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Births Down and Deaths Up in Gulf Dolphins Affected by Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
November 3, 2015 by Ashley Braun
Dolphin Y01 pushes a dead calf through the waters of Barataria Bay, Louisiana, in March 2013. This behavior is sometimes observed in female dolphins when their newborn calf does not survive. Barataria Bay dolphins have seen a disturbingly low rate of reproductive success in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries)
In August of 2011, a team of independent and government scientists evaluating the health of bottlenose dolphins in Louisiana’s Barataria Bay gave dolphin Y35 a good health outlook.
Based on the ultrasound, she was in the early stages of pregnancy, but unlike many of the other dolphins examined that summer day, Y35 was in pretty good shape. She wasn’t extremely underweight or suffering from moderate-to-severe lung disease, conditions connected to exposure to Deepwater Horizon oil in the heavily impacted Barataria Bay.
Veterinarians did note, however, that she had alarmingly low levels of important stress hormones responsible for behaviors such as the fight-or-flight response. Normal levels of these hormones help animals cope with stressful situations. This rare condition—known as hypoadrenocorticism—had never been reported before in dolphins, which is why it was not used for Y35 and the other dolphins’ health prognoses.
Less than six months later, researchers spotted Y35 for the last time. It was only 16 days before her expected due date. She and her calf are now both presumed dead, a disturbingly common trend among the bottlenose dolphins that call Barataria Bay their year-round home.
This trend of reproductive failure and death in Gulf dolphins over five years of monitoring after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill is outlined in a November 2015 study led by NOAA and published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the Royal Society.
Of the 10 Barataria Bay dolphins confirmed to be pregnant during the 2011 health assessment, only two successfully gave birth to calves that have survived. This unusually low rate of reproductive success—only 20%—stands in contrast to the 83% success rate in the generally healthier dolphins being studied in Florida’s Sarasota Bay, an area not affected by Deepwater Horizon oil.
Baby Bump in Failed Pregnancies
While hypoadrenocorticism had not been documented previously in dolphins, it has been found in humans. In human mothers with this condition, pregnancy and birth—stressful and risky enough conditions on their own—can be life-threatening for both mother and child when the condition is left untreated. Wild dolphins with this condition would be in a similar situation.
Mink exposed to oil in an experiment ended up exhibiting very low levels of stress hormones, while sea otters exposed to the Exxon Valdez oil spill experienced high rates of failed pregnancies and pup death. These cases are akin to what scientists have observed in the dolphins of Barataria Bay after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Dolphin ultrasound image of a dead fetus. Dolphin ultrasound image of a live fetus.
Among the pregnant dolphins being monitored in this study, at least two lost their calves before giving birth. Veterinarians confirmed with ultrasound that one of these dolphins, Y31, was carrying a dead calf in utero during her 2011 exam. Another pregnant dolphin, Y01, did not successfully give birth in 2012, and was then seen pushing a dead newborn calf in 2013. Given that dolphins have a gestation of over 12 months, this means Y01 had two failed pregnancies in a row.
The other five dolphins to lose their calves after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, excluding Y35, survived pregnancy themselves but were seen again and again in the months after their due dates without any young. Dolphin calves stick close to their mothers’ sides in the first two or three months after birth, indicating that these pregnant dolphins also had calves that did not survive.
At least half of the dolphins with failed pregnancies also suffered from moderate-to-severe lung disease, a symptom associated with exposure to petroleum products. The only two dolphins to give birth to healthy calves had relatively minor lung conditions.
Survival of the Least Oiled
Dolphin Y35 wasn’t the only one of the 32 dolphins being monitored in Barataria Bay to disappear in the months following her 2011 examination. Three others were never sighted again in the 15 straight surveys tracking these dolphins. Or rather, they were never seen again alive. One of them, Y12, was a 16-year-old adult male whose emaciated carcass washed up in Louisiana only a few weeks before the pregnant Y35 was last seen. In fact, the number of dolphins washing up dead in Barataria Bay from August 2010 through 2011 was the highest ever recorded for that area.
Survival rate in this group of dolphins was estimated at only 86%, down from the 95-96% survival seen in dolphin populations not in contact with Deepwater Horizon oil. The marshy maze of Barataria Bay falls squarely inside the footprint of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and its dolphins and others along the northern Gulf Coast have repeatedly been found to be sick and dying in historically high numbers. Considering how deadly this oil spill has been for Gulf bottlenose dolphins and their young, researchers expect recovery for these marine mammals to be a long time coming.
Watch an updated video of the researchers as they temporarily catch and give health exams to some of the dolphins in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, in August of 2011 and read a 2013 Q&A with two of the NOAA researchers involved in these studies:
This study was conducted under the Natural Resource Damage Assessment for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. These results are included in the injury assessment documented in the Draft Programmatic Assessment and Restoration Plan that is currently out for public comment. We will accept comments on the plan through December 4, 2015.
