Alpha Whiskey Photography
Exploited
I’ve posted this image not out of pride, but out of shame from having visited Seaworld a few years ago, and as a tribute to these magnificent creatures.
I’ve just watched fascinating and disturbing documentary called Blackfish, about how killer whales are mistreated by Seaworld and similar parks. Many former Seaworld trainers were interviewed.
Killer whales are highly intelligent and emotionally developed animals, with a matriarchal society and a fierce commitment to their young. Killer whales from different parts of the world are essentially different nations with their own languages.
When Seaworld thrusts different killer whales together, they cannot understand each other and, coupled to being in basically a bathtub all their lives, become aggressive and disturbed. They bite each other, leaving teeth marks all over their bodies, as you can see on this killer whale above. Also, in captivity, their dorsal fin is often bowed over, as you can see above; this has not been seen in the wild.
No human has ever been harmed by a killer whale in the wild, but several have been killed by them in captivity.
Their young are often taken away from them, which leaves the mother distraught and grief-stricken.
Seaworld tells people that they only live to around 25-30 years in the wild. Actually they live to around a 100 years in the wild. They also tell people that they do not make the killer whales do anything that they do not want to do. In fact they enforce the routines with punishment – not feeding them unless they get it right.
Keeping an animal in captivity for conservation and education is one thing. Exploiting a highly intelligent creature for circus entertainment is entirely different. I can only apologise to the killer whales at Seaworld San Diego for my participation and consumption of this exploitation.
Exploited
I’ve posted this image not out of pride, but out of shame from having visited Seaworld a few years ago, and as a tribute to these magnificent creatures.
I’ve just watched fascinating and disturbing documentary called Blackfish, about how killer whales are mistreated by Seaworld and similar parks. Many former Seaworld trainers were interviewed.
Killer whales are highly intelligent and emotionally developed animals, with a matriarchal society and a fierce commitment to their young. Killer whales from different parts of the world are essentially different nations with their own languages.
When Seaworld thrusts different killer whales together, they cannot understand each other and, coupled to being in basically a bathtub all their lives, become aggressive and disturbed. They bite each other, leaving teeth marks all over their bodies, as you can see on this killer whale above. Also, in captivity, their dorsal fin is often bowed over, as you can see above; this has not been seen in the wild.
No human has ever been harmed by a killer whale in the wild, but several have been killed by them in captivity.
Their young are often taken away from them, which leaves the mother distraught and grief-stricken.
Seaworld tells people that they only live to around 25-30 years in the wild. Actually they live to around a 100 years in the wild. They also tell people that they do not make the killer whales do anything that they do not want to do. In fact they enforce the routines with punishment – not feeding them unless they get it right.
Keeping an animal in captivity for conservation and education is one thing. Exploiting a highly intelligent creature for circus entertainment is entirely different. I can only apologise to the killer whales at Seaworld San Diego for my participation and consumption of this exploitation.