DOCSLIB.ORG

March 25, 2015, Complaint on Behalf of Holly Hall

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
March 25, 2015, Complaint on Behalf of Holly Hall Case 3:15-cv-00660-CAB-RBB Document 1 Filed 03/25/15 Page 1 of 84 1 STEVE W. BERMAN (pro hac vice pending) [email protected] 2 SHAYNE C. STEVENSON (pro hac vice pending) 3 [email protected] HAGENS BERMAN SOBOL SHAPIRO LLP 4 1918 Eighth Avenue, Suite 3300 Seattle, WA 98101 5 Telephone: (206) 623-7292 6 Facsimile: (206) 623-0594 7 ELAINE T. BYSZEWSKI (SBN 222304) [email protected] 8 HAGENS BERMAN SOBOL SHAPIRO LLP 301 N. Lake Avenue, Suite 203 9 Pasadena, CA 91101 10 Telephone: (213) 330-7150 Facsimile: (213) 330-7152 11 Attorneys for Plaintiff and the Proposed Classes 12 13 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 14 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 15 16 HOLLY HALL, individually and on No. '15CV660 CAB RBB 17 behalf of herself and all others similarly situated, CLASS ACTION (FRCP 23) 18 19 Plaintiff, COMPLAINT 20 v. DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL 21 SEAWORLD ENTERTAINMENT, 22 INC., 23 Defendant. 24 25 26 27 28 006222-13 758423 V1 Case 3:15-cv-00660-CAB-RBB Document 1 Filed 03/25/15 Page 2 of 84 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Page 3 I. OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................... 1 4 II. PARTIES ............................................................................................................ 4 5 III. JURISDICTION AND VENUE ......................................................................... 5 6 IV. FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS ............................................................................. 5 7 8 A. SeaWorld Markets an Enchanting Illusion of Captive Killer Whales ........................................................................................... 5 9 B. SeaWorld Represents Itself as the Whales’ Greatest 10 Champion ................................................................................................. 8 11 C. SeaWorld Claims to Provide Critical Orca Conservation 12 Research ................................................................................................. 11 13 D. The Biology of Orcas ............................................................................. 14 14 1. Distinct orca ecotypes exist in all the oceans of the 15 world. ........................................................................................... 14 16 2. Orcas are highly communicative, intelligent, and 17 social. ........................................................................................... 16 18 3. Orcas are organized in matriarchies and close-knit. .................... 17 19 4. Orcas in nature can live long healthy lives. ................................. 18 20 E. The Undisclosed Truth About SeaWorld’s Captive Orcas .................... 19 21 1. SeaWorld’s family values ............................................................ 19 22 23 a. SeaWorld launches its business with captured orcas. ................................................................... 19 24 b. SeaWorld destroys orca families and 25 removes calves from their mothers for 26 profit. ................................................................................. 21 27 2. SeaWorld orcas’ living conditions in captivity ........................... 23 28 -i- COMPLAINT 006222-13 758423 V1 Case 3:15-cv-00660-CAB-RBB Document 1 Filed 03/25/15 Page 3 of 84 1 a. These orcas suffer in tiny and unnatural 2 chemical tubs. .................................................................... 23 3 b. Shallow pools expose the orcas to fatal risks. ................... 26 4 c. SeaWorld hides orca sunburns with black 5 zinc oxide. .......................................................................... 28 6 d. The orcas are purposefully deprived of food. ................... 28 7 3. SeaWorld’s captive whales deteriorate as a result 8 of their treatment .......................................................................... 30 9 a. SeaWorld’s captive orcas live shorter lives. ..................... 30 10 b. SeaWorld orcas’ collapsed dorsal fins are 11 not normal or healthy. ....................................................... 33 12 c. Captive orcas’ teeth are ground down and damaged. ............................................................................ 36 13 14 d. SeaWorld’s orcas are injured at SeaWorld. ...................... 