[Closed] 'Blackfish' Backlash: Fan Pressure Leads Willie Nelson to Cancel SeaWorld Concert

It's over for these pilot whales. A tragic, sickening and horrific end.

https://m.facebook.com/ricobarrysdolphinproject/

https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/pilot-whales-meet-tragic-end-in-taiji/

A prayer – and a promise – for the dolphins who have lost their lives in the name of greed and ignorance.

https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/video-hold-on-hold-on-were-coming/

https://m.facebook.com/SeaShepherdCoveGuardiansOfficialPage/

The price of admission to marine mammal parks is death for the dolphin or whale families that aren't chosen to spend their lives in captivity to entertain you. Think about loving them to death.
.
Don't buy a ticket!
Dolphin and pilot whale murders are happening daily in Taiji.

November 25, 2015
Sea Shepherd Supporters Outraged by Cruel Video of Pilot Whale Being Tied and Drowned by Taiji Hunters

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2015/11/25/sea-shepherd-supporters-outraged-by-cruel-video-of-pilot-whale-being-tied-and-drowned-by-taiji-hunte-1772

A pod of pilot whales driven into the infamous killing cove on Nov. 19 (Japan time) was traumatized and held without food or shelter for three days; one was later taken captive, the remainder were killed or dumped at sea.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s Cove Guardian volunteers have captured extremely disturbing video of the horrific tethering and drowning of a pilot whale by hunters in Taiji’s infamous cove and the organization’s supporters are reacting with outrage on social media. The graphically violent video, which thus far has been viewed more than 250,000 times on Facebook, can be seen below.

The pilot whale was among an estimated 69-74 members of a large pod driven into the cove on Nov. 19 (Japan time). Following the long and stressful drive to the shallow waters – during which time the pilot whales fought for their freedom and were at first split into two separate groups as they tried in vain to escape the hunting boats – the pod was to face three days confined in the cove without food or shelter. After each grueling day, Sea Shepherd’s Cove Guardians remained at the cove, monitoring the pilot whales throughout the night. On Nov. 20 (Japan time), the violent captive selection and slaughter process began, as the protective matriarch of the pod was tied up to keep her from interfering with the brutal killing of her family. After three hours, 11 pilot whales had been slaughtered and one captive was forcibly dragged under the tarps for captive selection and later taken to the Taiji Harbor pens.

After staying huddled close together through the night, the pod faced continuing horror on Nov. 21 (Japan time), when over the course of four hours, 21 more pilot whales were killed. One whale is seen and heard by Sea Shepherd’s Cove Guardians crying out loudly as it swims through the water that had turned red with the blood of its family, but these pleas were ignored by the ruthless hunters, who continued the prolonged torture of these highly intelligent and social cetaceans once again the following day.

Pilot whales become trapped in the nets. Photo: Sea Shepherd
Pilot whales become trapped in the nets.
Photo: Sea Shepherd
On the morning of Nov. 22 (Japan time), Sea Shepherd witnessed bodies of several pilot whales floating along the nets that lined the cove, as at least five pod members had apparently succumbed overnight to the violence and the trauma of witnessing the brutal deaths of their family, and drowned. Still, the hunters continued their torturous deeds and exceeded their own brutality of the previous two days. One pilot whale – who appeared to have already been “pithed” by the hunters (stabbed by inserting a metal rod through the spinal cord, just behind the blowhole), visibly bleeding and barely able to stay above the water’s surface – somehow managed to briefly break away from under the tarps and tried to find a way out by the rocks alongside the cove, but was dragged through the water and back to the boats by a heartless hunter in a wetsuit. The video captured by Sea Shepherd’s Cove Guardians reveals the horrific actions of the hunters and the heartbreaking desperation of the dying pilot whale, who was tied by its flukes to the side of one of the hunting vessels and mercilessly left to drown, further dispelling the myth that Taiji’s hunters want the public to believe that the killing of these animals is quick and humane.

The bodies of two pilot whales are tethered to a skiff. Photo: Sea Shepherd
The bodies of two pilot whales are tethered to a skiff.
Photo: Sea Shepherd

14 pilot whales were killed on the final day of Nov. 22, 46 members of the pod in total. One pilot whale was taken captive, and the remaining members of the shattered family were transported back out to sea in slings. These small whales, likely juveniles, were abandoned at sea by the hunters because they would not produce much meat. Though they are left with little chance of survival on their own, they will not be counted in this season’s self-imposed quota which allows for a total of 1,873 cetaceans (including 101 short-finned pilot whales) to be slaughtered or captured.

Sea Shepherd’s supporters are calling upon U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, the United Nations, the Convention on Migratory Species and other officials and regulatory bodies in regular contact with Japan to intervene to bring sanctions against the nation for allowing this extreme cruelty to continue.

“Short-finned pilot whales are listed as ‘data deficient’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. There is simply not enough information known about their remaining wild populations. Migrating dolphins and whales are not infinite ‘resources;’ they are living and vital parts of the ocean eco-system that the nations and government agencies of the world must take action to protect before it is too late.

As Taiji continues to ruthlessly wipe out entire pods – multiple generations at a time – of wild migratory pilot whales from the sea, they may very well be driving pilot whales to extinction,” said Sea Shepherd Founder, Captain Paul Watson.

The Finland Four
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/the-finland-four/

ORCA MORGAN – FOUR YEARS AT LORO PARQUE
3 DECEMBER 2015 - 4:31PM

http://uk.whales.org/blog/2015/12/orca-morgan-four-years-at-loro-parque

In June 2010 a young female orca was found alone and emaciated in the Wadden Sea, near the Dutch coast. Under a permit for rehabilitation and release she was taken to the dolphinarium Harderwijk and nursed back to health. On November 29, 2011 Morgan was transported again – but not into a sea pen to be prepared for the release back into the ocean – this time she was shipped to Spain! A Dutch court had ruled that it was in Morgan’s best interest to stay in captivity despite the fact that there was a thorough multi-stage release plan prepared for her by orca experts. This decision was upheld even after an appeal hearing in front of the Dutch High Court in December 2013.

In this video a team of independent film makers shows how it could have felt for Morgan when she got separated from her family and ended up in a concrete tank.

At Loro Parque, on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Morgan is held together with 5 other orcas. Four of them were shipped to the park from the USA in 2006 and Adan, the youngest, was born on site in 2010. ALL the orcas are owned by SeaWorld Parks and Entertainments as SeaWorld also claims ownership of Morgan and lists her in their inventory. And this is not the only thing where Morgan has been failed as orca expert Dr. Ingrid Visser and attorney Matthew Spiegl uncover in their recently published white paper “CITES and the Marine Mammal Protection Act: Comity and Conflict at Loro Parque”. According to the permit under which Morgan was shipped to Loro Parque, she should be used for scientific research. However, the reality is that Morgan makes daily appearances in the shows doing tricks for the paying public. When she is not performing she is being held with Keto, a mature male orca. Offspring from this wild orca would bring a whole new bloodline into the SeaWorld orca stock. Of the 23 captive born orcas SeaWorld owns, 13 are blood related to the main breeding bull Tilikum, who featured in the 2013 documentary BLACKFISH.

