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Emphasizing Animal Well-Being and Choice: Why Zoos and Aquariums Should Become Sanctuaries
By: Lori Marino
http://www.humansandnature.org/emphasizing-animal-well-being-and-choice
Posted : July 26, 2016 11:12 am
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Rescued killer whale spotted reunited with family
Researchers were hoping T46C2 would beat the odds
CBC News
July 14, 2015
Transient whale
Sam, a young transient killer whale rescued in August 2013, has since been spotted still reunited with its family. (Brianna Wright/DFO)
Fisheries and Oceans Canada researchers studying killer whales off the coast of B.C. have finally got the good news they've been waiting for two years — Sam, a young transient killer whale rescued in August 2013, was spotted reunited with his family.
The young orca, T46C2, was two years old when he was stranded in a small cove near remote Aristazabal Island on the North Coast of B.C. in the summer of 2013 for several weeks.
Scientists kept a close eye on the juvenile, hoping he would leave the bay himself. But after a few weeks, he remained in the bay and continued to call loudly and repeatedly for his pod and was not eating properly.
Researchers even made several attempts to entice Sam to leave the harbour by playing transient orca calls with an underwater speaker, but the young orca appeared to be afraid of passing through the harbour's entrance.
Sam was stranded in a small cove near remote Aristazabal Island in the summer of 2013 for several weeks.
Eventually he was rescued in August 2013 and left the cove, and researchers hoped he would beat the odds and reunite with his T064C group.
Two years later on July 2, DFO researchers spotted the young orca with its family. There was also another sighting of the whale with his mother the previous October by Oceans Initiative researchers.
"This is the best possible outcome," said Carla Crossman, Vancouver Aquarium research biologist.
"These sightings indicate that Sam has successfully reintegrated with its family and that like other maternally-related groups of killer whales, the T046Cs are maintaining social cohesion over long periods of time."
Transient killer whales, which are also called Biggs killer whales, are one of four distinct populations of killer whales that live off the west coast of North America.
Posted : July 26, 2016 11:16 am
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SeaWorld San Diego drops lawsuit over breeding ban
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-seaworld-breeding-lawsuit-20160727-snap-story.html
Posted : July 28, 2016 1:36 pm
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2020 Can’t Come Soon Enough For These Dolphins!
Posted : July 31, 2016 10:14 pm
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Superpod 5 - Dr. Lori Marino - The Whale Sanctuary Project: Back to Nature
Posted : August 1, 2016 12:00 pm
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COURT WON'T LET SEAWORLD GET AWAY WITH LYING
Aug 02, 2016
http://savedolphins.eii.org/news/entry/court-wont-let-seaworld-get-away-with-lying
Posted : August 3, 2016 1:21 pm
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BREAKING: SEAWORLD’S DEEP DECLINE IN 2ND QUARTER 2016 RESULTS
04 AUGUST, 2016
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/seaworld-deep-decline-2nd-quarter-2016-results/
Half a million people can’t be wrong…
…494,000 (to be exact) fewer people attended SeaWorld’s park locations in the second quarter of 2016 as compared to last year, according to a press release issued this morning by SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. That’s a 7.6 percent decline in attendance. Total revenues are down by $20.5 million, compared to the second quarter of 2015.
This report follows on the heels of the company’s first quarter 2016 results, where SeaWorld reported a staggering net loss of $84 million compared to a net loss of $43.6 million in the first quarter of 2015.
What do all these numbers mean?
People like you are making a difference.
It’s NOT okay to keep dolphins and other whales in captivity.
In an age where it’s mainstream knowledge that keeping dolphins and other whales in captivity was a failed experiment, with the National Aquarium in Baltimore leading the pack with plans to retire their dolphins to a seaside sanctuary, it’s no wonder SeaWorld is tanking.
Too big to fail? We think, not.
SeaWorld stock 8-4-16
SeaWorld’s refusal to acknowledge the real reasons behind their deep profit loss could result in a collapse of their present business model. Their refusal to allow for the retirement of dolphins and other whales has not gone unnoticed by the paying public.
Our focus remains on implementing and delivering on our strategic plan of creating experiences that matter, providing distinct guest experiences that are fun and meaningful…” ~ Joel Manby, President and Chief Executive Officer, SeaWorld Entertainment Inc.
