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Killer Whale kills at Sea World

Dain Arns said:
I agree.
If I was a marine mammal that roams the sea by my very nature, I wouldn't want to be stuck in swimming pool the rest of my life.
Poor thing sounds like its miserable.
Click to expand...

Dain, can't blame the Orca for the first victim, found some more info. A park visitor (freak) stowed away overnight and was found dead floating in the whale tank the next morning, naked.

I've heard of horny dolphins roughing folks up at the dolphin experience shows, but I guess killer whales don't mess around when they get their groove on.

I wonder if the CSI guys bothered with a DNA swab since the guy's anus was probably the size of a man hole cover!<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Caz
 
don't take me wrong, but I cannot shed a tear, the name of this animal is a KILLER Whale and for a good reason.
All wild animals unless they are endangered should be left in their natural habitats.
 
Cazzie said:
Dain, can't blame the Orca for the first victim, found some more info. A park visitor (freak) stowed away overnight and was found dead floating in the whale tank the next morning, naked.

I've heard of horny dolphins roughing folks up at the dolphin experience shows, but I guess killer whales don't mess around when they get their groove on.

I wonder if the CSI guys bothered with a DNA swab since the guy's anus was probably the size of a man hole cover!<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Caz
Click to expand...

Generic statement in reference to migrating sea mammals Caz, wasn't blaming anyone or anything. :icon_lol:
 
cheezyflier said:
i often read your posts and think "wow, that guy lives a pretty cool life"
good for you :applause:

the luckiest part was not that you found fresh tiger tracks. it is that the tiger didn't find fresh feng tracks...:icon_lol:
Click to expand...

:) not always fun....but i do try :)

Here's a pic of those prints:

malaysia_10.JPG


here's a pic of the jungle...

malaysia_07.JPG


had to use our 4x4s to get into the jungle:

malaysia_01.JPG


malaysia_03.JPG


malaysia_05.JPG


-feng
 
Ickie said:
don't take me wrong, but I cannot shed a tear, the name of this animal is a KILLER Whale and for a good reason.
All wild animals unless they are endangered should be left in their natural habitats.
Click to expand...

Exactly.

Seriously guys, a majority of the horses and cattle are fully domesticated by man on this planet.
Penned up is just fine in my book. Frankly I know its safer for the cows and horses.
I have no problems with that being raised in cattle country.

My reference is to a free roaming sea mammal, that happens to also be one of the higher predator species on the planet.
You stick something that size and with aggressive tendencies in a small tank, it's going to get cranky despite it's high intelligence level.
Sigfried and Roy and the white tiger incident in Vegas. Roy knew fully well the dangers playing with the "kitties".

Glad Sea World did a right thing by not putting it down.
We as humans have the option if we don't don't like our job or house, we quit or move.
Maybe its time to give that option to this whale? Re-adjust the Orca back to the wild and set it free?
 
The only attempt I know of to release a captive killer whale back into the wild didn't work out so good. The wild ones wouldn't accept it and it ended up dying after about a year.

Cazzie said:
Dain, can't blame the Orca for the first victim, found some more info. A park visitor (freak) stowed away overnight and was found dead floating in the whale tank the next morning, naked.
Click to expand...

That was the second in 1999. The first was in 1991 up in Canada when with two other killer whales, he killed a trainer in Canada. They moved him to Sea World shortly after under a no performance show clause.
 
Willy said:
The only attempt I know of to release a captive killer whale back into the wild didn't work out so good. The wild ones wouldn't accept it and it ended up dying after about a year.
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If you are talking about your namesake, I think he was originally born in captivity. :icon_lol:
 
Willy has a point here.
Releasing back into the wild doesnt always work out as you would think, especially with sea mammals.They're fed all their lives in captivity, live by themselves with a small number of others at the aquarium, and when released they don't have the ability to mix with others of their kind in the wild and lack the ability to find their food. Most people don't realise this.
It would be the same with other animals in captivity, I would think it would be even more cruel to try release them back into the wild.
As for that killer whale, its become a danger to humans and has become a problem for those who keep him in captiivty. Think the only way out is euthanisation, if putting it back in the wild is not possible.
 
Over 20 years ago we went to see my sister in CA and one of the spots we went to was Sea World and saw the Orca show. After the show we had lunch and were conversing with some local folks and the week before the featured Orca at Sea World had taken the trainer down to the bottom of the tank and held her there.

Fortunately it was using the weight of its body to keep her there and the trainer managed to wiggle out and get to the surface.

That was over 20 years ago and this behavior was a known thing at that particular facility. I guess they are like tigers....everything can be okay until that one moment.

And, I agree with Ken, otters are fun to watch ! I think they'd be happy in a bath tub as long as they could slip 'n slide around although they can get big ! Ring of Bright Water was always a fun read and remains enjoyable to this day.
 
mrogers said:
Willy has a point here.
Releasing back into the wild doesnt always work out as you would think, especially with sea mammals.They're fed all their lives in captivity, live by themselves with a small number of others at the aquarium, and when released they don't have the ability to mix with others of their kind in the wild and lack the ability to find their food. Most people don't realise this.
It would be the same with other animals in captivity, I would think it would be even more cruel to try release them back into the wild.
As for that killer whale, its become a danger to humans and has become a problem for those who keep him in captiivty. Think the only way out is euthanisation, if putting it back in the wild is not possible.
Click to expand...