This research was conducted under the authority of Scientific Research Permit nos. 779-1633 and 932-1905/MA-009526 issued by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service pursuant to the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Posted : November 4, 2015 10:32 am
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One Dolphin’s Story – Valentin
ONE DOLPHIN’S STORY – VALENTIN
03 NOVEMBER, 2015 CAPTIVITY INDUSTRY
Quick Facts
Born: February 13, 1996, Marineland, Antibes, France
Died: October 12, 2015; intestinal torsion (preliminary)
Should Valentin had lived amongst his wild counterparts, he likely would have made an excellent hunter, learning from all members of his nuclear and extended family. Complex communication patterns would have been mastered. Breaching, spyhopping and dorsal fin slapping would have likely formed a typical part of his daily behaviors. All in all, he would have been a normal orca, thriving in the natural habitat of the sea.
This was not the case.
Just hours before Valentine’s Day, on February 13, 1996, a male orca, named Valentin, was born at Marineland, Antibes to two wild-caught parents. His mother, Freya and Kim 2, his father, were both caught in Iceland in 1982. During the 14 years prior to Valentin’s birth, they spent their lives in a manmade tank, performing for the park’s paying patrons. Gone was any semblance of normalcy, instead, the dolphins repeated learned behaviors forced upon them by their human trainers – behaviors which earned them food rewards for their compliance.
Valentin
An entire world turned upside down: waiting for stimulus above the surface
The baby was treated no different, with the artificial world of the theme park imprinted on him from day one. And, as the dolphin grew up, he learned not how to hunt, how to navigate, nor how to socialize, but instead, he learned how not to be a dolphin.
When he began to exhibit sexual tendencies, he was put on medication to curb his drive. When he became aggressive towards his trainers, he was put on medication to curb that. When he displayed stereotypical behaviors common in captive dolphins, including bumping his head against tank walls and gates, chewing concrete, and other repetitive actions, they were dismissed. In fact, despite his seemingly mounting frustration, semen samples were collected from Valentin as part of the facility’s artificial insemination program.
Kim 2 died of pneumonia at 23 years of age, on November 23, 2005, when Valentin was nine years old. And, on June 20, 2015, after a protracted illness, Freya died at 33 years of age. With four stillbirth siblings, Valentin had lost his entire family. Worse, he had never felt the currents of the sea – not once during his entire 19 years of living.
Marineland Antibes
Severe flooding at Marineland, Antibes
Photo credit: The Local, France, October 12, 2015
Between October 3 and 4, 2015, the unthinkable happened. Violent storms swept through southern France, causing severe flooding and sending contaminated water into the marine mammal tanks. Photographs showed the five, remaining orcas, including Valentin, swimming in murky, muddy water. Bernard Giampaolo, Director of Marineland Antibes, indicated that the facility had been severely compromised,* with no electricity or flowing water. Several animals died, including fish, turtles and sea lions as well as terrestrial animals including rabbits, sheep and goats.
*Source: Metro UK, October 5, 2015
Eight days later, on October 12, 2015, Valentin died. Initial reports indicated the orca had suffered a sudden bowel twist, dying shortly thereafter.
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/one-dolphins-story-valentin/
Posted : November 4, 2015 12:20 pm
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Take a Look Inside the Lives of Captive Dolphins
Activists say the performing animals experience health problems and a high mortality rate.
NOV 5, 2015John R. Platt covers the environment, technology, philanthropy, and more for Scientific American, Conservation, Lion, and other publications.
Imagine living alone in a tiny cement room where noise and light constantly bombard your senses, you’re starved until you perform unnatural acts, and everything you touch burns your skin.
That’s not all that far off from the lives of hundreds of captive dolphins around the world, which live in tiny, dirty, over-chlorinated pools and are forced to perform for tourists several times a day, according to animal rights activists.
They say that much like the killer whales portrayed in the 2013 documentary Blackfish, these dolphins—many of which have been caught from the wild—experience a lifetime of physical injuries, sensory overstimulation, disease, and psychological damage.
“It’s just a completely unnatural environment that’s not suited for dolphins’ natural behaviors,” said Elizabeth Hogan, oceans and wildlife campaign manager for World Animal Protection, an organization that advocates for ending captive dolphin performances.
(See Pete Bethune and his team investigate the plight of captive dolphins in this week’s episode of The Operatives, which airs on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Pivot, the television network owned by Participant Media, TakePart’s parent company. Join the Operatives on their missions, and take action to protect all wildlife by clicking here.)
The scale of dolphin captivity is much worse than that of killer whales. According to Ceta-Base, a website that tracks the world’s captive whales and dolphins, at least 2,800 bottlenose dolphins live in captive tanks around the world.
That number may not tell the whole story. “We are ultimately reliant on the reporting of the industry, and this can be sketchy or incomplete,” said Courtney Vail, campaigns and program manager for Whale and Dolphin Conservation.
The bottlenose species is the most heavily targeted for these activities because of its classic, cute features, Hogan said: “They have a certain physical appeal that site operators know are going to attract customers.” Other species commonly found in captivity include Pacific white-sided dolphins, harbor porpoises, beluga whales, and short-finned pilot whales.