The white paper was sent to the appropriate authorities in the Netherlands, Spain and also the US to investigate how a free-living orca from European waters could end up in the inventory of a US for-profit corporation.

Short Film Perfectly Captures Morgan the Orca’s Heartbreaking Plight

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/short-film-perfectly-captures-morgan-the-orcas-heartbreaking-plight.html#ixzz3trYyqrsu

SEAWORLD THREATENS CA COASTAL COMMISSION

Dec 10, 2015 | MARK J. PALMER, INT'L MARINE MAMMAL PROJECT

http://savedolphins.eii.org/news/entry/seaworld-threatens-ca-coastal-commission

On Thursday, October 8th, the California Coastal Commission granted SeaWorld permission to expand their tanks for captive orcas in San Diego, but required as a condition that SeaWorld end breeding of captive orcas and not move any orcas into or out of the facility.

Only a week later, on October 15th, SeaWorld announced they had retained a large legal firm and said they would fight the condition.

In their press statement, SeaWorld’s new President and CEO Joel Manby said, “the company intends to pursue legal action against the California Coastal Commission for its overreaching condition that would ban killer whale breeding at SeaWorld San Diego. Animal welfare is governed by federal and state laws that do not fall within the jurisdiction of the California Coastal Commission's appointed board.”

It is still not clear what specific action SeaWorld will take – they could appeal the Coastal Commission decision, or they could sue the Coastal Commission to overturn the condition in either state or federal court. In several subsequent missives, SeaWorld has continued to state it will challenge the Coastal Commission’s legal right to make such conditions on their permit.

But CEO Manby errs when he claims that the Coastal Commission does not have jurisdiction over the husbandry practices at SeaWorld. The California Coastal Act, a citizen’s initiative passed by voters to protect California’s coast, includes broad language setting out the Commission’s authority, especially over important marine resources, which includes orcas. The purpose of the condition passed by the Commission was a policy of ending the keeping of orcas in captivity in California – captivity, as the Commission learned from the substantial public record during the permit process, kills. Orcas in captivity simply do not live as long or as well as orcas in the wild, and ending captivity will help end the depletion of wild stocks of orcas.

In order to maintain captive orcas for the long run, the industry, including SeaWorld, must bring wild orcas into captivity to improve the gene pool and maintain males that are able to mate with females. Logically, those orcas have to come from somewhere, including possibly the California Coastal Zone. Even orcas caught outside the California Coastal Zone are protected by the Coastal Act, as long as they use California waters at some point in their lives. Current federal law, contrary to popular opinion, does not prohibit captures of wild orcas for captivity in US waters.

The courts have usually taken a broad interpretation of the Coastal Commission’s jurisdiction. Certainly, the welfare and dubious educational value of captive orcas in SeaWorld San Diego should be of concern to the agency responsible for the health and welfare of the coast and all its inhabitants.

It is also unclear whether SeaWorld will go forward with construction of the expanded tanks while their legal efforts continue. Likely, because the real purpose of expansion of the tanks was to breed yet more captive orcas to fill up the increased space (as opposed to providing more space for their existing orcas, as SeaWorld originally claimed as the purpose for the expanded tanks), SeaWorld will not proceed with any significant construction, at least pending a court decision in their favor.

Oddly, there are also indications from SeaWorld that they will not go forward ever with the proposed orca tank expansion anyway. Why would SeaWorld fight in court for a project SeaWorld is dropping?

Earth Island’s International Marine Mammal Project Team participated extensively in building the public record before the California Coastal Commission, provided copies of the documentary Blackfish to each Commissioner along with background information, and testified to the need to end breeding of captive orcas.

Earth Island will be active in the legal proceedings in support of the Commission in one form or another. We are making plans to intervene in any lawsuit filed against the California Coastal Commission by SeaWorld.

We are especially watchful that the Coastal Commission and SeaWorld do not reach some kind of internal agreement to prevent a lawsuit. Such a settlement, if it allows SeaWorld to continue to breed captive orcas, would be a betrayal of the public trust for wildlife.

Your support is needed to help fund our legal efforts in support of the Coastal Commission. Please consider a donation to our fund to support an end to the cruelty of orca captivity.

A CANDLE FOR CORKY - 46 YEARS IN CAPTIVITY
11 DECEMBER 2015 - 4:01PM

http://uk.whales.org/blog/2015/12/candle-for-corky-46-years-in-captivity

This year marks the 46th year of captivity for Corky, a member of the A5 pod in the Northern Resident orca community. Corky has now survived longer than any other wild orca taken during the capture era of the 1960s and 70s. Lolita, a Southern Resident orca held at the Miami Seaquarium, is a close second, captured in 1970; these two whales are the oldest living in captivity today. Corky was approximately four years old when she was captured, and had been given the designation A16 in the newly-established census of orcas in the Pacific Northwest. In the Pender Harbor roundup when she was taken, all twelve members of the A5 pod were temporarily penned while six were selected for sale to oceanariums. Corky lived in a tank with other pod members for a short period of time before being sold and transferred to Marineland in Palos Verdes, California, where she joined Orky, another member of the Northern Resident A5 pod who had been taken the year before - the two were likely related and possibly even as close as cousins. Corky and Orky were close companions for nearly twenty years, and Orky was the father of all seven of Corky’s calves.

While Corky languished in tanks, first at Marineland and then at Seaworld San Diego, giving birth to and losing seven calves in ten years, her family, the A5s, swam free. She has siblings, nieces, and nephews that she has never met. She has lost family members she will never know. Her mother, who Corky would have spent her life traveling with, died in 2000. In their matriarchal society, Corky would have acted as babysitter to her younger siblings and relatives, learning how to care for newborn and young family members from her mother and aunts until she had her own calves. The capture era left the A5s with just six individuals.

Corky is the only Northern Resident still alive in captivity today. The wild A5s now have twelve members, five in Corky’s immediate family. The demand to free Corky from a life of captivity and return her to a seapen in her native waters is going strong. With recent legal initiatives aimed at creating ocean sanctuaries for captive orcas, Corky is a perfect candidate for a return to her ancestral home.

This Friday, December 11th 2015, marks Corky’s 46th year in captivity. Please join us as we light a candle to honor her on this sad anniversary, and reflect on what her life could have been like with her family in the waters of British Columbia – swimming wild and free.