38 15 4. SeaWorld “science” and forced breeding .................................... 39 16 a. SeaWorld is not a scientific orca research 17 institution. .......................................................................... 39 18 a. SeaWorld impregnates young female orcas with sperm from relatives and different 19 ecotypes. ............................................................................ 40 20 b. Trainers masturbate the orcas for profitable 21 sperm. ................................................................................ 41 22 c. SeaWorld drugs its captive orcas. ..................................... 42 23 5. Established dangers that SeaWorld publicly denies .................... 43 24 a. Risks faced by trainers ...................................................... 43 25 26 b. Aberrant orca behavior is caused by confinement. ...................................................................... 45 27 28 -ii- COMPLAINT 006222-13 758423 V1 Case 3:15-cv-00660-CAB-RBB Document 1 Filed 03/25/15 Page 4 of 84 1 F. The Documentary Blackfish Begins to Pull Back the 2 Curtain on SeaWorld .............................................................................. 46 3 G. The “Materiality” of SeaWorld’s Treatment of Orcas is Confirmed by Polls and the Public Drop in Attendance 4 Following Blackfish and the Growing Controversy .............................. 47 5 H. Popular Musicians Cancel SeaWorld Appearances and 6 Association ............................................................................................. 48 7 I. In the Wake of Blackfish, Long-Standing SeaWorld 8 Sponsors and Strategic Partners Jump Ship ........................................... 51 9 J. SeaWorld Continues to Mislead and Conceal the Truth........................ 53 10 K. Specific Plaintiff Allegations ................................................................. 58 11 L. SeaWorld Has a Duty to Disclose How it Actually Treats 12 the Orcas and their Actual Condition ..................................................... 59 13 V. CLASS ACTION ALLEGATIONS ................................................................. 60 14 VI. CAUSES OF ACTION .................................................................................... 64 15 FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION VIOLATIONS OF THE 16 CALIFORNIA UNFAIR COMPETITION LAW (CAL. BUS. 17 & PROF. CODE § 17200, ET SEQ.) ................................................................ 64 18 SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION VIOLATIONS OF THE 19 CONSUMERS LEGAL REMEDIES ACT (CAL. CIV. CODE § 1750, ET SEQ.) .............................................................................................. 66 20 THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION VIOLATIONS OF THE FALSE 21 ADVERTISING LAW (CAL. BUS. & PROF. CODE § 17500, 22 ET SEQ.) ........................................................................................................... 68 23 FOURTH CAUSE OF ACTION DECEIT (CAL. CIV. CODE §§ 24 1709-1710) ....................................................................................................... 70 25 FIFTH CAUSE OF ACTION VIOLATIONS OF FLORIDA’S UNFAIR AND DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES ACT 26 (FLA. STAT. § 501.201, ET SEQ.) .................................................................. 72 27 28 -iii- COMPLAINT 006222-13 758423 V1 Case 3:15-cv-00660-CAB-RBB Document 1 Filed 03/25/15 Page 5 of 84 1 SIXTH CAUSE OF ACTION VIOLATIONS OF THE TEXAS 2 DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES – CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT (TEX. BUS. & COM. CODE § 17.41, ET 3 SEQ.)................................................................................................................. 74 4 SEVENTH CAUSE OF ACTION UNJUST ENRICHMENT ................................. 76 5 PRAYER FOR RELIEF ............................................................................................. 77 6 JURY DEMAND........................................................................................................ 78 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 -iv- COMPLAINT 006222-13 758423 V1 Case 3:15-cv-00660-CAB-RBB Document 1 Filed 03/25/15 Page 6 of 84 1 Plaintiff Holly Hall brings this action on behalf of herself and all others 2 similarly situated against SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (“SeaWorld”). Plaintiff’s 3 allegations against Defendant are based upon information and belief and upon 4 investigation of Plaintiff’s counsel, except for allegations specifically pertaining to 5 Plaintiff, which are based upon Plaintiff’s personal knowledge. 