Where is Tilikum now??

[kathy884]

We were at Sea World Tuesday March 16th and usually enjoy spending quite a bit of time in the underwater viewing area by Shamu stadium. No Orcas were here this time, though?? Usually we'd see Tilikum there. Have they moved him somewhere else? I noticed that he wasn't doing the splash portion of the Believe show either. Are they temporarily or permanently keeping him away from the public??

 

[Tillikumtrainer]

tilly and taima have open acess to two pools sometimes they have them in certain areas for certain reasons, but then again if the doors are open and the whale isint there, he just is not in the mood to come out. i know they finally finished the other pool so they probably allowing him to move to oanother pool or allowing him to socialize with the rest of the pod

 

[kathy884]

Thank you for the information! I appreciate your taking the time to post. Wed love all the Orcas.

 

[Tillikumtrainer]

No problem. Im glad I could help out.

 

[inkkognito]

DH is at SeaWorld right now. He called me and mentioned that Tilly was in Shamu Rocks, although not in the earlier show. He reported that in the earlier show a trainer actually touched a whale while it was out of the water but there was no direct interaction in Shamu Rocks. Sounds like they are working their way slowly back to "normal."

 

[FloraFauna]

Oh, I am so happy to read this.

 

[inkkognito]

He took a little video with his camera phone. It's not the best quality, but I will post it once he uploads it tomorrow so you can see Tilly do a big jump. He said all the whales were on their best behavior for both shows.

 

[Tillikumtrainer]

Lol you guys beat me to it my source told me tilly's been doing Shows on and off for the past week, their trying to get him back into the routine. im sure by May he will be doing regular shows.

 

[inkkognito]

DH (who is a huge SeaWorld fan...he ditches me when I work evenings to go there and see the shows when they're open late) was very happy to see Tilly back in action. I don't know much about the psychology of whales, but if they're anything like other animals I imagine they like having their routine so I'd guess Tilly likes being back "on stage."

 

[kathy884]

Great to here that Tilly is back in action!

 

[inkkognito]

The news media here in Orlando is a bunch of idiots. They have been rehashing the autopsy ad nauseum today even tho' they reported on the preliminary results already last month. Better yet, they keep emphasizing how Tillikum is not being allowed in any shows. Maybe they should get an annual pass and actually go to SeaWorld if they're going to report on it.

 

[RayaniFoxmur]

We got SOAKED by Tilly last night during Sea World rocks. I didn't even notice him until I saw his giant tail right in front of me! I walked out of there looking like I had just been in the shower with my clothes on!

Now he wasn't in the Believe show we went to that day (5:30) or the one I attended the day before, so it seems to be pretty sporadic. But I am really glad to see him getting back into the routine! I have caught him a few times at underwater viewing though.

The news media here in Orlando is a bunch of idiots. They have been rehashing the autopsy ad nauseum today even tho' they reported on the preliminary results already last month. Better yet, they keep emphasizing how Tillikum is not being allowed in any shows. Maybe they should get an annual pass and actually go to SeaWorld if they're going to report on it.

What bothers me more is the fear mongering that they are spreading. While sitting and waiting for believe the family behind me was talking about it. Said that he came right up and grabbed her by her waist and pulled her down. Now, we all know that's not what happened and they had me seeing red! My husband had to grab my hand to stop me from going off on them!

Speaking to the Educators in Underwater Viewing I feel for them as well. Most of their questions are about Tilly, and many of them are why haven't they destroyed them yet! The educators I have talked to are some of the sweetest people in the world and it just breaks my heart that they have to hear these questions over and over again.

I'm looking forward to the short memory of our collective society. I will always remember, but I know others won't.

 

[inkkognito]

I'm looking forward to the short memory of our collective society. I will always remember, but I know others won't.

Amen to that! One thing I hate living here in Orlando is how the media loves to bash the heck out of the theme parks. At least SeaWorld is getting a break now, but at the expense of that poor Disney bus driver.

DH got some good footage the other night with the real camcorder, including Tilly doing his splash act at Shamu Rocks. I'll post the link later when it's all out there. One of the trainers was rubbing a whale's body too. Can't wait until the day when I see them doing those amazing tricks like riding on the whales' noses again.

 

[RayaniFoxmur]

Amen to that! One thing I hate living here in Orlando is how the media loves to bash the heck out of the theme parks. At least SeaWorld is getting a break now, but at the expense of that poor Disney bus driver.

And you know, I don't get that. I don't get it at all. The reason this area does so well is BECAUSE of the theme parks. In September and even January and May businesses suffer. Why? Because it's slow season!

Between tourist dollars and those of us who work at the parks living here now if you took the parks away you'd have mostly swamp and an uninteresting city. But what do I know? lol

After all... this is the same news media on April 2nd (Channel 6) decided to post up close pictures of the monorail crash. WHY? Who knows? Lord knows I didn't need to see that! Or heck, let's air the likely now viral video of Dawn actually passing away on the news so that everyone in the Sea World Cast Cafeteria can see the video, since the TVs just happened to be on that station.

I can't even watch stations like News 13 anymore. The stuff they get wrong and the bad things they say just absolutely tear into me. Unless it's like... Universal. Then they can't say enough GOOD things about it! Sea World and Disney apparently ate their puppies.

If I need news, I go to CNN.com or ABCNews.com online anymore.

 

[SandrA9810]

Now i'm bitter... I went to the Shamu Rocks show Thursday night (second show) and didn't get to see him. Having the six whales out at the end is kinda cute, especially the younger ones. But it's just not the same.

And I've noticed them doing a lot more petting and rubbing when they come up. I hope by summer time they're back in the water.

I'm with you all on the news. It sucks. Even in the paper today, there was an article on the front cover about how the family blames disney for the boy's death. None of them saw it, his friend didn't see it, and every one that did see it says he was in the street, and fell into the bus.

 

[KStarfish82]

We just came back from Sea World. We visited the underwater viewing tank and saw Tilikum only once and he wasn't really swimming, just bobbing. We saw Believe and Shamu Rocks and he was not in either show.

It is sad, I am feeling that Sea World is actually getting more away from the animal-human connection more than ever before. Since the accident, it is very understandable that the orca shows have been modified, but even other aspects of the park seem to be growing more distant, or putting a price on any interaction at all.

 

[inkkognito]

Hubby shot video of Tilly in Shamu Rocks and also of the trainers petting one of the whales in the show. Click here for the two video clips. I don't know if he's in all the shows or just select ones now.

 

[KBF]

Hubby shot video of Tilly in Shamu Rocks and also of the trainers petting one of the whales in the show. Click here for the two video clips. I don't know if he's in all the shows or just select ones now.

I dont think thats tilly in the show. They wouldnt have him with all the whales either. Cool videos though.

 

[inkkognito]

I wasn't there so I can't say for sure, but hubby says there was a very big whale alone splashing that he thinks is Tilly. The girls splashed too but I think he said there were several of them together doing it.

 

[KBF]

I wasn't there so I can't say for sure, but hubby says there was a very big whale alone splashing that he thinks is Tilly. The girls splashed too but I think he said there were several of them together doing it.

They probably started out with one of the females splashing. Tilly would not be out with the other females. The only female he is with on a regular basis is Taima.