SeaWorld says goodbye to killer whales

[Eoghann]

"Phasing them out" means they are putting a stop to the shows. I didn't say it was immediate, but now we know that the orca entertainment shows will all stop within just a few years. That's a huge step for Sea World to take.

The PP had claimed that if SW stopped the shows, the whales would be euthanized or sold, which is false.

SW is stopping the orca entertainment shows, & working with the Humane Society to find a way to display them in a more natural setting for the rest of their lives. Good move for Sea World! I'm glad to see them demonstrating a commitment to the future of the whales.

If you say something is stopping, people assume a relatively short time frame. Phasing out is rather different and 2019 is still a good way away. I'm glad they're taking steps finally, but in the mean time some of these Orcas will continue to be in shows, that's a legitimate criticism.

 

[beer dave]

Welp I'm going to regret posting this but: so glad the extremists at PETA get exactly what they want but yet they still refuse to acknowledge that SeaWorld has done a lot for other animals' well-being and forever they erased SeaWorld's reputation of actually trying to help. God forbid anyone actually knows that PETA euthanizes around 90% of the animals they receive in their shelters, but apparently we should be more worried about SeaWorld getting an abused whale and how it's their fault for the orca's previous actions and how orcas are in general

Sorry I just think this is one of those "Really?' moments. Yes maybe orcas shouldn't be kept in captivity but PETA shouldn't have tried to establish someone who actually cares about ocean welfare as the villain just because of one thing while they've been hiding the fact that it's been proven that they've found random people's pets and euthanized them on the spot. I'm a little bitter towards them

How can I "like" something more than once? I hate propaganda and it's sad how easily some people are sucked in.

 

[dogdangling]

Where is Peta & Blackfish and everyone else when there is a distressed animal or a man made disaster, absolutely no where, at least Seaworld turn up and care for the animals whatever the motive is.

 

[Shanti]

If you say something is stopping, people assume a relatively short time frame. Phasing out is rather different and 2019 is still a good way away. I'm glad they're taking steps finally, but in the mean time some of these Orcas will continue to be in shows, that's a legitimate criticism.

My original post was in response to the comment of a previous poster, which had nothing to do with a time frame. The PP said orcas would be euthanized or sold if the shows stopped, & I pointed out that Sea World had stated that the shows would stop, & the orcas would still be cared for.

It had nothing to do with the rightness or wrongness of continuing the shows in the transition period.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

How can I "like" something more than once? I hate propaganda and it's sad how easily some people are sucked in.

I know that exact feeling with the propaganda! Last year in my science class there was a girl who pretty much begged my teacher to play blackfish because according to her "It's like the best movie evarrr" (kind of exaggerating there, but she did speak like that). I was sitting there pissed because I knew deep down blackfish wasn't a real documentary, so I decided to research my points as to why. Turns out I found if you had a neutral view of SeaWorld or you thought positively of them, you were edited out of the documentary. I found some other stuff similar to that but the viewpoints was enough proof in the pudding for me that it was BS. I'm just kind of waiting for the "Hannibal Buress to Cosby" to happen to PETA. And the quote below me I want to double like, I think just letting them know it was good should be enough

Where is Peta & Blackfish and everyone else when there is a distressed animal or a man made disaster, absolutely no where, at least Seaworld turn up and care for the animals whatever the motive is.

Beautiful, well said. It wouldn't surprise me if they reacted the same way the Westboro Baptist Church reacted

 

[lockedoutlogic]

If you say something is stopping, people assume a relatively short time frame. Phasing out is rather different and 2019 is still a good way away. I'm glad they're taking steps finally, but in the mean time some of these Orcas will continue to be in shows, that's a legitimate criticism.

I can't really criticize that...these are not "wild" animals...they are mostly born in captivity or have been since a very young age.
It's not like they are gonna fly them to Alaska and drop them off. They have no Pod, migratory patterns, and social structure in the wild.

But they are also cared for...so let them live out Their lives that way...they are not the "worst off" of their species...the way the oceans are being screwed they may end up better off.

The important part is that they are end the demand on their end...others will follow...and perhaps they'll leave nature alone. Much better shot than before.

 

[Magic Fanatic]

This just in, Sea World just announced 2 for 1 fish sandwiches at all onsite dining establishments. Coincidence?

 

[Planogirl]

We were at SeaWorld a few days ago and heard the news afterward. I don't mind it but I believe that Blackfish is mostly nonsense and people are too easily swayed. There are good people at SeaWorld who will hopefully be able to continue their work.

 

[Jake]

Too much bad press. Just had to,do it

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

Hello? Did you read the article? They ARE stopping the shows, but are still going to take care of them until this generation dies off. Bravo to Sea World for making this historic decision!

Here's what bothers me about this though. Here you have these intelligent, curious, social animals who are in a non stimulating environment and you're taking away their one opportunity to learn new things and be physically and intellectually challenged. Performing for people is probably not what we should want for them, really, but if not that what? SeaWorld at least had a very strong financial motivation to keep working with them and training them. These animals that were born to this or have been doing it for 30 years (the shortest time any of the captive whales have been performing) and now what, they're going to swim circles around barren pools all day? I'm on board with SeaWorld not breeding anymore and ending their shows when they have a better option for the whales they have but I think this is even more cruel.