REMEMBERING RHAPSODY - ONE YEAR LATER

http://uk.whales.org/blog/2015/12/remembering-rhapsody-one-year-later

HOW WE SAVED ABANDONED DOLPHINS IN RUSSIA
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/how-we-saved-abandoned-dolphins-in-russia/

HORROR IN THE COVE AS STRIPED DOLPHINS SLAUGHTERED

December 18, 2015, Taiji, Japan:

https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/horror-in-the-cove-as-striped-dolphins-slaughtered/

When the first of two boats began to make their way back to the harbor, it seemed as if it would be a Blue Cove Day – one where no dolphins were killed or taken for captivity. However, moments after, a formation of seven boats appeared on the horizon, pursuing what seemed to be a huge pod of dolphins.

At one point, a large number of the pod broke free, presumably swimming out to open water. However, many animals remained under the control of the hunters, approximately 45-50, and were quickly driven closer and closer to the cove. The speed at which they were driven in was the first sign that this would be a particularly brutal drive.” ~ Tim Burns, Dolphin Project Cove Boss and Monitor

Dolphin Project’s Live Stream caught the repeated “banging” sounds as hunters hit the poles with hammers, creating an acoustic nightmare for the dolphins. They did their job, frightening and confusing them until they hovered just outside the cove. Even to human ears, the sounds were assaulting to the senses. As the water frothed from the boats revving their engines, jumping and splashing from the terrified animals confirmed their species to be Striped dolphins. At least one youngster was spotted swimming tightly beside an adult, with the entire pod’s fear palpable, even on camera.

The horror continued to unfold when several dolphins became stuck on the razor-sharp volcanic rocks at the entrance to the cove. Attempting to escape the surrounding chaos, they become bloodied, some of their injuries severe. Divers entered the water to pull them off, injuring them even further. Then, on the opposite side of the cove, a solitary dolphin thrashed violently, entangled in the nets. Over and over, the water churned as the terrified dolphin began to drown, while fisherman sat in their boat and simply – watched. No effort was made to assist the animal. After several long moments, the dolphins finally freed itself, but was promptly dragged to the killing cove where it met it’s final end.

Dolphin after dolphin was pushed, pulled and dragged underneath the tarps. Although this area is hidden from the view of the Cove Monitors, the sounds were torturous. Explains Tim Burns:

The sounds will haunt you, the sounds of their tails slapping on the surface of the water while they are being killed. Slap, slap, slap, loud, desperate and violent and then everything goes silent. Eerily silent.”

Slowly, the water began to discolor, becoming a rusty shade of red. And then the sounds ceased. Moments before, the cove was filled with life and wonder. Now there was only death. The final assault came in what sounded like bombs being dropped, as fisherman hauled body after body into awaiting skiffs.

The sheer brutality of these drives is stunning, where violence is commonplace and compassion is entirely absent.

Please help us end this madness – NOW.

Take the pledge to NOT buy a ticket to a dolphin show.

ORCA DIES AT SEAWORLD SAN ANTONIO
22 DECEMBER 2015 - 10:37AM

http://uk.whales.org/news/2015/12/orca-dies-at-seaworld-san-antonio

WDC is saddened to hear the news that Unna, a female orca held at SeaWorld’s park in San Antonio, Texas, has died. She was just 18 years old.

For the past few months Unna had been fighting a chronic fungal infection but failed to respond to treatment. She died on December 21st and SeaWorld announced that all orca shows would be cancelled at the park for the remainder of the day.

Unna is the third whale to die at the Texas park in the past 6 months. In November, a two year old beluga died of intestinal problems and in July a beluga died after being born prematurely.

Even though Unna was born in captivity she was 100% Icelandic. Her mother is Katina who was captured in Icelandic waters in 1978. Her father, Tilikum, who featured in the 2013 ground-breaking documentary, Blackfish, was captured from the same area in 1983.

(Note: Tilikum has been used to inseminate the majority of captive Orca females at SeaWorld.)

There are now 56 orcas held captive in the world today - 23 of these are at SeaWorld’s three American parks.

Some good news for a change, in light of all the brutal killings and cullings of dolphins, presently ongoing in Taiji and the deaths of the 3 Orcas enslaved by SeaWorld.

THE BABY BOOM CONTINUES
22 DECEMBER 2015 - 5:29AM

Last week, in the midst of the largest gathering of marine mammal scientists in the world (more on that later!), we learned that the Center for Whale Research had confirmed the seventh new calf this year in the critically endangered Southern Resident orca community. New baby J54 was spotted with 22-year-old mother Polaris (J28) – the totals for 2015 are now four new babies for J pod and three for L pod. Starting with Scarlet (J50), born in December 2014 and the first calf to survive since 2012, this small community has seen a baby boom not observed since 1977, when nine new calves were born (of those nine, five are still alive today).

Scarlet will reach the critical one-year mark at the end of the month; the first year of life is hard for new orca calves, with a mortality rate as high as 50%. We will keep our fingers crossed for all the new calves, though researchers are worried about what will happen in the next few years. Birth and death rates in the Southern Resident population are closely correlated to the coastwide abundance of their preferred prey, Chinook salmon, and while these new calves are likely a result of increased salmon runs (for some areas) in the past couple of years, the ongoing drought in the western US and the threatening massive El Niño this year puts the future of many salmon runs in jeopardy.

More babies are certainly needed in the Southern Resident community to help this fragile population recover, but they also mean more mouths to feed on a dwindling food supply, among other threats. WDC is working to restore rivers and salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest to help the Southern Resident orcas survive and thrive. Help us in our work by reading more here and by adopting an orca today!

And in the meantime, enjoy this video from the Center for Whale Research of new baby J54!

See link for video.

http://us.whales.org/blog/2015/12/baby-boom-continues

December 22, 2015
Large Pod of Bottlenose Dolphins Endures Brutal Capture and Slaughter in Taiji’s Infamous Cove

Hunters push a dolphin into the nets Photo: Sea Shepherd
Hunters push a dolphin into the nets Photo: Sea Shepherd
A large pod of approximately 85-90 bottlenose dolphins driven into Taiji, Japan’s infamous cove on Sunday, Dec. 20 (Japan time) was held for two nights by the dolphin hunters, without food or shelter, and forced to endure brutal captive selection and slaughter that claimed the freedom of 30 dolphins and the lives of 28-30 others.

On Sunday, Dec. 20 (Japan time), the pod was located by the hunters of the Taiji Fisherman’s Union and as the dolphins fought to escape the hunting boats, they were pushed toward shallow waters in three separate drives, until the entire pod was netted within the cove. The frightened bottlenose – including babies and juveniles, clinging to their mothers’ sides – were left in the cove overnight without food or shelter, to face continued horrors the following morning.