Experiences that don’t matter to the animals, and are clearly not mattering to people, either.
Posted : August 4, 2016 12:43 pm
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Freedom! Dolphins Make Successful Move From Marine Park to Open Ocean
Five dolphins demonstrated their species’ adaptability and intelligence when they returned to the wild in 2013 and 2015 after captivity in South Korea, according to National Geographic. The dolphins were released by court order after spending years at the Jungman Pacific Land Marine Park in Jeju, a South Korean island. Evidence of their successful transition includes the March and April 2016 sightings of Sampal, a female released in 2013, swimming with a calf approximately three to six months old. Just a few weeks after their release, all five aquatic mammals rejoined their original pod off Jeju’s coast.
Over a 21-year period, Korean marine parks kept 26 captured dolphins illegally. The captivity continued until 2013, when the South Korean Supreme Court ordered that the five surviving dolphins be released. It was the first time a Korean court had ruled to protect dolphins, according to the Republic of Korea. While captive, the bottlenose dolphins went through training and performed in Korean shows. Before the five Indo-Pacific dolphins were released into the open sea, they were retrained for life in the wild. Their retraining included eating live fish and strengthening exercises to prepare them for the rigors of ocean life.
Jedol and Chunsam are the two dolphins released with Sampal in 2013. Taesan, a male, and Boksoon, a female, were released in 2015, because they were not strong enough for the 2013 release, states National Geographic. The five freed dolphins are doing well since returning to their native habitat, and the birth of Sampal’s calf is a testament to the resiliency of captive and released dolphins.
Researchers who are studying and tracking Sampal and her free dolphin companions are encouraged by what they see. With approximately 2,900 dolphins captive in marine parks, zoos, and aquariums worldwide, this success opens a door for others to be released. Retraining and releasing dolphins comes with a price that can run to hundreds of thousands of dollars per mammal, but many feel the goal is worth the cost.
Watch this amazing video of a wild dolphin cavorting in the water.
Posted : August 5, 2016 5:51 am
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VIDEO: KAYAKING WITH ORCAS
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/video-kayaking-with-orcas/
Wild and free as they should all be.
Note that one doesn't see the collapsed dorsal fins on wild Orcas so prevalent on those held in captivity.
Posted : August 5, 2016 1:30 pm
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This is a post from June 14.
Wonderful news!
NATIONAL AQUARIUM TO RETIRE DOLPHINS TO SEASIDE SANCTUARY
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/breaking-national-aquarium-to-retire-dolphins-to-seaside-sanctuary/
Now it's SeaWorld's turn to do the right thing!
Posted : August 5, 2016 4:40 pm
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World's Oldest Orca Still Going Strong At Age 105
By Stephen MessengerAug. 04, 2016
Seeing how effortlessly this majestic killer whale is leaping from the water, the purest expression of life and zest, you'd never guess just how many years she has behind her.
Granny, also known as J2, is believed to be the oldest orca on the planet. Estimates based on historical sightings put her age at about 105 years (give or take a dozen years) — but don't let that number fool you.
This old orca is still going strong. (Funny, SeaWorld says orcas only live to be 30.)
She was spotted recently by Orca Network photographer Heather MacIntyre, breaching like a rambunctious youngster off the coast of San Juan Island, in Washington state. There with her were two of Granny's adopted sons from her family group of Southern Resident orcas, called J pod.
They got in on the action, too.
Sadly though, such happy sightings have become increasingly hard to come by. Truth is, these animals are in crisis and could some day soon be gone.
"Moments like this are bittersweet," MacIntyre told The Dodo. "These whales are dying because they don't have enough to eat. People don't realize that if we don't do something to protect their food supply, we're not going to see them anymore. They'll all be dead in 20 years."
In the 1970s, this population of Southern Resident killer whales was devastated by marine parks like SeaWorld forcing their calves into captivity. That practice has been outlawed, but other dire threats remain.
At the heart of these orcas' current crisis is a shortage of Chinook salmon, a staple of their diet. The fishes' numbers stand at just 5 percent of what they were when Granny was born — meaning orcas in the region are dying off too, and ultimately human activity is to blame.