I understand that line of thought. I respect that opinion. I used to think that as well.
But that social dynamic happens to animals born in the wild as well.
Studies have shown though, some Orca groups do accept "outsiders".
Depends on the location. Kinda like us. :d

It's often hard for us humans to accept.
Living in nature is day by day survival.
Nature is cruel, by nature.
Orcas have been on this planet way longer than we have been around.
I think they can take care of themselves.

As a thoughtful and caring species we need to admit, man's best intentions sometimes go awry when it comes to matters involving nature.
I know, sometimes we get it right.
But denying them their natural habitat just for public amusement entertainment is much crueler, in my humble opinion.

Now I can say that, I've been to the Sea World in Orlando.
It was fun, sure I enjoyed the Orca performance. Sat too close and got 'Shamu'd"
But in 20/20 hindsight, it still never felt really right to me.

Now don't be thinking I'm some "bunny hugger".
You slap a cow, or an elk, or a tasty buffalo in front of me, I'll eat it!
Vegetables don't fear me much.
Yeah, screwed up principles, but their mine. :icon_lol:
 
From what I'm reading about the incident now, the trainer got down on platform to hug the whale, and he got her by the ponytail and dragged her under. Under their protocols, that was a no-no on her part. At best it can be said that she died doing something she loved to do.

I work with large animals daily (horses). Although they're domesticated (and very good natured where ours are concerned), they're still much larger than I am and I have to be careful about how I work around them. Somethings you just don't do around them. Like stand behind one and startle it. I've been lucky in learning how to deal with horses. So far I've only had two incidents. The first one I got stupid and got my big toe broke when my mare stepped on it. The second time my wife's gelding flattened me trying to get out of the way of my mare when she went to kick him. I wasn't hurt then other than landing on my face in the dirt, but I could have been very easily trampled. I learned lessons from both times.

My take on the trainer getting killed is that she did something stupid she shouldn't have, which was get down next to the whale where he could get her by the ponytail. And like in dealing with horses, when you do something stupid like that things happen so fast, you really don't have time to react.

As for what SeaWorld should do with that particular whale, that's their call. But I bet the rest of the trainers are studying what happened to try and make sure it don't happen to them. When dealing with large animals the saying is "Stupid should hurt".
 
tonight they said the show will go on tomorrow, but no one is to get in the water with them whales.
 
Orcas are not endangered. Given the intelligence, temperment, and desire to swim literally hundreds, if not over a thousand miles is roaming territory, I've always thought it was a bit unfortunate to keep them in such ridiculously small tanks.

Now, I have not heard of such emotional issues with the bottlenose dolphins. It seems they really enjoy themselves. And even in the wild, they are naturally curious animals who seem to enjoy human interaction. I guess with enough online research I might be able to find a case where a bottlenose dolphin killed or seriously injured a person. However, I'm not already aware of such an incident.

I think the Sea Lions and Seals sincerely like the free food and never being harrassed by the Orcas and Great White Sharks! :jump: I kind of get the impression watching them that they've got us figured out and realize they've got a nice gig going! "Hey, blow on this horn, jump through this hoop, and these numnut but friendly humans are going to give me all the free fish and medical care I can handle! Yipee!

I tend to agree that the average tiger pen and gorilla pen are too small. That's why the San Diego Zoo went with their massive safari theme park, which is enormous and puts the animals in a sincerely natural environment sized like their normal ranges.

Rather than cage the animals, in this theme, the people are caged in a bus or train and the animals sometime look at us! :icon_lol: I think this is a perfectly fine way to put savana animals on exhibit.

My overall point is that a blanket approach doesn't seem appropriate.

Cheers,

Ken
 
Ickie said:
tonight they said the show will go on tomorrow, but no one is to get in the water with them whales.
Click to expand...

Yep, they sure did, and in a rather blunt public conference. Personally, I think the CEO of Sea World is smoking some good STUFF!

I've been to Sea World in San Diego before with my children. But, I would not go back. Too much of a known issue now and I couldn't watch the show and feel the same about it. I think the CEO and his staff are in denial and should release the Orca back into the wild.

Ken
 
He aint goin no where, Orcas dollar value is around 2 million, this one is a breeder and has fathered 9 so far. I read most all orcas in captivity now were born in captivity. It will be business as usual and in another few months wont be an issue, most of the country was back to their normal lives a week or so after 9/11, hell this probably didnt even faze the majority.
 
Ken Stallings said:
I tend to agree that the average tiger pen and gorilla pen are too small. That's why the San Diego Zoo went with their massive safari theme park, which is enormous and puts the animals in a sincerely natural environment sized like their normal ranges.
Click to expand...

Ken,

The wild animal park doesn't put tigers and gorillas or any dangerous animals out in the park. They are mostly herding/grazing animals. I don't think the two canyons they use are quite like their normal ranges, but it's still a cool place nonetheless.
 
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