Many captive animals have been caught in the wild at places like the cove in Taiji, Japan, where dolphins are captured for sale during the annual slaughter. Activists such as Ric O’Barry of the Dolphin Project have campaigned for years against the roundup, in part by pressuring zoos and aquariums to stop purchasing dolphins taken at Taiji.
Hogan said transporting captured dolphins around the world results in a high mortality rate. “Transport is insanely cruel and stressful to the animals,” she said.
The health problems experienced by these animals vary, depending on the conditions in which they are kept and how long they have been in captivity, but they include damaged noses or fins, skin problems, infections, pneumonia, and even blindness from chlorinated water.
“I see a lot of skin lesions and illnesses associated with sun and heat exposure,” said Hogan. “You’ll find that even in Las Vegas, in the hotel pools that dolphins are displayed in. Dolphins aren’t meant to live in the desert.”
The animals also show signs of extreme psychological stress and can often be seen exhibiting unnatural behaviors such as bobbing at the surface of their tank, swimming in repeated patterns, gnawing on the sides of their pool, or becoming aggressive with their tank-mates or nearby humans.
“Orcas and dolphins are top predators in the marine environment and roam vast distances on a daily basis,” Vail said. “These natural behaviors are severely curtailed in a captive environment. Reduced life spans and heightened aggression are byproducts of this behavioral deprivation.”
Training dolphins to swim with or perform for humans also causes trauma. “You have to ask what has been done to this animal to make it willing to let a human ride on its back or hold on to its dorsal fin,” Hogan said. “Often food is withheld, forcing them to shift from their natural instinct of being hunters in the wild to being scavengers and eating dead fish that are thrown to them. It’s completely contrary to their genetic makeup and to the instincts that the animal had from birth.”
Hogan noted that the practice of displaying captive dolphins has waned slightly in the U.S. “However, demand is growing in other parts of the world, such as the Middle East and China,” she said.
Slowing this growth remains a focus of conservation and animal welfare groups. “I think that educating the consumer tourist public will have to play the biggest role,” Hogan said. “Supply will always meet demand. Educating the traveling public will continue to be a huge, huge step.”
Posted : November 6, 2015 2:10 am
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Read "The Case Against Marine Mammals In Captivity by the Humane Society International and the World Society for the Protection of Animals:
[www.humanesociety.org]
"The Humane Society International and the World Society for the Protection of Animals have stated that they believe that "the entire captive experience for marine mammals is so sterile and contrary to even the most basic elements of compassion and humanity that it should be rejected outright."
Posted : November 6, 2015 3:41 pm
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California lawmaker plans to introduce bill to phase out killer whale shows
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-bill-to-end-killer-whale-shows-20151106-story.html
Adding to a chorus of critics of SeaWorld's killer whale shows, a U.S. congressman from Southern California has announced legislation to phase out the display of orcas for entertainment.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said Friday that he plans to introduce a bill to prohibit the breeding of captive orcas, end the capture of wild orcas and stop the import and export of the killer whales.
The bill, if approved, would put an end to shows across the country featuring the marine mammals once the existing whales in captivity die.
"The evidence is very strong that the psychological and physical harm done to these magnificent animals far outweighs any benefits reaped from their display," Schiff said in a statement.
SeaWorld Entertainment Inc., the parent company of SeaWorld San Diego, has 24 orcas in three parks across the country. Miami Seaquarium has one killer whale.
A SeaWorld respresentative responded to Schiff's announcement, saying the company does not neglect or abuse killer whales.
"Through our work with scientists, conservation leaders, and the government SeaWorld is ensuring that all animals in human care are treated with the dignity and respect they require and deserve," said Jill Kermes, a spokeswoman for SeaWorld Entertainment.
Schiff's announcement comes as SeaWorld struggles to fight back against charges leveled in the 2013 documentary "Blackfish" that captive killer whales are abused and neglected at the marine-themed parks.
SeaWorld tried to fire back against the negative publicity by announcing plans recently to spend $100 million to expand its killer whale enclosure at SeaWorld San Diego. The California Coastal Commission, which has authority over construction along the coast, approved the project but added the condition that SeaWorld end its breeding program and import no new orcas.
SeaWorld has announced plans to challenge the decision in court.
SeaWorld officials have rejected calls to end whale breeding, saying the only way to ensure the animals don't breed is to separate male and female whales. That would mean separating siblings and parents from offspring.
No whale has been caught off U.S. waters since 1976, and no wild-caught orcas have been transferred to the U.S. from other countries since 2001, according to Schiff.
The 11 whales at SeaWorld San Diego range in age from 10 months to 50 years, which could allow the park to display animals for decades, depending on the longevity of the whales.
Animal rights activists have demanded that SeaWorld release the orcas to seaside sanctuaries, although none currently exist to hold the 11 whales.
Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist for the Animal Welfare Institute, said the fact that captive whales are breeding with close family members shows that captivity is harmful to the orcas. She also said that the legislation would create an incentive for SeaWorld to develop a long-term contraceptive for whales.
"Right now, they have no interest in developing a long-term contraceptive," she said.
Last year, Schiff tried to add an amendment to a funding bill to update the federal Animal Welfare Act to "reflect the growing scientific and public concern about the effect of captivity on these animals." The amendment was not added to the final funding bill.
Posted : November 6, 2015 8:50 pm
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Can the ORCA Act Shut Down SeaWorld?
A proposed bill brings the anti-captivity movement to the nation’s capital.
NOV 6, 2015Taylor Hill
As SeaWorld wrapped up warning its investors Thursday that the company’s 2015 profits will be $10 million short of projections, the embattled marine theme park could now be facing a war in Congress.
At a press conference Friday, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., announced his plan to introduce the ORCA Act, a bill aimed at ending the public display of captive orcas, stopping captive breeding programs, making artificial insemination illegal, and banning the capture of wild orcas.
If enacted, the bill would essentially phase out all killer whale displays in the United States, making SeaWorld’s staple form of entertainment obsolete.
“The evidence is very strong that the psychological and physical harm done to these magnificent animals far outweighs any benefits reaped from their display,” Schiff said during the press conference in Santa Monica, California. “We cannot be responsible stewards of our natural environment and propagate messages about the importance of animal welfare when our behaviors do not reflect our principles.”
According to Schiff, the Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement Act (ORCA) guarantees the orcas in captivity today will be the last ones. “We will appreciate these incredible creatures where they belong—in the wild,” Schiff said.
The legislation is the latest in a long line of hurdles SeaWorld has faced since the 2013 release of the anti-captivity documentary Blackfish. In 2014, California assemblymember Richard Bloom sent shock waves through the marine-mammal industry with his proposed Orca Welfare and Safety Act, aimed at ending orca performances and captive breeding programs, after which Schiff modeled his bill.
Bloom’s bill (A.B 2140) died in committee before it could come to a vote—a rare victory for SeaWorld last year, which saw the federal court rule that trainers and orcas performing together in tanks is dangerous and had the California Coastal Commission tell the theme park it had to stop breeding orcas if it wanted to build bigger tanks for its planned $100 million killer whale display.
“There is no justification for the continued captive display and breeding of orcas for entertainment purposes,” said Bloom, who attended the press conference. “They belong in their natural habitat, where they can travel long distances and feed as predators do.”
Schiff’s ORCA Act, cosponsored by Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., outlines plans for a phaseout of the current captive orcas programs, such as those at SeaWorld’s San Diego, San Antonio, and Orlando parks, “giving orca-holding facilities time to transition to a more humane future,” the bill states.
So far, the bill has gained the support of animal rights organizations such as the Animal Welfare Institute, the Humane Society, and People for the Ethical treatment of Animals.
“The growing body of scientific evidence is compelling for orcas,” said Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist with the Animal Welfare Institute. “They are simply too large, too wide-ranging, too socially complex, and too intelligent to thrive in any-size concrete enclosure. Orcas do not belong in captivity.”
Posted : November 7, 2015 11:03 pm
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SeaWorld to scrub killer whale shows at one park
By Jackie Wattles @jackiewattles
http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/09/news/companies/sea-world-killer-whale-shows/index.html
New SeaWorld whale pool approved -- with breeding ban.
SeaWorld is closing the curtain on killer whale shows at its San Diego park next year. The company said Monday it plans to reinvent the attraction that's been the center of animal-cruelty claims against SeaWorld (SEAS).
Shows at the San Diego park will stop by the end of 2016, said CEO Joel Manby, while a "new orca experience" will debut in 2017 with a "strong conservation message." Manby said that customers in Southern California don't want to see the whales performing tricks and prefer a more "natural" experience.
San Diego's SeaWorld may also scrap plans for a massive expansion of its killer whale environment. Manby cited concerns that pending regulations could hamper those plans.
"I'm not willing to put $100 million into a market when there's regulatory questions," Manby said.
California authorities banned breeding killer whales in captivity last month, and SeaWorld says it does not capture new animals from the wild.
Theatrical killer wale shows will continue at SeaWorld's other 10 U.S. parks. SeaWorld announced the change at an investor conference.
An earnings update last week left investors worried about the company's outlook. In the six days since then, its shares have plunged more than 10%.
SeaWorld's reputation was badly damaged in part by "Blackfish," a 2013 documentary co-produced by CNNFilms. The film generated criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups like PETA.
Attendance at SeaWorld's theme parks has waned, and its San Diego park has been particularly troublesome.
To help its boost the company's image, Manby also said the company will "aggressively communicate" its animal care and rescue efforts.
SeaWorld is also planning new attractions and a new pricing structure at all of its parks. Its single-day tickets will be just $21, down from $79. Annual passes will be reduced to $156 from $368 per year.