"We've lost 95 percent of our Chinook salmon out here," said MacIntyre. "Still, we're overfishing these salmon, and dams are still inhibiting their migration routes. It's unsustainable, yet people keep buying salmon. It's a huge problem."
Granny, with her unmatched knowledge of where to find food, is credited with helping her family group stay alive through these hard times — but she cannot do it forever, and she cannot do it alone.
"Granny has seen the days of 100 pound salmon. She's seen those days," MacIntyre said. "Now, with the salmon disappearing, she could be the last hope. We don't know how long she's going to live. I hope we can show the same compassion for her family that she does by taking action to protect them."
Posted : August 6, 2016 2:10 pm
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BRED FOR PLEASURE: SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS IN THE DESERT
25 JULY, 2016
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/bred-for-pleasure-swimming-with-dolphins-in-the-desert/
The Dolphins both rejoice in the echoing shores and dwell in the deep seas, and there is no sea without Dolphins.” ~ Oppian, “Halieutica,” Book 1
For thousands of years, dolphins have graced the myths of cultures throughout the world. There are narratives of dolphins rescuing people at sea; even dolphins and ancient Gods exchanging forms. By all accounts, dolphins have been respected, protected and in some instances, revered.
Fast forward to the modern world, where dolphins have been live-caught at sea, held against their will in captive facilities, and bred to fulfill the demands of those who crave a close-up encounter with the sentient mammals. Perhaps there is some truth to the cliche, “love is blind,” for those that support the captive and swim-with industries are indeed loving dolphins to death, and, at the very least, sentencing them to a life of servitude. As for those who who are brokering the animals and building new dolphinariums and marine parks, a different kind of love is involved: the love of money.
Taras, son of Poseidon, riding on a dolphin
Taras, son of Poseidon, riding on a dolphin after being rescued at sea
With an average ticket for an in-water dolphin encounter ranging from $100 to $200 USD per person, the profit potential is enormous. Coupled with the ability to accommodate dozens of people each day and a seemingly endless supply of “talent,” it’s no wonder so many swim programs are in operation.
The latest such venture – Dolphinaris Arizona – is slated to open in Scottsdale at the end of the summer. And while we shouldn’t be surprised, this news comes on the heels of other institutions, including the National Aquarium in Baltimore, looking to retire their dolphins.
Dolphinaris is one of the world’s leading providers of dolphin experiences.”*
*Source: Dolphinaris website
According to the company’s website, Dolphinaris is developing the “next generation” of dolphin experiences, and “hoping to deepen respect for dolphins.” It’s a little difficult to envision “next-gen” dolphin advocates emerging as a result of participating in encounters filled with gentle caresses and hugs and kisses.
Ensuring an endless supply of talent, Dolphinaris boasts their animals have all been born in captivity. The implication that it’s okay to factory farm animals for entertainment is not lost on us.
Now for the facts
Captive dolphins and food deprivation
Swim-with-dolphins (SWD) programs place extraordinary amounts of stress on captive dolphins, who may interact with over 50 tourists a day. According to a report by Delfines En Libertad, entitled “Report on captive dolphins in Mexico 2015, “The SWD activities have become a prime tourist attraction, with all major tour companies selling and promoting SWD excursions. The demand to swim with dolphins in captivity has enabled the Mexican dolphinaria industry to grow exponentially.” It should be noted that Dolphinaris Arizona is based in Mexico.
Dolphins undergo a grueling training regimen, to prepare them for SWD programs. They are trained into submission through food deprivation techniques, kept hungry so they will perform on demand. They are routinely medicated to combat the physical and psychological stresses placed upon them. As such, many die prematurely due to illness or stress-related disorders.
In this industry, it is considered the norm for dolphins to be confined in tiny, chlorinated tanks, where they are subject to relentless sun exposure (often resulting in sunburn), noise pollution, continuous human interaction and water toxins. The majority of dolphins who participate in SWD programs clearly show physical indications of overwork such as persistent open wounds and abrasions as a result of the encounters.
What you can do
Take the Pledge to NOT Buy a Ticket to a Dolphin Show
Sign the petition: A Big “NO” to Captive Dolphins in Arizona!