On Monday, Dec. 21 (Japan time), the hunters and trainers returned to the cove and began a violent captive selection process that saw a staggering 25 dolphins taken for captivity. Some did not survive the horrific ordeal and drowned in the cove. The newly captive dolphins will soon face a lifetime of imprisonment in captivity in facilities in Japan or overseas. Those remaining in the cove were left exhausted and searching for their missing family members throughout the night.
Captive selection resumed yesterday, Dec. 22 (Japan time) and five additional dolphins were taken for captivity as others were slaughtered under the tarps or died during the captive selection. In total, 28-30 dolphins were killed over the two days, between the slaughter and those who succumbed during the violent captures. Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s Cove Guardians witnessed hunters heartlessly consuming fresh dolphin meat outside the Taiji butcher house following these atrocities.

The remaining 25-30 dolphins were driven back out to sea, swimming quickly for open waters far from the deadly cove. Some were juvenile dolphins who had a hard time keeping up with the frantic pod in the chaotic drive. The Taiji hunters often dump or drive back out to sea juvenile and infant dolphins following the slaughter of their pods because these small dolphins will not produce much meat. Though they are left with little chance of survival on their own, the hunters do not count them in the season’s self-allocated kill quota.

Despite what Taiji’s fishermen contend about the separation of the captive selection and slaughter process, Sea Shepherd’s Cove Guardians have documented time and time again that the hunters and trainers work side-by-side to select the “prettiest” dolphins (those without visible scars) for captivity, while simultaneously slaughtering their fellow pod members. Dolphins enduring captive selection are forced to swim in the blood of their families. It is the profitable captive trade that allows the drive hunt to continue, and thus, raising awareness of the inextricable link between captivity and the slaughter has been a large focus of Sea Shepherd’s 2015-2016 Taiji Dolphin Defense Campaign, Operation Henkaku.

“Bottlenose dolphins are always a lucrative find for the hunters and trainers of Taiji because they are in high demand by marine parks around the world. These dolphins who swam free just days ago have been torn apart for nothing but greed and profit,” said David Hance, Sea Shepherd Campaign Coordinator. “Sea Shepherd believes that the drive hunt could not be sustained solely by the sale of dolphin meat for human consumption; demand for this meat is at an all-time low. The global demand for captive cetaceans is the true economic fuel that drives the hunting boats.”

Operation Henkaku
Visit our
Operation Henkaku
site for more information.
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2015/12/22/large-pod-of-bottlenose-dolphins-endures-brutal-capture-and-slaughter-in-taijis-infamous-cove-1786

Unna Is the 38th Orca to Die On SeaWorld’s Watch
December 22, 2015

Unna, an 18-year-old orca imprisoned at SeaWorld San Antonio, died this week after long suffering from the fungal infection candida. She was the daughter of Tilikum, an orca kept at SeaWorld Orlando who was the subject of the documentary Blackfish.

Born in captivity, Unna is the 38th orca used by SeaWorld to die far short of how long she was expected to live, although it is, in fact, hard to call it “living” when her “life” consisted of being taken away from her mother just before her sixth birthday, being impregnated when she was only 8 years old before giving birth to a stillborn calf, and being so deprived of enrichment and the opportunity to engage in natural behavior that she obsessively picked at the paint on the bottom of SeaWorld’s show pool floor until her face became badly injured.

While the infection that probably killed this orca is common in captivity, there is no evidence to suggest that the same is true of orcas in nature. PETA is calling on SeaWorld to stop sentencing orcas to miserable lives of deprivation in dismal tanks and start building coastal sanctuaries.

Orcas in the wild can live up to 50 years, on average, and have been known to live more than 100 years. Unna’s life was not even half as long as it should’ve been, and she never knew what it felt like to swim for miles in the ocean.

Thirty-eight dead orcas is 38 too many.

What You Can Do
No orca deserves to live or die in captivity. Please tell SeaWorld to stop breeding orcas and retire the remaining orcas at its park to a seaside sanctuary.

http://www.seaworldofhurt.com/breaking-unna-is-the-38th-orca-to-die-seaworld/?utm_campaign=23122015%20-%20SeaWorld%20Unna%20-%20Post&utm_source=PETA%20UK%20Facebook&utm_medium=Promo

SeaWorld … Still Raping Orcas

SeaWorld executives are determined to keep their orca mill in business. The California Coastal Commission's groundbreaking decision to require a ban on breeding at the San Diego park as a condition for building new tanks helped shine a spotlight on SeaWorld's true intentions—to breed more orcas, because each one who survives is a cash cow the company can trade, sell, or loan to some other miserable marine park in United Arab Emirates, China, Spain, France, or any other country.

SeaWorld has the gall to try to float the idea that breeding at SeaWorld is natural and that not allowing orcas to breed is inhumane. Let's be clear: Breeding at SeaWorld is not natural. It's rape. And that's a fact.

Here is just a glimpse of the slimy practices that SeaWorld is fighting hard to keep conducting:

A team of trainers first masturbate a male orca to get enough sperm to impregnate a female. Next, SeaWorld staff surround the female victim and shove cameras and tubes filled with the semen into her vagina. Those who resist are taken from the water, where they are completely helpless and vulnerable and are unable to swim away or fight back.

Tilikum, the orca whose severe psychological distress and aggression caused the death of three people, has been the most violated. Between these methods and others, his sperm has been used to produce 21 calves—though as of 2013, only 11 were still alive
Despite scientific studies showing that the average age that females begin to reproduce in the wild is 14.9, SeaWorld begins raping orcas when they're still children. The orca Kalia was artificially inseminated at SeaWorld at 8 years old.

Orcas are mammals like us, and they have developed instincts to keep them from inbreeding. In the wild, orcas choose their own mates. But there's no such freedom in SeaWorld's prison cells, and inbreeding is a problem—exacerbated by the psychological stress of being deprived of everything that is natural and important to them. Kohana, the second calf of rape at SeaWorld, was torn away from her mother at only 3 years old and sent to Spain. Kohana experienced an unnatural life from birth and had no mother to protect or comfort her. She ended up being inbred twice with her uncle Keto at the Loro Parque marine park. Never learning how to act as a mother, Kohana rejected both of her calves, and her second calf died within a year.

In 2006, Katina, another orca living a life of deprivation at SeaWorld, was bred with her own son Taku, making Taku both father and half-brother to the calf Nalani. Hardly natural.

SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby says the company believes that orcas have a natural right to reproduce. Since when is a company that forces multiton mammals to leap out of a barren concrete tank for dead fish while pop music blasts in the background concerned with maintaining animals' natural behavior? Indeed, this unnatural breeding and forced reproduction by way of rape is how SeaWorld maintains its pool of orca prisoners.

