come at their own expense. The are up before the sun rises and they are on the ground after the sun sets. There are Cove Guardians in Taiji every day between September 1st and March 1st, year after year. Six months every year on the ground bearing witness to one of the most remorseless and brutal massacres of marine mammals on the planet. They are armed with the most powerful weapon in the world – the camera. It is however an emotionally draining exercise in daily defending dolphins. I admire and respect everyone who is involved with opposing the massacre at Taiji. But my admiration for the volunteers who participate in the Cove Guardian program is immense. These men and women are average people motivated by a deep sense of compassion and love for nature and animals. They gain nothing for themselves and suffer the emotional trauma of witnessing the atrocities against these gentle creatures. Since the Cove Guardians program began fewer dolphins have been killed than the years before the program. This is because of the time taken by the fishermen to attempt to cover up their activities. It has also greatly increased policing costs and the fishermen have increased costs to pay for the measures to hide their activities from the camera.” For more please read http://www.seashepherd.org.au/commentary-and-editorials/2013/09/02/the-cove-guardians-and-the-sea-shepherd-policy-of-gaiatsu-624

Please follow and support the SSCS Cove Guardians with Operation Infinite Patience, by following the various social media account, watching the live stream, sharing the information and photos from Taiji with friends and family. Remember that Taiji is ground zero for international trade in dolphins … there is a direct link between the captive dolphin entertainment industry and the bloody waters of the Cove in Taiji. Please do not support dolphin captivity by purchasing a ticket to Sea World, Marineland Canada or any other Marine Park or swim with Dolphin Program.

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For the dolphins!

 

 

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Taiji Dolphin Drive Hunt & Slaughter #tweet4taiji

Only 8 days remain until the fisherman of Taiji begin another season of the annual Dolphin Drive Hunt & Slaughter

The slaughter of dolphins, porpoises and small whales occurs in Taiji, Japan each year. Starting on September 1 and usually continues through March of the next year. Fisherman herd whole families of small cetaceans into a shallow bay and mercilessly stab and drown them to death.

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The dolphin drive hunts in Taiji do not just end in the killing of dolphins, Taiji is “ground zero” for the international trade in live dolphins. There is a direct link between the captive dolphin entertainment industry and the bloody waters of the Cove in Taiji. Supporting a live dolphin show or participating in a confined swim with dolphin program is supporting the annual dolphin hunt in Taiji and in return directly relates to killing of thousands of dolphins each year for human consumption.  It is the dolphin entertainment industry that drive the hunt and the killing of dolphins follows in its wake. For the dolphins pulled from their families and sold into captivity, life is beyond horrible.

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Once the dolphins are driven into the Cove area, they are then herded into a southern finger off the Cove. Oftern main mammal trainers from the nearby Dolphin Base and the Taiji Whale Museum wil move among the captured dolphins and select the young dolphins and those deemed “beautiful” (that is without any scarring) for the captive entertainment industry. Those not selected are pushed further into the Cove and hunters push a metal rod into the dolphin’s spinal cords. Once the rod is removed, a wooden plud is then hammered into the pole. The insertion of the rod causes paralysis, however the dolphins are stil alive and very much aware of what is happening to them and to their family members. A rope is then tied around their tails adn they are hauled out tothe waiting gutting barge by small skiffs. Most of them slowly drown and die during this towing activity.

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What can you do to help:

Dolphin exploitation continues to this day because the public remains unaware of dolphin suffering. Now that you are aware, please do not fund the suffering of dolphins and cetaceans by purchasing a ticket to a dolphin show or swim with dolphin program

Spread the word by following  Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s Operation Infinite Patience on social media and spread the word to your friends and family

Follow the Cove Guardians on Facebook & Twitter for daily activity in Taiji at the Cove:

Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians Page (official) & @CoveGuardians

Educate others on the link between the Taiji dolphin slaughter and the captive dolphin entertainment industry. Discourage your family and friends from visiting dolphinariums, such as Sea World, Marineland Canada, etc., or participating in swim with dolphin programs.

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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

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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)

MikeGarrett

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

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

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Death at Sea World

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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/

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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.”

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2342865/Heres-I-learned-Tom-Daley-Bottlenose-dolphins-acrobatic-display-leaps-water-diving-grab-salmon.html#ixzz2XnkZxSqn

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!

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For the dolphins!

 

 

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Thoughts for the Day

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Only 69 days until Sept 1, 2013 and the start of the annual Dolphin hunt and slaughter in Taiji.

Please check out www.japandolphinsday.net to join an event near you or host your own event.

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Sea World’s Dark Secrets revealed in Blackfish

Are you considering a trip to Sea World? Before doing so, take a moment to watch the new full length trailer released by CNN films of Blackfish.

Blackfish is the Sundance decuting film about killer whales in captivity and their propensity of living up to their namesake. 

The haunting footage revolves mostly around one whale, Tilikum, responsible for the very public and very horrifying death of a Sea World trainer in 2010.

Are these animals truly killers, or did we make them into killers when we stuck them inside a tank and made them perform for  crowds? That seems to be the essential question at the heart of Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s unsettling documentary.

Watch the trailer for Blackfish:

Blackfish opens in limited release July 19. Here’s the official synopsis:

Many of us have experienced the excitement and awe of watching 8,000 pound orcas, or “killer whales,” soar out of the water and fly through the air at sea parks, as if in perfect harmony with their trainers. Yet, in our contemporary lore this mighty black and white mammal is like a two-faced Janus—beloved as a majestic, friendly giant yet infamous for its capacity to kill viciously. Blackfish unravels the complexities of this dichotomy, employing the story of notorious performing whale Tilikum, who—unlike any orca in the wild—has taken the lives of several people while in captivity. So what exactly went wrong?

Shocking, never before seen footage and riveting interviews with trainers and experts manifest the orca’s extraordinary nature, the species’ cruel treatment in captivity over the last four decades and the growing disillusionment of workers who were misled and endangered by the highly profitable sea-park industry. This emotionally wrenching, tautly structured story challenges us to consider our relationship to nature and reveals how little we humans have learned from these highly intelligent and enormously sentient fellow mammals.

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Compassion & Commitment of Killer Whales

In many animal societies, if a member of a group is gravely wounded or born with disabling deformities, that animal becomes an unsustainable burden on the others, and is often left behind at the mercy of predators, hunger and disease.

Not so with killer whales. They are among the few species in the world to look after members of their family who cannot look after themselves. Their patience and compassion for each other surpasses, perhaps, even that of humans

The most recent example of this extraordinary commitment to one another was revealed recently in the UK’s Daily Mail, which ran a story and photo essay of a disabled young male orca off the coast of South Africa. The disabled killer whale that is missing two  fins is able to survive in the wild with the help of its family, who hunt food  its food. The young killer whale has no dorsal fin or  right-side pectoral fin, leaving it unable to hunt for itself.

These disfigurements make it impossible for the whale to hunt alongside his pod. Luckily for him, they are only too willing to hunt for their disabled pod mate.

Underwater photographer Rainer Schimpf came  face to face with the pod while the members hunted in waters off Port Elizabeth  in South Africa. He said: “Incapable of fast hunting and  ambushing prey it has to be dependent on the pod which, one assumes, looks after  it very well. It shows these mammals are not really just  ruthless killing machines but they also have complex, caring social-structures  in which they and care for their own disabled members.”

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Of course, the more you learn about the intelligence, compassion and complex social bonds these amazing animals have developed over millions of years of evolution, the idea of keeping them locked up in tanks for human entertainment and profit becomes even more ludicrous.

 

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