Read, learn and share: Orcas and other Dolphins Do Not Belong in Captivity
Featured Image: Cara Sands
Posted : August 6, 2016 2:23 pm
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SeaWorld probably won’t exist soon, and it's all thanks to 'Blackfish' supporters
The amusement park is seriously tanking.
Posted : August 6, 2016 8:53 pm
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PETA Urges SeaWorld to Allow Last Orca Mother to Give Birth in Seaside Sanctuary
August 9, 2016
http://www.ecowatch.com/peta-urge-seaworld-last-orca-mother-birth-seaside-sanctuary-1965538356.html
Posted : August 10, 2016 1:24 am
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BAYWORLD PLANS TO REVIVE DOLPHIN EXHIBIT FOR A THIRD TIME
02 AUGUST, 2016
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/bayworld-plans-to-revive-dolphin-exhibit-for-a-third-time/
Back at the start of July, Port Elizabeth’s Sport, Recreation, Sports and Culture Department and mayor Danny Jordan announced their plans to revive the once-popular South African oceanarium, BayWorld. After placing management of the BayWorld facility, along with the attached museum complex into the hands of the metro, a cash injection of R300 million (approximately $20.8 million) will be granted to the department.
Once a hubbub of crowds, flowing revenue and activity, BayWorld has become a ghost town since 2009. While the penguins, reptiles and some fur seals remain at the park, it is now a crippled shell of its former self. Scroll to end of blog to view drone footage taken by The Herald on April 13th:
Currently, BayWorld’s last two Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, Domino and Dumisa, are out of the country. Because Dumisa is a product of a mother-son mating, there were fears of further inbreeding, and the decision was made to transport the park’s two dolphins to Ocean Park Hong Kong in July 2009 on a breeding loan. Domino would go on to sire another calf of his own in 2011, while Dumisa is reportedly still ‘learning the ropes’ of raising offspring by observing other pod members.
Given its state, a monetary boost like this could help the park get back onto its feet. However, rather than reinvent the park, Sports and Recreation MEC (Municipal of the Executive Council) Pemmy Majodina promised Port Elizabeth could return to its former glory – with the help of its returning dolphins. She commented:
Once we are ready, the dolphins must come back. Bayworld is characterised with these dolphins; they must be named with African names… this institution must be reshaped.”
Former BayWorld director, now current educational and training director for the Port Elizabeth Museum, Sylvia van Zyl, said while Domino and Dumisa couldn’t return to South Africa due to breeding loan agreements, their offspring could:
They will probably not bring any of the breeding animals here and this has been the arrangement with the breeding facility and a presentation facility, so if the Hong Kong people agree the dolphins can come back to South Africa, this will mean that there has to be a facility of the right standard.”
This announcement was met with a healthy amount of skepticism. South African tourist blogger and commentator, Martin Hatchuel, wrote how it is highly unlikely dolphins will ever return to Port Elizabeth mainly due to the lengthy mandate process, along with a public participation process. Additionally, the proposed R300 million hasn’t even been set aside for the project.
Other local organizations such as Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism, have expressed disappointment, commenting how they would “like to see Bayworld redeveloped as a multi-purpose venue,” rather than try to spend so much effort into rebuilding the facility’s past self.
This hefty grant of money would not be the first generous donation. The municipality overseeing the facility pledged at least two other times – once in May 2010 with a promised R484 million plan, and in August 2012 with a R10 million cash injection – to revive the park. Only did the park receive the R10 million to revamp the penguin and seal pools, which still ended up being far too small. In fact, due to the cash crunch, Bayworld eventually released their pair of ragged-toothed sharks that was kept in BayWorld’s aquarium for nearly 20 years in July 2011.
Aside from this squandering mess of empty promises and misused funds, it’s also abundantly clear the Port Elizabeth government is out of touch with rest of the world. Given the growing sentiment against cetaceans in captivity, most are left wondering how on earth could the Sports and Recreational Department think this is even a safe idea?
BayWorld’s rival, uShaka Marine World (formerly SeaWorld Durban), located in Durban, could be one answer. Given uShaka’s success since its re-opening in 2005, it wouldn’t be surprising to think Port Elizabeth is itching to get back in the dolphinarium business and get a piece of the pie. (Prior to Domino and Dumisa’s move to Hong Kong, BayWorld had approached their competitor in hopes of collaborating to swap dolphins and jump start a breeding program, but talks fell through).