Urge the marine park to stop raping orcas!
Sign petition here:
http://www.peta.org/action/action-alerts/seaworld-still-raping-orcas/

Spinning Whales: New Site Fact-Checks SeaWorld

When 'Blackfish' hit movie screens, SeaWorld responded with its own website. Now animal rights activists are hitting back.

http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/09/29/seaworld-spin-site-challenged-scientists

SEP 29, 2015 David Kirby

The “fact-checking” is now being fact-checked.

That’s the latest in the war of words between SeaWorld and its detractors, who just launched a website that gives point-by-point rebuttals to the beleaguered company’s claims about the well-being of its killer whales.

SeaWorld Fact Check, as it’s called, is designed to “separate verifiable facts from corporate opinions or public relations spin,” according to the site’s introduction.

“This is not an advocacy site. It is a fact-check site, a tool that can be used by advocates but geared toward…anyone who simply wants the facts,” said Dr. Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist at the Animal Welfare Institute. “The debate about captive orcas is misinformed by SeaWorld and is therefore not a legitimate debate at all. This website is an effort to correct that.”

Rose manages the site alongside Dr. Ingrid Visser, founder of New Zealand’s Orca Research Trust, and prominent anti-captivity activist and blogger Candace Calloway Whiting.

Anti-captivity activists came up with the idea six months ago after SeaWorld launched its Twitter campaign, #AskSeaWorld. The hashtag allows members of the public to tweet questions to the company, which are then answered on a website called SeaWorld Cares. The project was designed to counter claims made in the documentary Blackfish, which criticizes SeaWorld for its treatment of orcas and alleges the company disregards trainer safety.

The Orca Life Span Argument

SeaWorld Fact Check takes on many of the company’s claims about its operations, including captive-orca longevity. For example, SeaWorld asserts that there is “no significant difference” between the annual survival rates of its captive whales and the survival rates of wild populations.

SeaWorld Fact Check calls that claim a statistical sleight of hand.

“SeaWorld claims that approximately 97 percent of all ‘known-age’ orcas in free-ranging populations die before they reach age 50,” SeaWorld Fact Check says. “By this simple trick of only considering ‘known-age’ orcas, they effectively drop a significant number of individuals out of this calculation.” In fact, killer whales can live 50 to 80 years, according to federal government scientists.

(Note: Granny is estimated to be 102 years old.)

SeaWorld also says recent data prove that the average life span for captive whales is 46 to 48 years. But as the new website points out, the company’s oldest captive-born orca, Orkid, is about to turn 27. According to the site, SeaWorld owns 25 captive-born orcas. About a dozen others have died since the first successful birth in 1985; most of them were much younger than 20.

“It should be clear even to non-mathematicians that an average life span of almost 50 cannot be accurate for a category of whale whose oldest member, living or dead, has yet to reach 30,” the site says.

Mother-Calf Separation Debate

The separation of orca mothers and calves is another highly contentious issue between SeaWorld and its critics. The company says it does not remove young whales from their mothers.

SeaWorld Fact Check takes issue with that assertion.

“SeaWorld has separated numerous mothers and offspring, including one at 10 months, one at 20 months and one at 24 months,” it says. “Other separations have occurred when the offspring were juveniles or adolescents.”

SeaWorld considers mother-calf separation to apply only to newborn killer whales, SeaWorld Fact Check says, but the “mother-newborn” definition is not science-based when it comes to orca pairs. “In a species such as orcas, offspring should be considered ‘calves’ until they are at least 5-10 years of age, the earliest age of separation/dispersal observed in the wild.”

The site challenges SeaWorld’s claims on other issues, including the overall health of its whales, the drugs it uses to treat the animals, and the safety of its trainers. It includes links to scientific papers and other sources to back up its rebuttals.

SeaWorld did not respond to a request for comment, but it may not be able to ignore SeaWorld Fact Check for long.

According to Rose, SeaWorld Fact Check received 8,500 hits in its first five days. One visitor was an editor from the Times of San Diego, who invited the group to submit a rebuttal to an opinion piece it published on Sept. 24 by five SeaWorld trainers on their relationship with orcas in their care.

But orca scientist Andy Foote, a biologist at the University of Bern in Switzerland, said that it’s difficult to compare captive and wild populations. “There are biases associated with each,” he said. “I think that both sides of the debate over keeping killer whales in captivity tend to emphasize certain aspects to make their case seem stronger."

As reminder as we celebrate with friends and family over the holidays and begin to look forward to future goals , it's important to look back as well to see what we would strive for in the future from past mistakes.

These are things I would love to see as never happening again.
All of the above posts except for the happy ones.
Those are few and far between, unfortunately.

I didn't start out to be such an advocate.
I was asked to sign a petition to deny Coral World a permit to create a dolphinarium here on STT.

I thought, "Well, gee, I love animals and seeing them.
WHY should I sign this petition?
I decided to read and research.
What I found then and have found, over the years, has appalled me.

I hope it has appalled you too and made you look at things differently.

I hope that in this coming year of 2016, we shall have much better care of the planet we live on and all that lives on it, whether it's human, wildlife, nature, above and below, the air we breathe, the life giving waters and oceans we depend upon.

Seriously people, we're here to be stewards and protect, not overlords to enslave, brutalize and destroy.

We have a big job to do because of careless ways we have allowed in the past. Let's not bring it to the future!
The future is tomorrow.

As a reminder:

http://www.seaworldofhurt.com/features/5-videos-seaworld-doesnt-want-see/

This is the result of the blooded waters , ongoing, right now,
in Taiji, Japan.

Just to cull enough "pretty dolphins" to amuse you when you buy that ticket.

Watch "The Cove " if you want an education on where all those "pretty little Dolphins" come from. Can't stomach it? That's the reality. Yes. It is incredibly hard to watch but necessary if you will learn what your "amusement park" ticket pays for.

Wake the heck up, damnit!
Don't buy a FRIGGING ticket!

TOPICS: DOLPHIN AND WHALE TRADE, DOLPHINS

Dec 30, 2015 | LAURA BRIDGEMAN

A federal bill to end dolphin and whale captivity throughout Canada was reintroduced by Nova Scotia Senator Wilfred Moore last week. The bill first made its appearance this past summer, at a time when the conservative Harper government held sway of Parliament. However, with the changing political climate in Canada – namely, the new Trudeau government – things may be looking up for the whales and dolphins.

The Ending of Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act aims to do just that – put an end to the display of cetaceans in aquariums throughout Canada. The act would expand Canada's existing criminal code provisions that prohibit abuse of animals to ban all acquisitions and breeding of cetaceans. Captures would only be allowed in instances where individuals are injured and need help.

