FL - Dawn Brancheau, Female Trainer Killed at Shamu Stadium

[Herding Cats]

I came across this site when searching for rehabilitation for orca...

http://www.freemorgan.org/

She is being held in Lorco Parque, where Alex Martinez was killed 2 months before Dawn was.

Visit the site, and read...maybe there's something we can do for her? I don't believe adults can be rehabilitated to be able to survive in the wild, but she's still pretty young, and they know where her family is...also, read about Springer. Uplifting and good story there.

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Herding Cats

 

[jon_burrows]

I came across this site when searching for rehabilitation for orca...

http://www.freemorgan.org/

She is being held in Lorco Parque, where Alex Martinez was killed 2 months before Dawn was.

Visit the site, and read...maybe there's something we can do for her? I don't believe adults can be rehabilitated to be able to survive in the wild, but she's still pretty young, and they know where her family is...also, read about Springer. Uplifting and good story there.

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Herding Cats

Morgan's life is eerily similar to Tilikum's. She is injured constantly by the other orcas and forced to do circus tricks for food. Sadly, it looks like she will be used for breeding by SeaWorld if she isn't returned to her pod soon.

"In 2006, SeaWorld sent four young whales, all born in captivity, to Loro Parque on a renewable 25-year loan in exchange for a percentage at the box-office and ownership of offspring produced at the park."

http://www.takepart.com/article/201...te-seaworld-orcas-dysfunctional-spanish-tanks

"Morgan has accumulated over 650 bite marks and over 100 attacks were observed. Some were so violent that Morgan was physically lifted out of the water by the force of the ramming. Loro Parque is now trying to breed Morgan, even though she is underage."

"The captivity industry desperately needs a calf from Morgan in order to get new blood into their severely inbred population. This is the real reason they are keeping Morgan."

http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/12/03/who-owns-morgan-killer-whale-leading-orca-expert-weighs

Animal activists are trying to return Morgan to the wild. They are also trying to stop the abuse of SeaWorld's orcas at Loro Parque.

 

[jon_burrows]

Thanks I am going to look that up I have been doing a lot of Googling on the issue it's sickening I really hope something good comes out of this documentary being shown it sounds like Sea World is experiencing major backlash.

Blackfish will cause some to question whether or not they really want to purchase a ticket to SeaWorld. Time will tell if the public can stomach a show at SeaWorld knowing what's going on behind the blaring music and circus tricks.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

ITA

Unfortunately there is only so much they can fit into an hour long documentary. There is much more that SeaWorld does not want the world to know. There is a book called 'Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity' that gives even more disturbing facts about captive orcas. I borrowed it from my local library - excellent book.

Blackfish is 2 hours.

And you are right, the book is excellent and very informative. At least so far. I'm on chapter 9. Downloaded it to my Nook after watching Blackfish twice.

 

[jon_burrows]

There is a segment in Blackfish where a trainer said she started working at SeaWorld at the age of 18. She also stated that she and the orca grew up together. She goes on to say she witnessed all four of the orca's births. I'll post about what happened to those calves later (heartbreaking). The trainer then does a 'head shake', the command for an orca to bob their head up and down so it looks like they are gesturing 'yes'. The orca missed the queue. Trainers do the same with Tilikum in another segment. Anyway, the orca was Kalina. She died at the age of 25. She was the fourth orca death at SeaWorld in 2010, along with 12 year old Sumar, 20 year old Taima, and a stillborn calf.

http://theorcaproject.wordpress.com...aworld-kalina-fourth-orca-casualty-this-year/

 

[Boytwnmom]

on this today while I was on my Ipad and this thread showed up as one I had participated in. I was unaware of the Blackfish movie and have now managed to miss all the showings but hoping CNN will continue to add move as I can't find it on Netflix, HULU, HBO/Showtime OnDemand.

I did catch an interview with the filmaker which led me to the various available videos about Tili, Seaworld etc. I have always been against SeaWorld and have always refused to visit but I have not really followed this issue steadily. But this has definitely caught my attention as it's actually worse than I imagined. I see Tili as being psychologically and psychically tortured beginning with being kidnapped from her mother and pod. These creatures clearly communicate and each pod actually has its own language, "customs" etc so you can;t just plunk random animals together to form a "family". From what I heard/read, males stay with their mother all their life.

Even if there once was something valuable to learn from captive Orcas there clearly is no reasonable cost/benefit analysis that would result in deciding to continue the practice. I've always been appalled by the idea of these magnificent creatures being forced to perform tricks to entertain humans. Since I live near and frequently travel along the coast of MA, NH, ME I have taken many trips to view wildlife in its own habitat. I find that infinitely more interesting than watching tricks. But even with trips you need to be careful to choose companies that utilize safe practices, have actual scientists involved and that won't chase/harass the dolphins, whales, puffins etc. And sometimes we have to rely on video footage to educate us as not everyone has to personally see something to be able to appreciate the animals and support responsible conservation measures. I don't pretend to be an expert on any of this so i do try to rely on the experts for advice. Seaworld is not, in my mind, an objective expert.

What has become of Tilikum:

What has become of Tilikum - YouTube

 

[Boytwnmom]

at least that I can recall. All I could think while watching it with the loud, bad disco music, people yelling, clapping, light show etc, was what those poor captive animals with their sensitive hearing must experience during that. I'm surprised that they're not all "insane". But maybe they are. Their bent dorsals, ground down teeth, shorter life span despite human medicine and attention, clearly they cannot be held like they are and have any kind of life.