The Port Elizabeth government appears to be avoiding addressing the elephant in the room. Even in its ‘better’ days, BayWorld had been under fire for animal abuse accusations and a slew of dolphin deaths. According to the Wildlife Action Group (WAG) in December 1999, at least 33 dolphins had died at the facility since its inception. Due to BayWorld’s lack of transparency and no access to government records, this number cannot be confirmed.
BAYWORLD HISTORY 101
Originally called Port Elizabeth Oceanarium until its name change in 1999, BayWorld first opened with four Dusky dolphins in 1960 (Petunia, Peter, Patsy and Paul), all captured in the Cape Town area. They would last only a few months, given their pelagic nature and higher sensitivity to stress. The facility would go on to capture another unusual species – humpback dolphins – in 1963; only one would live beyond 1972, as briefly mentioned in a 1973 Behaviour report. Their last notable denizen would be Frizbee, a striped dolphin that was found stranded in May 1985. He would live his days as an untrained resident until his death in May 1990, from reported kidney failure.
The oceanarium’s first bottlenose dolphins, Haig and Dimple were caught in 1962; the latter would die a month after capture. Three more replacements, all females, were captured a year later. Two would die, leaving the lone survivor, Lady Dimple, to be Haig’s only companion. Between 1964 to 1981, seven more dolphins would be captured for the South African park.
Following the arrival of two dolphins in late 1967, Daan and Dolfie, Lady Dimple fell pregnant and would give birth to South Africa’s first calf on December 12, following the opening of the new Dolphin Lake exhibit. After a nationwide contest, the female calf was christened Dolly.
1973 calf_Unidentified_Artefacts
Unidentified Bayworld dolphin with calf, 1973. Courtesy Artefacts.co.nz.
While their captive breeding program would slowly take off, it was more or less a convenient facade to hide the oceanarium’s ongoing troubles. For much of 1964, BayWorld wrangled with a vague mention of “illnesses” among the dolphin colony.
In August 1976, the staff was forced to release Daan (Dolly’s father) back into the wild, after keeping him in captivity for a little over a decade. While BayWorld’s statement has always been “he grew too big,” according to Nick Carter of Dolphin Action and Protection Group, his release was due to Daan’s increasingly aggressive behavior. Carter elaborated: “Not only did he threaten human beings, but he prevented other dolphins in the oceanarium from performing their circus acts.”
The bad luck continued:
In 1979, five dolphins – Dolfie, Snappy, Flash, Themba and Mamolani – would perish within the year. Later in the year, Colin Tayler, former dolphin trainer and BayWorld curator of ten years, would break his silence on the long line of deaths. Considering how he was the driving force behind building the oceanarium’s dolphin shows, his statements weight as he told the Cape Argus how he believed “stress was the main cause of three recent dolphin deaths.”
After Daan’s departure, a female named Malia was captured in 1977, serving as his replacement, yet she was kept in an offsite retaining pool after staff mistakenly believed she was pregnant. Her only toy and source of company was a child’s plastic surfboard. She would then fall ill with klebsiella pneumonia infection in 1979, and managed to fight it off, before finally being placed in the Dolphin Lake along with three other dolphins caught that year.
In mid-1980, she was moved to the offsite pool again, due to repairs on Dolphin Lake. A year earlier, Dolly had developed ulcers after ripping off and ingesting chunks of the pool lining. A few weeks later she would catch a respiratory disease and wither away to her death that September, despite 5-hour feedings and a range of antibiotics.
Lina Clokie_Dolphins of Port Elizabeth scan
BayWorld, approx. 1990-1993. Scanned from “The Dolphins of Port Elizabeth” by Lina Clokie; courtesy Port Elizabeth Times.
BayWorld appeared to ‘catch’ a break starting at the end of 1981, following the arrival of Thandi. After blood tests showed Thandi was heavily pregnant, a male calf was born six weeks later during an afternoon performance and was named Simo. BayWorld’s next captive born calf would not happen until 1990, when Domino was born to Dolly.