Rob Laidlaw, director of Zoocheck, supports the bill, noting that it is long overdue in Canada. “It's been known for quite some time that the majority of Canadians support an end to the incarceration of these long-lived, wide-ranging, deep diving, highly intelligent, extremely social animals for public display purposes.” Zoocheck is one of several organizations supporting the bill, including Earth Island’s IMMP.

This bill follows legislation passed over the summer that makes imports, exports and breeding of orcas illegal in Ontario. In November, California Rep. Adam Schiff also introduced a US federal bill that aims to phase out orca captivity.

Films like Blackfish have focused the public’s attention upon the suffering inherent in cetacean captivity. Yet, many people remain unaware of the issue that lies beneath the overt suffering: that dolphins and whales are still considered property and are not legally entitled to their own lives. This is why cetacean captivity remains legal in Canada, as well as other countries around the world.

These bills represent the beginnings of a fundamental reconfiguration of the place of other animals within our legal systems and in our individual mindsets. For decades, we have had more than enough scientific evidence to prove that dolphins and whales, and likely many other species, meet and even exceed the criteria that enable human beings to be considered legal and moral persons. Our current laws are based on outdated information and so must evolve along with our knowledge.

Sonar, one of the organizations that advised on the bill, joins the growing chorus of voices that advocate for cetacean nonhuman personhood. Senator Moore’s bill is an important step in this direction. While it may not explicitly state a recognition of existent rights of the lone orca or the belugas being held against their will within the squalor otherwise known as Marineland, it reflects this growing understanding and respect of every cetacean’s inherent right to be free of captivity. It’s an acknowledgement of the rights of cetaceans to be the authors of their own lives, without human intrusion. Should it pass, the bill will effectively place cetaceans beyond the use of the entertainment industry in Canada.

Regardless of the outcome of the bill, the conversations that it initiates are of utmost importance. It is a harbinger of the gradual dismantling of human exceptionalism as we come to realize that we are not the only beings who matter, and not the only beings who recognize when our rights are impinged upon.

If you agree that it is time for us to recognize and respect cetacean’s rights to their own lives, please sign and share this petition.

http://wearesonar.org/2015/11/26/cetacean-nonhuman-personhood-petition/

Yogurt Cups, Food Wrappers and a Shoe Found in Stomach of Dead Orca

By: EcoWatch
January 3, 2016

Written by Lorraine Chow and reposted with permission from EcoWatch

Warning: Graphic images below

This. Keeps. Happening. Another whale has been found dead with plastic trash filling its stomach. This time, a 5.7-meter (about 18-foot) female orca washed up on Plettenberg Bay in South Africa, as News24 reported last week.

Marine debris is a major threat to aquatic life. This female orca was found dead in Plettenberg Bay in South Africa with her stomach filled with trash. Photo credit: Plett Hope Spot
Sadly, it appears that the whale had been struggling for some time in the surrounding waters before it was finally found stranded.

“For almost a week, a magnificent Orca has visited our Hope Spot and stayed in the Bay,” a Dec. 14 post from the Plett Hope Spot community Facebook page states. “After one successful rescue attempt to return it to the water after beaching last Thursday, by [the National Sea Rescue Institute], today our worst fears were confirmed—this great creature was found dead washed up on Lookout Rocks.”

After a necropsy was performed on the killer whale, items such as yogurt cups, the sole of a shoe, food wrappers, seagrass and tubed organisms were found in her stomach, according to Plett Hope Spot Chair and marine mammal researcher Dr. Gwen Penry.

Penry posted several photos of the contents found in the whale’s stomach onto her Facebook page. She wrote in the accompanying caption that while the orca’s organ and blood samples are still being analyzed to determine the exact cause of death, she suspects that the animal was “starving” because she didn’t have actual food in her stomach.

Items found in the orca’s stomach. “We can get a very good idea of the condition of the animal and what it was doing in the days leading up to it stranding by examining the stomach contents,” said Dr. Gwen Penry, who performed the necropsy. Photo credit: Dr. Gwen Penry
Items found in the orca’s stomach. “We can get a very good idea of the condition of the animal and what it was doing in the days leading up to it stranding by examining the stomach contents,” said Dr. Gwen Penry, who performed the necropsy. Photo credit: Dr. Gwen Penry
“She had very little real food in her stomach and the stomach lining was disintegrating,” she wrote. “We found several large pieces of plastic (yoghurt pots, shoe sole, food wrappers), seagrass and a lot of tubed organisms (yet to be identified). All of this suggests that she was trying to feed in the shallow areas of our bay.”

Of course, none of these items are part of an orca’s regular diet. “Killer whales off South Africa typically only feed on mammals (seals, dolphins) or large fish and squid,” Penry continued. “It is likely that this individual became ill and too weak to hunt with the rest of her pod so moved inshore and tried to feed on what was available and easy to find.”

Penry also told News24 about the whale’s grisly death that “we’re not sure whether it’s cause or effect, but she might have been trying to pick up anything she could. Or she swallowed something earlier on and it blocked her passages, so she felt full, but wasn’t digesting.”

It’s clear from a story like this (as well as many, many others) that plastic trash and other marine debris have a major impact on aquatic life. In October, EcoWatch wrote about a mature sperm whale found dead in Taiwan that had vast quantities of plastic bags and fishing nets filling its stomach.

A recent paper published by Environmental Research Letters, A Global Inventory of Small Floating Plastic Debris, suggested there are 15 to 51 trillion microplastic particles in the world’s oceans, weighing somewhere between 93 and 236,000 metric tons.

“This is roughly seven times more than what we thought before,” noted EcoWatch insights writer Marcus Eriksen about the comprehensive study.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/yogurt-cups-food-wrappers-and-a-shoe-found-in-stomach-of-dead-orca.html#ixzz3wIM6LA4p

RESTORING THE KLAMATH?
4 JANUARY 2016 - 8:57PM

http://us.whales.org/blog/2016/01/was-2015-last-chance-for-restoring-klamath

Sadly, another year has ended with no Congressional action on the Klamath agreements, and this time it spells serious trouble for the future of this historic compromise. A key component of the Klamath agreements is the removal of four dams on the Klamath River, a much-needed step to help struggling salmon populations in California, especially with the ongoing drought and looming El Niño.

River and habitat restoration on the west coast, which includes dam removal in some areas, is integral to helping salmon populations, the primary prey source for the critically endangered Southern Resident orcas. This small community of orcas, now numbering 84 with a remarkable eight new calves in the last year, has struggled to recover since being decimated by the captivity industry in the 1960s and 70s and subsequently listed under the Endangered Species Act in 2005. These orcas are fish specialists, and up to 80% of their diet consists of Chinook salmon – the largest, fattiest, and most energy-rich of the Pacific salmon.