Related: SeaWorld still reeling from 'Blackfish' backlash
(They should just give it up and close ALL their parks and release ALL their marine mammals to sea pens if they cannot be released back to the wild.)
Posted : November 9, 2015 8:04 pm
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SEAWORLD SHAME: ORCAS TO REMAIN CAPTIVE DESPITE PUBLIC CONDEMNATION
09 NOVEMBER, 2015 BLOGCAPTIVITY INDUSTRY
November 9, 2015: In a presentation handout made available ahead of the company’s webcast, SeaWorld announced plans to phase out the “theatrical killer whale show” at their San Diego park in 2016, with a new orca experience set to make its debut the following year, in 2017. The new experience would be “informative” and encompass a “…more natural setting,”* while apparently ending any hopes that the animals would be moved to retirement sea pens, a move advocated by marine mammal scientists and environmentalists worldwide.
While SeaWorld would like us to believe their motivation is advocacy based, indicating the display would convey a “conservation message inspiring people to act,”* the company has clearly ignored the millions who have already acted and voiced their stance, specifically, that: keeping orcas in captivity is an unacceptable and outdated practice, no matter the exhibit or size of the tanks.
SeaWorld SanDiego New Orca Experience 2017
Source: SeaWorld presentation handout, November 9, 2015
Criticism of SeaWorld’s captive orca display has been mounting since the 2013 release of “Blackfish,” a documentary underscoring the multitude of problems associated with such displays. Just last week, on November 6, 2015, Rep. Schiff Introduced the Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement (ORCA) Act to Phase Out the Display of Captive Killer Whales. This federal legislation would prohibit the breeding, wild capture, import or export of the species. And just last month in October, the California Coastal Commission voted to ban the breeding of orcas at SeaWorld.
Most telling is our featured image: SEAS Admissions Pricing Principles: Establish pricing framework to drive volume and incease [sic] profitability*
THE BOTTOM LINE? $ ENHANCE REVENUE $ – EVEN IF THIS MEANS THE CONTINUED IMPRISONMENT OF THEIR INVESTMENTS, THE ANIMALS THEMSELVES.
*Source: Presentation handout, SeaWorld, November 9, 2015
Take Action Now!
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/seaworld-shame-orcas-still-to-remain-captive-despite-public_condemnation/
Posted : November 9, 2015 8:11 pm
Let them go to Freedom, SeaWorld!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwUq78bMS3g
Swan
Posted : November 10, 2015 8:40 pm
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Thanks, swans!
Posted : November 11, 2015 6:13 pm
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SeaWorld Sham?
Published 11/11/15
http://www.bornfreeusa.org/bfusablog.php?p=5213&more=1
SeaWorld San Diego has announced that it is “listening to [its] guests” and “evolving as a company.” As a result, it is making some changes for 2017. However, I fear that this announcement is raising more questions than it is providing sensible answers to the difficult, horrible quagmire of keeping orcas in captivity—a quagmire of SeaWorld’s own creation.
While details remain to be revealed, the biggest component of the announcement appears to be the end of “theatrical killer whale shows” at SeaWorld San Diego. Obviously, it is laudable that SeaWorld San Diego will no longer force these majestic ocean animals to perform silly stunts for unwitting, gawking onlookers. But, as with every such announcement, the devil is in the details. What will become of the two dozen captive orcas in the United States? Will this change only apply to SeaWorld San Diego, or will the theatrical killer whale show die at other SeaWorld locations, as well? For those animals not being forced to perform, will they just languish in their concrete bathtubs in perpetuity? Or, will these animals ultimately be shipped off to the Middle East, or elsewhere, as SeaWorld considers expanding global operations in the face of declining American tolerance for such inane exhibitions?
There is really only one sensible solution. All captive orcas in the United States must be retired: not to bigger incarcerating pools, but to coastal seapens, where they can, at least, live out the remainder of their natural lives in something close to natural freedom.
We know for certain that orcas don’t thrive in captivity; they lead miserable, confined lives. They can’t swim 100 miles per day; they can’t dive 300 feet below the surface; they can’t live in pods 40 individuals large; they can’t be free.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the announcement, from my perspective, is that SeaWorld San Diego’s President and CEO, Joel Manby, says that he’s listening to SeaWorld’s guests. It seems to me that he should pay more attention to the needs of the animals suffering at SeaWorld than to the people who pay to stare at them.
And, if the new plan is being described as “informative,” with “a conservation message, inspiring people to act,” one has to question what’s been happening at SeaWorld up until now! For ages, Born Free has argued that keeping orcas in captivity and forcing them to perform is neither educational nor beneficial for conservation. I suppose that the announcement of the new plan suggests that we’ve been right all along!
SeaWorld executives have seen visitors stay away and profits plummet. And, each day, these executives go home to live their lives, free and unencumbered, while the orcas are left behind. It’s time for SeaWorld to take the truly inspiring and bold step of admitting that its corporate model is a conservation and humane failure… and move on.