The good times would unravel for BayWorld in 1995, losing three dolphins – Lady Dimple, Thandi, and Simo – in a six-month period. Their cause of death, however, only came to light five years later, in November 2000, when Cape Argus newspaper published damning details brought by former BayWorld consultant, Debbie Young.
The first to go was Simo: after trainers began withholding food as punishment for not performing “up to standard” in February, his behavior took a bizarre turn. Dairies kept by the trainers jotted down his behaviors:
“off, slow, lazy, screaming”; “flat, sluggish and screaming”; “pathetic and slow”
“battling to do anything energetic”; “everything an effort, lying on bottom of pool, mouth pale;” even “madly in love.”
However, they were oblivious to that fact Simo was not being ornery, but genuinely suffering from a stomach and intestinal blockage. After his death on June 6th, he weighed a mere “186k (410lbs), having lost 12kg (26 lbs) in less than a month.” At his necropsy:
… his distended stomach contained 19.5kg (43 lbs) of wet sand, 22.5kg (48 lb) of stones, 3kg (6 lbs) of undigested food and 750 grams (1.6 lbs) of broken tile bits from the pool.
Shortly after Simo’s death, Lady Dimple stopped eating. Over the course of a month, she deteriorated “such an extent that oceanarium staff were forced to put her down” at the age of 45. The cause of her death was never released.
Thandi was the last, dying in October; the exact cause of her death, too, was undisclosed. The previous August, she had developed an abscess on the side of her head, and was given daily treatments for more than a year. She was subject to multiple “injections, gastroscopes, x-rays and biopsies.” BayWorld staff sought advice, and a marine mammal vet from Belgium flew in but assistance had come too late. In the end, the cause of her abscess could not be determined; her liver turned yellow and organs bleached white from the prolonged antibiotic treatment.
Following this spate, Sylvia Van Zyl stated the the construction activities around BayWorld, which had been ongoing 18 months prior to the dolphins’ deaths, were to blame:
This construction brought with it unrelenting noise, dust and plastic pollution and, on completion, resulted in a spate of unauthorised nocturnal intrusions into the dolphin’s environment by irresponsible and thoughtless youths.
It is believed that these events had a role to play in Simo’s behavior, swallowing foreign objects, and the unsuccessful treatment of Thandi’s abscess.
Trespassers had been an issue. Two men and a woman somehow managed to scale the facility’s spike-topped walls and were found skinny dipping and harassing the dolphins one night in 1995. While intruders and noisy construction were legitimate causes of stress among the pod, the blame should have equally been placed on the trainers, who were also responsible for Simo’s death. Explained Debbie Young:
… stones had in fact been deliberately introduced by the trainers as “toys” for the dolphins to stimulate them in the otherwise barren surroundings of their pool. But none of the trainers had noticed how many stones were being given to the dolphins and how many were being recovered.”
As well as the stones, it appeared Simo had attempted to eat every object he had found in the pool.
Even with the beans spilled, Van Zyl and the rest of the staff had approached the Department of Marine and Coastal Management for a capture permit for four Indo-Pacific bottlenose. The request was given unanimous approval by the board of trustees. In March of the same year, BayWorld had also been given the green light by marine mammal vet, dolphin broker and catcher Dr. Jay Sweeney, who described BayWorld as an “fully acceptable [facility] and in accordance with international standards.”
There was a catch: at least R30,000 ($1,900) was needed not only for the capture expenses but for the general upkeep of the remaining dolphins. Van Zyl said “the board [of trustees] had some funds set aside for exceptionally important projects.” Evidently, the lack of cash would be the deciding factor for more wild captures.
THE PAST DECADE
BayWorld’s fears of inbreeding came true on October 9, 2000, Dolly would give birth to her son’s offspring, Thunzi. Her life, however, would be cut short under mysterious circumstances. On September 7th, 2003, she was found floating in the pool with a wound to her head by trainer Robin Greyling. There have been persistent allegations that she had been bludgeoned with a blunt object. Indeed, in initial reports, police were investigating how one of BayWorld’s back gates had been forced open, but those had been quickly deemed false. In the end, the cause of death was due to a heart defect.