Blackfish will cause some to question whether or not they really want to purchase a ticket to SeaWorld. Time will tell if the public can stomach a show at SeaWorld knowing what's going on behind the blaring music and circus tricks.

 

[jon_burrows]

A dolphin jumped out of the tank at SeaWorld landing on the concrete.

[video=youtube;o7WLlHZQ_8U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7WLlHZQ_8U[/video]

 

[LucyVino]

Yesterday I found a youtube of the attack on Dawn Brancheau. It's very fuzzy but you get an idea of how brutal it was. I got the feeling Tilikum just cracked. I watched another video that included the trainer of Flipper Ric O'Barry I believe it was a Frontline special. He had me in tears I am thoroughly disgusted with these parks. It's taking an intelligent, emotional mammal and removing them from their world into another all for greed. Maybe someone should grab one of the Seaworld exec's kids and put them in a cell on the Space Station?

 

[Nova]

When I thanked LucyVino's post above, I assumed she was being facetious and doesn't really support retribution against the children of Sea World execs. I do share Lucy's outrage.

***

The links above are excellent and lead to all sorts of articles on orca attacks on trainers. Much of the info is also covered in the doc, but I found it helpful to read the same accounts in more detail. (For example, the doc isn't very clear about what happened to Alexis Martinez, the trainer killed at Loro Parque. His death is detailed in an article at HuffPo.)

***

I realize it's logically dangerous to compare orcas to humans, but these captive orcas remind me of gifted human children who are insufficiently challenged in school: if they aren't engaged, they will eventually act out in problematic ways. I don't think humans are smart enough to meet an orca's intellectual needs in captivity.

 

[Nova]

Meanwhile the orca's cousin, Flipper, bites an 8-year-old at Sea World San Diego.

(No warning needed. The child is bruised but okay.)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?annota...&feature=iv&src_vid=0aSCPmabRpM&v=3F823T4LliQ


What's interesting to me about the report is the similarity in the responses of the victims and Sea World personnel. The parents claim the park people made light of the incident and said it was the child's own fault. The park responds that it took the utmost care and all necessary precautions. Now where have we heard that before?

#SeaWorld=EvilEmpire

 

[LucyVino]

Totally being facetious but it's an example of what we are doing. Taking the Orca from their world and putting them into ours. I guess the Space Station would be our piece of the world in another world so maybe a better comparison would be how would the execs like it if their kids were plucked from the earth by an alien adbuction and put on display on another planet.

I was doing some more searching and came across old pictures from marine parks and it sparked memories from when I was younger and visitied SeaWorld and they would have children pet or sit on Shamu. Crazy.

When I thanked LucyVino's post above, I assumed she was being facetious and doesn't really support retribution against the children of Sea World execs. I do share Lucy's outrage.

 

[jon_burrows]

So very sad. Another day in the life of an orca at SeaWorld. I think the video is titled incorrectly, it is not a tantrum.

[video=youtube;VL8fZXLA1Gs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL8fZXLA1Gs[/video]

 

[jon_burrows]

Blackfish will air again this Saturday and very early Sunday morning on CNN.

7 & 9 PM EST Saturday
12 & 3 AM EST Sunday

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/saturday.html

 

[Kimberlyd125]

Blackfish will air again this Saturday and very early Sunday morning on CNN.

7 & 9 PM EST Saturday
12 & 3 AM EST Sunday

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/saturday.html

For those who have not seen this... it's a must watch.
Set those DVR's people.

Some parts I had to watch with my eyes closed. But it scratches the surface of what the book Death at SeaWorld covers.

I will be the first to admit, I HAD NO CLUE!

 

[jon_burrows]

A few of the Shamu actors SeaWorld wants you to forget:

http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/309/1/f/the_forgotten_shamu_poster_by_okura-d6ssrsq.png

 

[Hope32]

Watched the documentary on this incidnet that was shown on CNN called "Blackfish" it was really good IMO and provided details and information form former seaworld employees. I have always wanted to go to SeaWorld to see these amazing animals while I knew that it was not humane as to see these animals in the wild is expensive and super time consuming... and I care so much about animal health (psychological and phsical)... I would recommend to anyone watch "Blackfish" when it reairs..

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

I also watched blackfish this past weekend when it was on. It was really unsettling. I just don't understand why they can not figure a way to make this better for the animals.

 

[jon_burrows]

A trainer's spin on orca aggression at the video below. At least two spectators saw through the BS. I did a rough transcription of the spectators talking about the bloody rake mark as the trainer drones on about the nice happy place in the tank.

Blackfish has a segment on orca aggression in captivity. When attacks occur they have no place to run.

Spectators talking:

1:22 That's Kalina
She has fresh rake marks
2:23 Ouch!
Where is it?
Above her eye patch
Yes, I saw it
2:36 The trainer said '...they just want to play...'
Spectator in response 'Play?! She was attacked'
3:16 Bloody rake mark above her eye

[video=youtube;zLMWhUQ0BwM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLMWhUQ0BwM[/video]

 

[jon_burrows]

If SeaWorld wins their appeal on Nov 12th it could pave the way for trainers to be in the water with orcas again.

"SeaWorld is appealing the broad application of a federal safety law meant to protect workers in unusual circumstances. The case will come before a three-judge panel of the U.S Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Nov. 12."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/29/usa-employment-tilikum-idUSL1N0IC1V820131029