NOAA L121
WINDSONG (L121), ONE OF THE NEW SOUTHERN RESIDENT BABIES, SWIMS WITH MOM CALYPSO
NOAA/CANDICE EMMONS

The survival of the Southern Residents is closely linked to coastwide Chinook abundance, now a fraction of its historic amount due to declining numbers, largely from habitat loss and dam impacts. Removing deadbeat dams that have outlived their intended purpose and end up doing more harm than good is increasingly seen as an economically and ecologically beneficial action for communities in the Pacific Northwest. River restoration means long-term recovery of salmon populations and gives wild populations their best chance to combat the increasing threat of climate change. Helping salmon populations recover is also vital to helping the Southern Residents, who are threatened by prey depletion, toxic contamination, vessel effects and ocean noise, among other things. These threats can also unfortunately act synergistically, and food-stressed orcas become more susceptible to other impacts.

The Klamath Agreements were supposed to solve the water problems of the Klamath Basin, which included a massive salmon die-off in 2002. After decades of fighting and legal battles between “arch-enemy” water users including fishermen, tribes, and farmers in the Klamath Basin, the opposing parties sat down together and hammered out the Klamath compromises, water pacts that aimed to solve the crisis and put an end to the constant fighting. The Agreements would restore the Klamath River for salmon, while giving farmers and ranchers greater certainly about water availability. An integral part is the removal of four dams on the Klamath, which have blocked salmon runs for nearly 100 years. Removing the four Klamath River dams is expected to re-open more than 300 miles of habitat for salmon, and restore up to 80% of the Chinook population. PacifiCorp, the owner and operator of the four dams, had signed on in favor of dam removal as an alternative to costly repairs and updates that would be required to relicense the dams for operation.

DamNation Iron Gate Klamath River
THE IRON GATE DAM ON THE KLAMATH IS ONE OF FOUR DAMS SLATED FOR REMOVAL.
MATT STOECKER/DAMNATION

The most remarkable thing about the Klamath Agreements is that they are entirely stakeholder-created – those that depend on the river took the initiative to create a plan for water in the region. Sadly, gridlock and staunch Republican resistance to anything including “dam removal” has all but killed the Agreements in Congress. Originally signed in 2010, bills to authorize the Agreements have been introduced and allowed to die out three times between 2011 and 2014. Although another bill was introduced in the Senate early in 2015, much of the year was spent waiting for a companion bill to be introduced in the House – a necessary step before any movement could occur. Unfortunately, a last-minute draft bill circulated early in December by Representative Greg Walden of Oregon completely eliminated dam removal from the plan, totally undercutting one of the cornerstones of the Klamath Agreements, and essentially putting the final nail in the coffin of the compromises.

With yet another year of inaction by Congress and frustration from the signatories of the water pacts, one tribe has already pulled out of the agreements, and more stakeholders are preparing their withdrawal after the end of the year – after 5 years of being stuck, the Klamath Agreements will unravel and likely be allowed to expire completely. PacifiCorp has indicated that they will move ahead with the relicensing process for the dams, which will require a public scoping process and massive updates to the dams to bring them in compliance with environmental and safety laws. For the Klamath Basin, without cooperation between stakeholders and some actual effort from Congress, the future of the river and everything that depends on it, people and ecosystems alike, is in jeopardy.

While we at WDC are incredibly disappointed with the stubbornness of Congress and its failure to act on these historic agreements, we are not giving up hope on restoring the Klamath for its salmon and the Southern Resident orcas. Relicensing the dams requires a regulatory process and input from concerned parties, and gives us another chance to point out the connection between the Klamath and the endangered Southern Residents. These dams may yet come down, even without the Klamath Agreements in place – a Plan B, and another chance, to save salmon in the Pacific Northwest.

Southern Resident orca calf J53

SEAWORLD’S CHRONICALLY ILL ORCA, UNNA, SUCCUMBS TO RESISTANT DISEASE

24 DECEMBER, 2015
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/seaworlds-chronically-ill-orca-unna-succumbs-to-resistant-disease/

On Monday, SeaWorld San Antonio announced that Unna, an 18-year-old captive orca, had died earlier in the day. Just shy of turning 19, Unna had been under intense medical treatment for a resistant strain of candidiasis, which had inflamed her bladder since September. She is the third cetacean that has died at the San Antonio park in the past six months, following the death of a two-year-old beluga named Stella, in November, and prior to that, a premature calf born died in July, after failing to gain weight during it’s first month of life.

An official cause of death has not been announced, but her infection could have been an influencing factor. Candidiasis is a common mycotic infection, forming lesions and ulcers in and around bodily orifaces. Marine mammals with the affliction, exhibit concerning behavior such as “gastric or esophageal distress, reluctance to swallow food, vomiting, head shaking and retching.” Needless to say, Unna had likely suffered greatly over the past three and a half months.

When caught early, a patient has a greater chance of recovering. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, the key causes of fungal infections are “stress, unbalanced water disinfection with chlorines, or indiscriminate antibiotic therapy.” Given Unna’s chronic tooth issues (several of her teeth needed drilling), it is plausible antibiotics were liberally prescribed as a preventative measure.

Unna was given medical treatment since news of her diagnosis broke in autumn. Over the next two weeks, when it became clear the initial barrage of anti-fungal medications were not making any progress in slowing the infection, veterinarians chose a different anti-fungal treatment that had been used intravenously for more than a decade to treat infections in humans but never on a cetacean. The last update on December 11th, hinted at a “cautiously optimistic prognosis” but was dampened by news of the alternative therapy’s results: Initial urinalysis results following the treatments were encouraging, but subsequent lab work showed she hadn’t fully cleared the infection.

While Unna had been at the San Antonio park for much of her life, she was not raised there. Born on December 27, 1996 at the Orlando park, she was the fourth calf for Katina; with her father being Tilikum, the subject of the 2013 documentary “Blackfish.” She grew up amongst her brother, Taku, and older sister Kalina, for the first five years of her life. In December 2002, she would be separated and sent westward to San Antonio, which was in dire need of replenishing their pools after losing three of their female orcas (Katerina, Haida 2, and Winnie) in the span of four years.

While described as “good natured and energetic” in her SeaWorld animal profile, her physiological and psychological health might have reflected a different reality. Former SeaWorld and Marineland Antibes killer whale trainer, John Hargrove, has spoken before about Unna’s habit of stripping paint off the tank walls, a probable contributing behavior to her broken and worn teeth. As stated in Hargrove’s book, Beneath the Surface:

“Unna went at the wall paint with such a frightening vigor that she bloodied and bruised her jaw. She would strip so much paint off the floor of the pool that I had trouble figuring out where I was while performing with the whales underwater, all the familiar geography of the pool having been transformed by Unna’s peeling.”