Dolly would go onto have another calf with Domino, another female named Dumisa, in September 2004. Dumisa, still nursing at the time, would become an orphan at four months old when Dolly suffered from a fatal stroke on February 24, 2005. BayWorld managed to hand-rear her until she was old enough to take fish.
PRESENT DAY
Being fully aware of the facility’s lack of transparency about the welfare of their animals, including the dolphin’s death rate, would it not be a much wiser decision to use the money to further expand the Cape fur seal’s exhibitions, and turn the former dolphin pool into a rehabilitation pool for marine mammals? Striped dolphins, for example, have become stranded on the Port Elizabeth coast (and returned safely back into the wild in some cases). What harm is there in providing a much-needed service for wild marine mammals, possibly for the long term? The Port Elizabeth community is clearly interested in the wildlife off their coast, given the whale and dolphin watching tours that are currently offered. With todays’ technology, visitors can keep tabs on rehabilitating patients with webcams, much like those of the Pacific Marine Mammal Center.
If BayWorld wants advice, here’s some: as Majodina said, “reshape the institution.” This crumbling oceanarium can’t expect to return to its former self – at least, not with these skeletons rattling in the closet
Posted : August 10, 2016 4:49 pm
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SeaWorld saga illustrates the power of the people
Posted : August 10, 2016 9:33 pm
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WILL THE NEW SCREENS AT SEAWORLD MAKE ORCAS EVEN SADDER?
Aug 11, 2016 | LAURA BRIDGEMAN
http://savedolphins.eii.org/news/entry/will-the-new-screens-at-seaworld-make-orcas-even-sadder
SeaWorld has announced that, beginning next year, they will "transform" their orca shows, claiming that they will become more “natural” than their typical circus-style with loud music shows. The move is part of their efforts to wipe clean their tarnished image and address nose-diving attendance. But the planned “natural” additions could spell increased mental anguish for captive orcas.
Beginning with the San Diego facility, SeaWorld’s plans involve modifying the tanks to include rocks, trees and other symbols of the wild (it is not clear whether the inside of the tanks will change to become any less barren than they currently are). Replacing the gaudy theatrical videos played during performances are what appear to be screens that will depict wild orcas in their natural habitat. According to the science, however, this could take orca psychological torture to a whole new level.
Two separate studies conducted with captive bottlenose dolphins, one in 1989 and one in 1992, concluded that dolphins recognize content on television screens as being representations of reality. During one of the experiments, dolphins were taught to mimic the behaviors of a trainer. They were then shown a video of a trainer throwing a ball through a hoop. After watching the video, the dolphin retrieved the ball in his pool and proceeded to the hoop for his “layup”. As the researcher points out, “the dolphin does not attempt to retrieve the ball shown on the TV screen, instead retrieving the ball in his own tank”. The dolphins were able to recognize their human trainer on the TV, despite the images being greatly decreased in size and quality (particularly TV screens from that era ), and were able to mimic the behavior as they had been trained. In other words, they immediately understood the content of the video and that it represented reality.
“Based on what science has determined about orca neurobiology, psychology, cognition, and behavior, it is obvious that these orcas would have some understanding of what is being shown,” says Dr. Toni Frohoff, Director of Research at Sonar and cetacean scientist for In Defense of Animals.
“What might orcas Tilikum, Katina, Corky, Kasatka and Ulises, all of whom were captured from the wild, think about seeing what could easily be their natural homes, and even their own families - yet not being able to actually communicate with - or experience them? This could be one of the cruelest forms of psychological torment for captive orcas possible.”
Based on how they treat orcas, SeaWorld seems to believe that the whales simply do not understand or think about their environment. But the evidence strongly suggests otherwise. “SeaWorld needs to begin taking cognitive science into account when thinking about what is best for cetaceans,” says Frohoff. “SeaWorld needs to recognize the potential cruelty of these marketing tactics."
This is not to say that we should anticipate any overt reactions from the orcas who will be regularly exposed the screens as they go through their trained routines. Cetaceans appear to have a knack for accepting their situations with relative (and surprising) grace – at least, this is how it appears to us. But, just because orcas cannot express how they feel to SeaWorld trainers in English does not mean that homesickness and suffering are not felt. Stress is a leading cause of health problems in captive cetaceans.