If that’s not in the cards, legions of compassionate citizens across the United States will make their voices heard to their elected officials. Congressman Adam Schiff of California is spearheading legislation to prohibit the breeding, capture, import, and export of orcas for public display, giving exhibitors time to transition away from orca captivity—thereby making this current generation of captive orcas the last. Said Schiff, “The evidence is very strong that the psychological and physical harm done to these magnificent animals far outweighs any benefits reaped from their display.”
We couldn’t agree more. The time to act is now. The captivity industry is sinking and the orcas (and other captive marine mammals) need our help.
Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
Posted : November 11, 2015 6:15 pm
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SeaWorld vs Blackfish: the film that saved the whales
How a small documentary brought a $2 billion industry to its knees, forced changes to the law, and influenced the plot of Pixar's Finding Dory.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/blackfish/seaworld-orca-whales-finding-dory/
Posted : November 11, 2015 7:07 pm
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It's Back! CNN Films to Air Encore Broadcast of Blackfish—November 14 at 8 p.m. EST
‘Blackfish’: The Documentary That Exposes SeaWorld
Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s critically acclaimed documentary Blackfish centers on a captive orca named Tilikum. He was torn away from his family and ocean home when he was 2 years old, and out of frustration caused by nearly 20 years of intense confinement, isolation, and lack of emotional and intellectual stimulation, he has killed three humans. Hear what she has to say about her journey, her hope for captive orcas, and how you can help animals in the exclusive video interview below:
In her documentary, Cowperthwaite pieces together Tilikum’s story with shocking film footage, expert testimonies, and heartbreaking interviews with the people who know Tilikum better than anyone: his former trainers. Watch the trailer now:
Astonishing Animals
In the wild, orcas swim upward of 100 miles per day. But at SeaWorld and other marine parks around the world, orcas are forced to swim in tiny circles to amuse tourists and spend the majority of their lives virtually motionless in concrete tanks that are the human equivalent of a bathtub. Their important matriarchal bonds are broken when babies are taken from their mothers and sold or transferred to other parks, and captive orcas live only a fraction of their average life span.
See the Movie That Is SeaWorld’s Worst Nightmare
Didn’t catch Blackfish’s debut in theaters or on CNN? Rent it from Netflix! For updates on the Blackfish airing schedule, please visit the Blackfish movie website.
Pledge to Help Tilikum and Other Captive Orcas
The easiest and most effective way that you can help orcas such as Tilikum is to refuse to visit marine parks. Sign the pledge below and promise never to go to SeaWorld!
Read more: http://www.seaworldofhurt.com/features/blackfish-documentary-exposes-seaworld/#ixzz3rQTV4k3D
Posted : November 14, 2015 12:43 am
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CEO Offers $1 Million Toward Sanctuary, Asks SeaWorld To Free One Orca
SeaWorld doesn't sound impressed with the offer.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/munchkin-seaworld-orca-sanctuary_564667d0e4b045bf3def2a06
My opinion:
Tilikum is their sperm bank who has fathered more than 50% of the Orcas bred and born into captivity.
They'll never give him up.
He's doomed to a sterile, dismal life in a tiny cement pool for the rest of his life, getting masturbated by SeaWorld staff for his sperm so that SeaWorld can continue in inbreeding his aunt's, niece's and cousins to create more captive supply. They want to continue breeding for captivity since they cannot obtain Orcas from the wild any longer.
Posted : November 16, 2015 3:14 pm
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EDITORIAL BOARDS SLAM SEAWORLD
November 16, 2015 by Mark J. Palmer, Save Japan Dolphins
Recently, two major editorial boards have come out swinging at SeaWorld, making some excellent points.
On November 15, the Washington Post editorial board published a piece titled “SeaWorld’s Whales Still Deserve Better”. The authors argue that just as the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus had to come to grips with the reality that dressing up elephants and forcing them to stand on their heads was a callous holdover of another age, SeaWorld should recognize the need for new thinking and bold action. The whales now in captivity are unlikely to survive in the wild, but sanctuaries could be created that would better emulate conditions of their natural habitat. The existing tanks would be put to far better use accommodating the injured animals that are a part of SeaWorld’s admirable rescue efforts. Since breeding orcas only consigns future generations to captivity and its inherent cruelty, SeaWorld should voluntarily end the practice.
The Los Angeles Times entered the fray on November 9, titling their piece: “SeaWorld’s Ban on Orca Shows Should be Just the Start of Changes”. They believe SeaWorld would be better off ending its breeding program, allowing its orca population to die out naturally — which would still give it decades of exhibition — and reserving its tanks for injured animals that cannot survive in the wild.
If SeaWorld doesn't do that on its own, it might be forced to do so over time. On Friday, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) announced plans to introduce legislation to ban the capture of wild orcas (something SeaWorld hasn't done in decades) and captive breeding. The bill's chances of passage are slim, but the issue isn't going away. State legislation that would have banned San Diego SeaWorld from captive breeding was held over to next year; if it comes back, it would have a better chance.