6 I. OVERVIEW 7 1. SeaWorld is the leading marine life theme park in the world. Each 8 SeaWorld theme park showcases killer whales—Ornicus orca, the mighty and iconic 9 apex predators of the sea—in special amphitheaters called Shamu Stadium that seat 10 thousands. During its signature “Shamu Show” and in its massive and ubiquitous 11 global marketing campaign, SeaWorld states that it “cares for,” “protects,” and even 12 “nurtures” its captive orcas. 13 2. SeaWorld purports to create a “fun, interesting, and stimulating” 14 environment for these animals. SeaWorld tells the public that its orcas enjoy their lives 15 performing in captivity. 16 3. Last month, SeaWorld Chief Veterinarian, Christopher Dold, told the 17 media in an interview with BBC that at SeaWorld, “we aren’t taking anything away 18 from them [orcas]
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 1 United States District Court for The
    1 Jeffrey S. Kerr (to be admitted pro hac vice) Matthew Strugar (State Bar No. 232951) Martina Bernstein (State Bar No. 230505) PETA Foundation 2 PETA Foundation 2898 Rowena Avenue 3 1536 16th Street NW Los Angeles, CA 90039 Washington, DC 20036 Tel: 323-739-2701 4 Tel: 202-483-2190 Fax: 202-540-2207 Fax: 202-540-2207 [email protected] 5 [email protected] 6 [email protected] 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE 9 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 Tilikum, Katina, Corky, Kasatka, and Ulises, Case No.: 11-cv- five orcas, | 11 | Complaint for Declaratory 12 Plaintiffs, | and Injunctive Relief | 13 by their Next Friends, People for the Ethical Treatment of | 14 Animals, Inc., Richard “Ric” O’Barry, | Ingrid N. Visser, Ph.D., Howard Garrett, Samantha Berg, | 15 and Carol Ray, | | 16 v. | 17 | SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. and SeaWorld, | 18 LLC, | | 19 Defendants. | 20 | 21 22 NATURE OF THE CASE 23 1. In this case of first impression, five wild-captured orcas named Tilikum, Katina, Corky, 24 Kasatka, and Ulises (collectively, the “Plaintiffs”), seek a declaration that they are held by the 25 Defendants in violation of Section One of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the 26 United States, which prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude. Plaintiffs were forcibly taken 27 from their families and natural habitats, are held captive at SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld 28 Orlando, denied everything that is natural to them, subjected to artificial insemination or sperm COMPLAINT FOR INJUNCTIVE AND DECLARATORY RELIEF 1 1 collection to breed performers for Defendants’ shows, and forced to perform, all for Defendants’ 2 profit.
    [Show full text]
  • Killer Controversy, Why Orcas Should No Longer Be Kept in Captivity
    Killer Controversy Why orcas should no longer be kept in captivity ©Naomi Rose - HSI Prepared by Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. Senior Scientist September 2011 The citation for this report should be as follows: Rose, N. A. 2011. Killer Controversy: Why Orcas Should No Longer Be Kept in Captivity. Humane Society International and The Humane Society of the United States, Washington, D.C. 16 pp. © 2011 Humane Society International and The Humane Society of the United States. All rights reserved. i Table of Contents Table of Contents ii Introduction 1 The Evidence 1 Longevity/survival rates/mortality 1 Age distribution 4 Causes of death 5 Dental health 5 Aberrant behavior 7 Human injuries and deaths 8 Conclusion 8 Ending the public display of orcas 9 What next? 10 Acknowledgments 11 ii iii Killer Controversy Why orcas should no longer be kept in captivity Introduction Since 1964, when a killer whale or orca (Orcinus orca) was first put on public display1, the image of this black-and-white marine icon has been rehabilitated from fearsome killer to cuddly sea panda. Once shot at by fishermen as a dangerous pest, the orca is now the star performer in theme park shows. But both these images are one-dimensional, a disservice to a species that may be second only to human beings when it comes to behavioral, linguistic, and ecological diversity and complexity. Orcas are intelligent and family-oriented. They are long-lived and self- aware. They are socially complex, with cultural traditions. They are the largest animal, and by far the largest predator, held in captivity.