It appears abundantly clear that SeaWorld’s new “natural encounters” are designed to exclusively benefit human customers and SeaWorld executives. If SeaWorld truly wanted what was best for the whales, they would be exploring retirement options to a seaside sanctuary. But they continue to make that clear that intend to make money off of cetaceans for as long as they are able to survive.
IMMP is leading efforts to retire captive orcas and other cetaceans to sea pen sanctuaries that provide an ocean experience while still providing food and vet care to orcas and dolphins. Please consider a donation to help our work.
Posted : August 11, 2016 8:20 pm
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TAIJI PREPARES TO STEAL LIVES FOR PROFIT
11 AUGUST, 2016
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/taiji-prepares-to-steal-lives-for-profit/
Posted : August 12, 2016 4:08 pm
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Dolphins Just Want To Have Fun!
Dolphins Line Up to Ride Some Waves!
Posted : August 13, 2016 4:42 am
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Countdown to another brutal killing season
BY ORDERNORAINBOWS ON AUGUST 14, 2016
https://ordernorainbowsactivist.wordpress.com/2016/08/14/countdown-to-another-brutal-killing-season/
Posted : August 14, 2016 3:55 pm
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SeaWorld weighing in on orca bills
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-cfb-tourism-column-081516-20160814-story.html
Posted : August 14, 2016 4:21 pm
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Hudson Bay webcam whale research gaining international attention
Posted : August 15, 2016 5:39 pm
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What Do Humans and Killer Whales Have in Common? More Than You Think
Posted : August 16, 2016 4:58 pm
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SeaWorld Can’t Seem to Recover
2016-08-16 by Jason Tannahill
http://everything-pr.com/seaworld-cant-recover/83365/
SeaWorld Can’t Seem to RecoverWhen Blackfish exploded onto the scene, some people said it was the beginning of the end for SeaWorld Adventure Parks. Others said, no way, they can ride this storm of bad publicity out until it passes. It’s possible they were both right. SeaWorld is managing to make it through, but it still may not be enough.
Shares of SeaWorld Entertainment dropped (again) in recent trading, as much at 14 percent. Then again, company profits have shot up when compared to this time last year, even as revenue fell a bit. Attendance at the company’s five parks fell by as much as 500,000 guests.
SeaWorld is trying to blame tropical storms and changing vacation patterns, but anyone with even a cursory understanding of this issue knows the problem is almost entirely PR. There’s an entire generation coming up that is diametrically split on whether or not to take their kids to SeaWorld.
In every conversation or statement about the downturn and sales numbers, there is a committed refusal to mention PETA or Blackfish or any of the fallout out from the near constant barrage of negative publicity since the movie originally aired.
Worse, even when they tried to do something to respond, they got it wrong. First came a series of lawsuits, then a PR campaign meant to address and strongly counter the allegations brought by Blackfish. Both had an undesired effect. First, the lawsuits. When SeaWorld San Diego agreed to enlarge their orca holding tanks, part of the settlement was a ban on breeding orcas in captivity. Sea World is fighting that ban … and they are losing both in court and in hearts and minds.
The PR campaign was openly mocked, ridiculed by partisans and undecideds as little more than propaganda by employees and others with a financial reason to “love” SeaWorld.
It’s true the company missed a strong opportunity to both introduce their trainers but also to connect with viewers who were emotionally traumatized by what they saw in Blackfish. After they watched the movie, it didn’t matter as much that an objective review of the film could find many flaws. People stopped being objective about the issue altogether. They were now emotionally charged up, and SeaWorld failed to account for that. They tried debate, when people really wanted reassurance and encouragement that something they loved as a kid they could still love as an adult, without any guilt.
The road ahead is murky for SeaWorld, both due to outside attacks and as well because their attempts to undo some of the damage have not panned out. There’s still time to right the ship, but that window is closing fast.
Posted : August 16, 2016 5:14 pm
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VIDEO: SUPERPOD OF SPINNER DOLPHINS IN CALIFORNIA
16 AUGUST, 2016
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/video-superpod-of-spinner-dolphins-in-california/
Posted : August 17, 2016 12:29 pm