And I don't think Disney should have dolphins. They should not even have fish. Living near the Shedd Aquarium (which has had its own share of controversy over its mammals) and having visited excellent aquariums in Monteray and Hawaii, Disney's tanks are pretty poorly designed and maintained. They're very disappointing as a visitor, so I wouldn't want to be a fish there. I think AK at least has a better environment for the animals.

 

[Shanti]

Here's what bothers me about this though. Here you have these intelligent, curious, social animals who are in a non stimulating environment and you're taking away their one opportunity to learn new things and be physically and intellectually challenged. Performing for people is probably not what we should want for them, really, but if not that what? SeaWorld at least had a very strong financial motivation to keep working with them and training them. These animals that were born to this or have been doing it for 30 years (the shortest time any of the captive whales have been performing) and now what, they're going to swim circles around barren pools all day? I'm on board with SeaWorld not breeding anymore and ending their shows when they have a better option for the whales they have but I think this is even more cruel.

And I don't think Disney should have dolphins. They should not even have fish. Living near the Shedd Aquarium (which has had its own share of controversy over its mammals) and having visited excellent aquariums in Monteray and Hawaii, Disney's tanks are pretty poorly designed and maintained. They're very disappointing as a visitor, so I wouldn't want to be a fish there. I think AK at least has a better environment for the animals.

I totally agree with you that the orcas at Sea World have, and will continue to have, a poor quality of life. They never should have been there in the first place.

No way to change that, so I'm very glad that Sea World is ending the breeding program so this legacy of misery won't continue beyond this generation. That took real courage for Sea World to do, as prior to this, their entire business model had been built around the orca entertainment shows. I take my hat off to them for making that decision, instead of digging in, continuing to breed, & to milk the orcas for all the money they could get for as long as they could.

Hopefully, the Sea World trainers will continue to provide some form of interaction & enrichment with the orcas. They know perfectly well that mental stimulation & interaction is important to their care, so I doubt the orcas will be left to idly swim in circles 24/7.

Regardless of that, however, this victory is really about the future- about no new orcas being subjected to a life of captivity at Sea World.

 

[sndral]

Interesting about face by SW. Less than 6 months ago they were fighting the California Coastal Commission's edict banning Orca breeding in SW's San Diego park stating " breeding is a natural, fundamental and important part of an animal's life, and depriving a social animal of the right to reproduce is inhuman."
SW's breeding 'program' was fraught with bad practices, such as interbreeding transient and resident types, breeding extremely young females, inbreeding - the most extreme example being Nalani who was the result of a mother son breeding (Katina and her son Taku.) The inbreeding was bound to become worse as Tillikum is the father/ grandfather of over half of SW's Orcas. Most countries have banned wild capture, thus other than the occasional stranded animal (Morgan and Kshamenk) new genetic material wasn't available going forward.
SW announced a little over a week ago that Tillikum was suffering from a chronic and progressive antibiotic resistant life threatening bacterial infection. The likely loss of Tillikum, who was SW's most successful male breeder (natural and AI) was going to be a set back to their breeding program as well.
Whatever their motive, ending the breeding program was overdue.

 

[JaxDad]

I think someone said this up thread, but this is basically a case of societal norms evolving and SeaWorld being caught on the wrong side. They did fight it initially. Orca shows have long been a main part of their experience. I went to SeaWorld in San Diego as a kid many, many, many years ago and watched the original Shamu in the relatively small tank jump up to take fish from a trainer out on a ladder. It was cool and iconic and very few people seemed to think anything negative about it. After Blackfish, and the mobilization of Facebook activism, they finally realized it was just not worth fighting. This was not going to go away. Things have fundamentally changed. It is better to do what is most reasonably best for the orcas now and start planning for the future. (My opinion is that PETA will not let if go. They will continue to hammer on Sea World for having the orcas in captivity, although they will not offer a truly viable solution, and they may even start going after dolphins or manatees or other species in captivity. The orcas were just easier for them to rally support.)

I won't go into my opinion of Blackfish, but it certainly struck an underlying nerve. Just as other organizations and policies have had to catch up with societal norms for things like women's rights, race, sexual preference, etc, SeaWorld had to catch up on this. It does make me wonder what else will evolve in our society. Our grandkids may be asking us someday, "Were there really animals kept in captivity just for the viewing pleasure of humans? That's crazy!"

I like SeaWorld and will keep going. I won't even miss the orca shows--they weren't my favorite part of my visits--but I will likely do Dine with Shamu one more time to see these magnificent animals up close and listen to the trainers teach the audience about them with such obvious affection.

 

[HollyL]

There were many of us that were anti captivity for orcas way before "Blackfish". Having studied them my whole life and being a little obsessed, just being educated on the complexity of these beings it was pretty obvious that they don't belong in tanks. Before "Blackfish", there was a little movie called "Free Willy" which, although it was fictional, it got the ball rolling and the momentum started building. "Blackfish" just happened to come out at a time where social media is rampant and more and more people joined the movement, and let their voices be heard. It obviously worked. I'm sorry for those that are so upset about it, but you'll just have to look elsewhere for your animal-based entertainment. Sadly, I doubt Japan/China/Russia will be making these changes anytime soon, you can always catch your orca shows there.