In addition, Hargrove elaborated how she had been on medication since 2006, following a miscarriage. Originally slated to be sent to Loro Parque along with Keto, Tekoa and Kohana, when it was discovered she was pregnant (in 2005), SeaWorld instead chose to send Skyla in her place. Veterinarians recommended that trainers separate her from the males during her estrus cycles, in order that she not become pregnant again. Other fungal infections stumped the most experienced veterinarians, who at one point suspected a food allergy and thus, smelt was eliminated from her diet.

With Unna’s passing, SeaWorld cancelled the rest of Monday’s shows. Yet on Tuesday, it was business as usual, as if nothing happened. The show must go on and indeed, it did, as the SeaWorld circus continued to profit at the expense of the animals

GRIM START TO NEW YEAR AS RISSO’S SLAUGHTERED

05 JANUARY, 2016

https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/grim-start-to-new-year-as-rissos-slaughtered/

After 13 consecutive “Blue Cove” days, with hunters taking time off during the holiday season, banger boats left the harbor first thing in the morning on January 5, 2016. Perfect weather for us – flat, calm seas and clear skies – are often indicative of looming trouble for wild dolphin pods which pass by this area as part of their migratory route.

Within 30 minutes of hunters searching for dolphins to kill or capture for captive “display,” splashes were seen on the horizon. Six banger boats were rapidly pursuing a pod, and 30 minutes after that, approximately 16 Risso’s dolphins were corralled into the cove. Nets were drawn across the water, preventing their escape, but the pod appeared more concerned with staying close together, as they swam tightly, their breathing, erratic.

Dolphin Project Live Streamed the drive, catching glimpses of the dolphins’ bulbous heads and blunt snouts as they were pushed deeper into the cove. Tarps were drawn, preventing us from seeing the fate which soon awaited the innocent animals. As disturbing as these images sound, the “sounds” coming from below our vantage point were just as unsettling. With fishermen yelling, engines revving and water churning – it was terrifying, and for an acoustically-driven species such as the Risso’s, the sounds would have been even more terror-inducing. And that’s exactly how dolphins are caught from the waters around Taiji.

When a pod is spotted, metal poles lowered into the water are repeatedly “banged” by hunters, creating a wall of auditory chaos. As dolphins attempt to flee from these sounds, banger boats herd the animals towards the shallow waters of the cove. To further control the pod, weights attached by ropes are thrown into the water, with the panic-stricken dolphins often injured by the boat’s engines. By the time the pod is irrevocably caught, with multiple strings of nets drawn to prevent their escape, many animals die as a result of exhaustion or injuries, even before the actual slaughter or captive selection begins.

Dolphins are routinely photographed by our Cove Monitors with various, bloody injuries sustained during the drives. Untold numbers die even before being netted into the cove, with these numbers not recorded against the seasonal drive quotas ” ~ Ric O’Barry, Founder/Director, Dolphin Project

Click here to view the year-to-date drive counts for the 2015/2016 season.

For the pod of unsuspecting Risso’s dolphins, their end came swiftly, with all 16 slaughtered and none selected for captivity. The remains of these beautiful animals were seen tied to the sides of skiffs, their tails roped together as their bodies were taken to the butcher’s for processing. Such an unfitting end to a species that wishes us no harm.

Rare Killer Whale Dies After Becoming Entangled in Fishing Gear
The death of Lulu leaves just eight resident orcas off Scotland.
http://www.takepart.com/article/2016/01/06/uk-orca-stranded?cmpid=tpdaily-eml-2016-01-06
JAN 6, 2016Taylor Hill

Scottish bird photographer John Bowler received an unwelcome text on Sunday from a farmer who had stumbled on a killer whale that had washed up on the coast of Scotland’s Isle of Tiree.

“I was expecting to see it when I went, but it was still a great shock and shame to see such a magnificent animal still in good shape dead on the shore,” said Bowler, who has been the head officer for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds on Tiree the past 14 years. “A great pity that the first-ever killer whale I should see should be under such circumstances.”

The 20-foot killer whale was identified as Lulu, a member of the rare resident population of orcas that live off Scotland’s west coast. According to the Hebridean Dolphin and Whale Trust, there may be as few as eight individuals remaining in the West Coast Community, which has not produced calves since the conservation group began studying the pod in 1992.

Andy Foote, a cetacean specialist with the trust, said the distinct shape of Lulu’s eye and saddle patches were used to ID the orca and matched photos taken of the animal off Scotland’s Isle of Skye in 2014.

“It is very sad to lose a member of this unique group,” Foote said in a statement on Monday.

An autopsy completed Wednesday by the Scotland Rural College’s Marine Animals Strandings Scheme found deep scarring and wounds around Lulu’s fluke, an indication that the animal’s tail was most likely wrapped in rope or other fishing gear.

“By the time we had heard of her stranding and travelled to Tiree, she had been dead for four days, so much of the internal organ structure had been lost,” Andrew Brownlow, the strandings team’s director and a veterinary pathologist, wrote on the group’s Facebook page. “Nonetheless we found convincing evidence that she had become chronically entangled and this was the most likely cause of her death.”

There were no ropes or fishing gear present when Bowler discovered the animal, so no determination of whether the wounds were caused by active fishing gear or abandoned equipment, often called “ghost” gear, could be made. If the ropes wrapped around her tail were attached to larger gear, it would have made normal swimming and foraging activities difficult. Lulu and her pod are known for hunting large prey such as dolphins and seals, which requires powerful swimming and agile maneuverability.

“We suspect the animal had been entangled for several days,” Brownlow wrote. “She hadn’t fed recently but had swallowed a large amount of seawater, most likely as she eventually succumbed to the entanglement and drowned.”

Lulu is the first killer whale the strandings team has encountered with entanglement scars, but the team reported an increase in entanglements in other whale species over the last year.

“In Scotland, we've only had 13 killer whale strandings in the past 20 years, of which only 8 were examined in any way,” Brownlow wrote in an email to TakePart. “There does seem to be an increase in entanglement [for other cetaceans] over the past few years, but we need to properly analyze the data to see if this is a real trend.”

With Lulu’s death, only three females remain in the West Coast Community, and chances of their survival are decreasing, according to Foote.

“It’s probably too late to save this group,” Foote said in 2011. “I do believe that they will become extinct in our lifetime which is very regrettable since not many people even know that such a distinctive group of killer whales exist just off our coast.”

At the time, he blamed runoff from contaminants such as fire retardants, pesticides, and manufacturing chemicals for polluting the whale’s feeding grounds and poisoning mothers and their calves.