It is clear that these two influential editorial boards are merely reflecting what is becoming more accepted by the public – that orcas do not belong in captivity. Hopefully SeaWorld executives are taking note.
PLEASE DONATE TO SUPPORT OUR LEGAL AND ORGANIZING EFFORTS FOR SEAWORLD’S CAPTIVE CETACEANS.
See link for more info and links to editorials and petitions.
http://savejapandolphins.org/blog/post/editorial-boards-slam-seaworld
Posted : November 16, 2015 8:07 pm
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Only 23 out of 151 captured ORCAS are alive today.
In Taiji, dolphin hunts, murders and captivities are on going and happening today in the killing cove.
Posted : November 16, 2015 8:37 pm
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Racing Extinction premieres Dec. 2 @ 9 PM ET/PT.
Here's a sneak peek at the first 4 minutes.
http://racingextinction.com/#brightcove-popover-RE-sneak-peek
Posted : November 19, 2015 5:00 pm
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FIRST POD OF PILOT WHALES TERRORIZED IN TAIJI
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/we-are-family-first-pod-of-pilot-whales-terrorized-in-taiji/
Posted : November 19, 2015 5:11 pm
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https://dolphinproject.net/media/live-stream/
It's a terrible thing that is done to these gentle, intelligent, family oriented creatures.
Posted : November 19, 2015 9:00 pm
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1 taken CAPTIVE, the rest SLAUGHTERED!
https://dolphinproject.net/take-action/save-japan-dolphins/
Posted : November 19, 2015 10:40 pm
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Posted : November 20, 2015 1:13 pm
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TEN THOUSAND VOICES NEEDED FOR THE DOLPHINS
21 NOVEMBER, 2015 DOLPHIN HUNTING JAPAN
I want you to get up right now, sit up, go to your windows, open them and stick your head out and yell – ‘I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!’ Things have got to change — ‘Network’ 1976.
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/ten-thousand-voices-needed-for-the-dolphins/
Better yet, please show up at the Japanese embassy in London on December 18, and speak for the voiceless. We need 10,000 people to say ‘enough is enough’. We need the world to know that if they love dolphins, then the town of Taiji, Japan is hell on earth.
Ten thousand people is not an impossible number. It doesn’t even equal one person per dolphin per year. Almost twice this number of dolphins have been captured or killed in Taiji’s killing cove in the past decade. Factor in the Japanese government’s offshore dolphin hunting and that figure jumps to around 165,000 dolphins in ten years. It’s inhumane, it’s irresponsible and it’s not sustainable.
The dolphin drive hunt season is well underway in Taiji. We’re not even midway through the season and the level of brutality has reached its zenith. Just 11 days into the season, Dolphin Project Director Ric O’Barry was forced to bear witness to a juvenile Risso’s dolphin dying at his feet from the stress of the drive process.
These past three days, heart-wrenching testimony from our Cove Monitors revealed further horrors as around 50 pilot whales — many of them juveniles and calves, were driven into the cove. They have endured three days of the worst torture that man could possibly levy.
Day One:
We could see a large number of babies and juveniles. The pod swam tightly amongst one another, with tiny heads poking out beside the larger adults. At one point, the matriarch rolled onto her back and swam through the group, interacting with each youngster, while the large males swam around the periphery of the pod. Everyone was spy-hopping and their panic and confusion was palpable — Vicki Kiely, Senior Dolphin Project Cove Monitor
Day Two:
What took place this morning could only be described in terms of varying degrees of horror — Cynthia Fernandez, Dolphin Project Senior Cove Monitor
Pilot whale Taiji, Japan, 11-20-15
Dolphin hunters forced this pilot whale beneath the tarps to slaughter it. The killing method is brutal — a metal rod inserted behind the blowhole. It can take whales a long time to die. Image credit: Dolphin Project; Vicki Kiely; Cynthia Fernandez.
Day Three:
I watched as a youngster kept rubbing its little body against one of the surviving adult pilot whales. When I thought this scene couldn’t get more sickening, I saw another juvenile swim by with blood smeared across its dorsal fin. After over 62 hours of being held hostage in the cove, they were, once again, left alone overnight, with no access to food — Cynthia Fernandez, Dolphin Project Senior Cove Monitor
Juvenile pilot whale rubs against adult dolphin
Juvenile pilot whale rubs against adult dolphin. Photo credit: Dolphin Project; Cynthia Fernandez
“Assuming the dolphins ate a full meal at the time of their capture, they have not had any access to food for at least 62 hours,” said Ric, “these pilot whales are now confused, weak and dehydrated. They have been through a war and it isn’t over yet!”
Today is day four of this unspeakable horror.
Now you understand why this has to stop and why you must speak for them. This will never end unless we present a united front.
Ric explained:
We need people to educate the animal welfare industry. Please call and write to all of the UK-based animal welfare groups. Ask them to inform their members to mark their calendar for December 18th. Groups in the UK have millions of members who will show up at the embassy IF they are informed. If we get 10,000 people to the embassy we can stop the slaughter. The Japanese government can’t deal with that.
