Some good news for SeaWorld

[Shanti]

Ok so the equivalent for a person would be that you could either give me a relatively painless injection and kill me or put me in the woods somewhere with no food and water, no supplies, and no knowledge of how to get these items (Since the whales don't know how to hunt I'm imagining that I don't know things like what types of plants in my area are edible, how to build a fire without matches, etc).

I would choose the injection over starving to death in the cold, wet conditions I would find myself in.

I would choose either over being forced to do circus acts for the rest of my life in a concrete tank.

 

[Shanti]

I'm not saying I'm a fan of captivity, but... you're also not giving the full picture. He's roughly 35 years old. For perspective, in the wild, the average male orca lives only 30 years. In captivity, most don't live past 20. So... quite frankly, the fact that an orca is dying of old age, who would probably already have died in the wild, and who has well exceeded life expectancy for a captive orca, really isn't that big of a deal, and is pretty much just a normal, end of life thing. But, we all know this will get blown out of proportion, because of Blackfish.

Again, I'm not saying they haven't done things wrong... but the death of this whale is just going to be sensationalized.

Where did you get the statistic that they only live an average of 30 years in the wild? It isn't true.

 

[Planogirl]

We will be at SeaWorld next week and I'll see if anyone knows about Tillicum's condition.

As for life expectancy, you're both right. From http://www.whalefacts.org/how-long-do-whales-live/ :

And male killer whales can live to be 50 – 60 years old, but usually live until around their 30’s.

Also the same statistics show at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/whales/killer-whale.html (I'm trying to stay away from biased websites.)

I don't argue that captive whales seem to live for a shorter time but I read a study that claimed that messing with their natural reproductive cycle seems to somehow contribute to a lower life expectancy.

 

[mshanson3121]

Where did you get the statistic that they only live an average of 30 years in the wild? It isn't true.

Yeah, it is. Females average longer. Longer life is possible. The AVERAGE is 30.

 

[cruisingtwins]

We took advantage of the preschool pass and I got an AP and we are loving sea world. We do skip the whales and dolphin shows but the rest of the park is awesome partly because how not crowded it is.

 

[peg110]

There are plenty of other sources who say that besides PETA. Scientific researchers who study orcas in the wild (& who are not activists) have been saying the same thing. Always bringing up PETA, as if they were the only opposition to Sea World's practices, makes the debate one-dimensional. "You're either with Sea World or with PETA..." That's a false dichotomy.

Okay, perhaps a better dichotomy is that "You're either with Sea World or Against Sea World!" It's just that PETA is a a big advocate on the "Against Side"

Perhaps the BETTER dichotomy is You're either with Animal Captivity or Against it!" Why is all the focus on Sea World? For the same reason it is on PETA, they are one of the biggest organization/groups on that side of the argument. So we need to be "Fair" on both sides. Just sayin' that's all.

Where did you get the statistic that they only live an average of 30 years in the wild? It isn't true.

So if the 30 year average age is NOT the statistic, what is it? My quick search found a website (which is AGAINST Seaworld) on their FIRST bullet point, they point out that the average life expectancy is 30 to 50 years. http://www.seaworldofhurt.com/features/8-reasons-orcas-dont-belong-seaworld/

Here is the problem with "Average" though. Much of "Average" depends on the Population size. What is the total Population at Seaworld. Now compare it to the Total Population in the Wild. At Seaworld, how many have been there 100? Even 1000? It only takes a few Young deaths to skew the average and bring it down.

Please know, that I am not saying I am for Orca Captivity. Do I like the shows? Sure, do I like other things that Seaworld does? Does Seaworld do good too? Yep. The educate us on these animals and many more people are learning about them that might not have otherwise.

 

[mshanson3121]

We will be at SeaWorld next week and I'll see if anyone knows about Tillicum's condition.

As for life expectancy, you're both right. From http://www.whalefacts.org/how-long-do-whales-live/ :


Also the same statistics show at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/whales/killer-whale.html (I'm trying to stay away from biased websites.)

I don't argue that captive whales seem to live for a shorter time but I read a study that claimed that messing with their natural reproductive cycle seems to somehow contribute to a lower life expectancy.

Yup. Exactly. People need to learn to pay attention to what they're reading. I said "average", not maximum, there's a big difference. Any number of sources clearly confirmed what I said.

 

[eXo]

Someone grab a shovel and a gun! A zombie thread just rose up over here!

 

[sunshine1]

'Granny' a wild orca is 104 years old. She lives in the washington state area.

Orcas live roughly the same time as humans.
Although Granny is the exception to the rule.

 

[Planogirl]

'Granny' a wild orca is 104 years old. She lives in the washington state area.

Orcas live roughly the same time as humans.
Although Granny is the exception to the rule.

Male Orcas have a much lower life expectancy than females. Good for Granny though. She is definitely a survivor.

 

[Disney Von Drake]

 

[jkh36619]

I cant consciously go to Sea World. Nor can I go to Atlanta Aquarium. there is no way a whale shark should be in a tank. they also petitioned for wild caught beluga whales. But I don't hate on the people who do. It's just a personal opinion of mine.

 

[Disney Von Drake]

SeaWorld to phase out killer-whale shows, captivity:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2016/03/17/seaworld-orcas-killer-whales/81900498/

 

[HollyL]

Whoo hoo! It's a step in the right direction. However, it still means that the dozens of orcas that are currently at SeaWorld, still have to live there until they die. I read that there is at least one orca currently pregnant at this time, which means SeaWorld could possibly have captive orcas for another 35 plus years - it all depends on how well these last remaining ones live. Many die way before the average life expectancy, and some live longer. Also, they still have quite a few located in Spain (Loro Parque). Will the breeding ban apply there too?

 

[Shanti]

That is great news!

 

[Disney Von Drake]

Whoo hoo! It's a step in the right direction. However, it still means that the dozens of orcas that are currently at SeaWorld, still have to live there until they die. I read that there is at least one orca currently pregnant at this time, which means SeaWorld could possibly have captive orcas for another 35 plus years - it all depends on how well these last remaining ones live. Many die way before the average life expectancy, and some live longer. Also, they still have quite a few located in Spain (Loro Parque). Will the breeding ban apply there too?

The only reason why SeaWorld took this action is financial. And remember, this action by SeaWorld was voluntary. Their parks in the USA continue to suffer from low attendance and SeaWorld hopes this action will attract new customers. But, as things stand now, SeaWorld is still on its way to financial ruin. They are hoping this announcement will help turn things around.

If people in Spain will continue to pay to watch animal abuse then nothing will change at Loro Parque. It all boils down to money.