You are on the right side of history. This can end in our lifetime. No government anywhere in the world can or would openly endorse such brutality. It is time for them to speak out, to ask the Japanese government to stop this madness and to hold them accountable if they don’t.
It all begins with you.
Ten thousand of you.
Join Ric O’Barry in London at the Japanese Embassy on Dec. 18th between noon and 6 p.m.
For the dolphins’ sake, they must hear us.
Please note: This is an all-inclusive event where everyone shares a common goal. Please fly your own flags, wear your own colors and advertise your groups. All are welcome! For more information visit the event page.
Pilot whale Taiji, Japan 11-20-15
Body of a lifeless pilot whale floating beside living pod members Photo: Dolphin Project, Cynthia Fernandez, Vicki Kiely
You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: victory — Winston Churchill
(We are a pathetic and barbaric species)
Posted : November 21, 2015 9:09 pm
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The WTO Just Dealt a Blow to U.S. Consumers and Dolphins
Posted: 11/20/2015 12:57 pm EST
Updated: 11/20/2015 2:59 pm EST
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-beachy/the-wto-just-dealt-a-blow_b_8611550.html
Most of us want to know that the food we purchase and serve to our families does not come at the expense of wildlife. Luckily, more and more products are marketed with safeguard labels that help us make informed decisions about our food. Since 1990, for example, the United States has maintained a popular "dolphin-safe" labeling program for tuna that allows consumers to choose to purchase tuna caught in a manner that does not kill dolphins.
Tunas and dolphins are commonly found together in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Taking advantage of this, many fishing companies purposefully ensnare dolphins in their nets so as to trap tuna, killing and injuring dolphins in the process. In 1990, the United States enacted a ban on imports of tuna caught with dolphin-unsafe practices and regulated "dolphin-safe" tuna labeling.
Thanks to the label, we can eat tuna sandwiches with the confidence that our lunch did not come at the expense of dolphins' lives. The "dolphin-safe" label has contributed to an incredible 97-percent reduction in dolphin deaths since the 1980s in Pacific waters where dolphins and tuna cohabitate.
2015-11-20-1448042154-3373231-tuna.jpg
But today, for the fourth time in four years, the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled against the dolphin-saving U.S. labeling program for tuna, calling it a "technical barrier to trade." Mexico launched a WTO case against the label in 2008 and the WTO ruled against the label in 2011, 2012, and now twice in 2015.
The WTO decided the label violated WTO rules slated for replication in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), despite the fact that it protects wildlife, is voluntary, and applies equally to domestic and foreign firms. The ruling shows how so-called "trade" rules go far beyond trade and interfere with environmental policies that protect wildlife.
Instead of reforming those rules, the TPP includes and builds on the broad "trade" rules that the WTO used to undermine the dolphin-saving label. The deal includes a rule barring safeguards that have the unintended effect of "creating unnecessary obstacles to international trade." The TPP would provide foreign governments a new forum to challenge wildlife and other environmental protections as violations of such expansive rules.
In today's ruling, the WTO decided that, despite improvements that the U.S. government made to the dolphin-saving label, the label still discriminates against Mexican fishing companies even though its rules apply to all fishing companies regardless of nationality. The WTO rejected the U.S. argument that any unintended difficulty that Mexican fishing companies may experience under the label is "legitimate" for the label's purpose of protecting dolphins. The WTO also rejected the U.S. attempt to defend the label as important for "the conservation of exhaustible natural resources," deciding that the rules for fishing companies to qualify for the voluntary label were applied "arbitrarily."
Unfortunately, today's ruling leaves no more opportunities for the U.S. to appeal. It means that the U.S. could face WTO-authorized trade sanctions if we preserve the dolphin-saving label. This decision threatens a commonsense consumer protection, puts dolphins at risk, and opens the door to further trade deal attacks on consumer and environmental safeguards.
The U.S. government should not give into pressure from a corporate-friendly trade organization to weaken or eliminate our dolphin-saving label. Instead, it should stand up for consumers and wildlife by negotiating a solution with Mexico that keeps the "dolphin-safe" label intact.
If there is any silver lining to today's ruling, it is that it serves as a warning against expansive trade deals like the TPP that would further undermine safeguards for wildlife, clean air, and clean water. Congress can and should stand up for consumers and our environment by rejecting the TPP.
Click here to tell Congress to vote no on the toxic TPP.
Posted : November 22, 2015 8:15 am
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https://m.facebook.com/SeaShepherdCoveGuardiansOfficialPage/
Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians Page (official)
0855am: What remains of the pod is just searching for family. 15-20 remain of once pod of 60+ Pilot whales; one into captivity, over 40 slaughtered, and numerous drowning.
This is the truth of Taiji. A pilot whale escapes after attempted slaughter only to be tied to a boat and drowned.
Posted : November 22, 2015 8:23 am