    [Show full text]
  • A Summary of the Effects of Captivity on Orcas
    A Summary of the Effects of Captivity on Orcas PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS Contents The Eff ects of Captivity on Tilikum and Orcas Generally at SeaWorld…………..................................…………......3 I. Orcas Are Extremely Intelligent Mammals Whose Brains Are Highly Developed in Areas Responsible for Complex Cognitive Functions, Including Self-Awareness, Social Cognition, Culture, and Language …………………………………………...............................................................................................…...4 II. Tilikum Is Deprived of Every Facet of His Culture and the Opportunity to Engage in Natural Behavior, Causing Extreme Stress and Suff ering….…………….….......................................................5 A. The Tanks at SeaWorld Provide Inadequate Space and Result in Stress……….…...........................5 B. SeaWorld’s Constant Manipulation of Tilikum’s Social Structure Results in Stress.................7 C. The Tanks at SeaWorld Create a Distressing Acoustic Environment…….………..….........................9 III. The Stressors of the Captive Environment at SeaWorld Result in Aggressiveness, Self- Injury, and Other Physical and Behavioral Abnormalities………………….……..............................................10 A. Aggression Between Orcas and Between Orcas and Humans……..……………..............................……10 B. Stereotypic Behavior………………….……………………………………….......................................................................….…..13 1. Painful Dental Problems Caused by Chewing Metal Gates and Concrete Tanks.....14 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Symposium Articles
    SYMPOSIUM ARTICLES A SLAVE BY ANY OTHER NAME IS STILL A SLAVE: THE TILIKUM CASE AND APPLICATION OF THE THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT TO NONHUMAN ANIMALS By Jeffrey S. Kerr, Martina Bernstein, Amanda Schwoerke, Matthew D. Strugar, Jared S. Goodman* On its face, the Thirteenth Amendment outlaws the conditions and practices of slavery and involuntary servitude wherever they may exist in this coun- try—irrespective of the victim’s race, creed, sex, or species. In 2011, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, on behalf of five wild-captured orcas, sued SeaWorld for enslaving the orcas in violation of the Thirteenth Amend- ment. The case presented, for the first time, the question of whether the Thir- teenth Amendment’s protections can extend to nonhuman animals. This Article examines the lawsuit’s factual, theoretical, and strategic underpin- nings, and argues that the district court’s opinion ultimately dismissing the suit failed to address the critical issues that animated this case of first im- pression: Who “counts” as a legal person for the purposes of law? Is it time * Jeffrey S. Kerr, Martina Bernstein, Amanda Schwoerke, Matthew D. Strugar, and Jared S. Goodman 2013. Mr. Kerr is General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for the PETA Foundation, 1536 16th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Ms. Bernstein is Director of Litigation for the PETA Foundation, Mr. Strugar is Senior Litigation Counsel for the PETA Foundation, and Ms. Schwoerke and Mr. Goodman are Counsel for the PETA Foundation. The authors express their deep gratitude to the Next Friends—Ric O’Barry, Dr. Ingrid Visser, Howard Garrett, Samantha Berg, and Carol Ray—for courageously and unequivocally joining People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in filing the groundbreaking Tilikum lawsuit; Kathy Hessler, Clinical Professor of Law and Animal Law Clinic Director at Lewis & Clark Law School, and the students of the Animal Law Clinic for their invaluable research assistance for the law- suit; Laurence H.
    [Show full text]
  • Orca Behavior and Subsequent Aggression Associated with Oceanarium Confinement
    WellBeing International WBI Studies Repository 8-18-2016 Orca Behavior and Subsequent Aggression Associated with Oceanarium Confinement Robert Anderson Robyn Waayers Palomar College Andrew Knight University of Winchester Follow this and additional works at: https://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/themin Part of the Animal Studies Commons, Comparative Psychology Commons, and the Other Animal Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Anderson, R., Waayers, R., & Knight, A. (2016). Orca Behavior and Subsequent Aggression Associated with Oceanarium Confinement. Animals, 6(8), 49. This material is brought to you for free and open access by WellBeing International. It has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of the WBI Studies Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. animals Opinion Orca Behavior and Subsequent Aggression Associated with Oceanarium Confinement Robert Anderson 1, Robyn Waayers 2 and Andrew Knight 3,* 1 Retired, Space Dynamics Laboratory, Utah State University Research Foundation, Logan, UT 84341, USA; [email protected] 2 Palomar College, 1140 West Mission Road, San Marcos, CA 92069, USA; [email protected] 3 Centre for Animal Welfare, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Winchester, Sparkford Road, Winchester SO22 4NR, UK * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +44-019-6282-7266 Academic Editor: Clive J. C. Phillips Received: 5 April 2016; Accepted: 11 August 2016; Published: 18 August 2016 Simple Summary: Orca behaviors interacting with humans within apparent friendship bonds are reviewed, and some impediments to the human evaluation of delphinid intelligence are discussed. The subsequent involvement of these orcas and their offspring in aggressive incidents with humans is also documented and examined.
    [Show full text]
  • Keto & Tilikum Express the Stress of Orca Captivity
    Keto & Tilikum Express the Stress of Orca Captivity by John S. Jett Visiting Research Professor Stetson University [email protected] & Jeffrey M. Ventre Physician New Orleans, LA, USA [email protected] February 2011 Manuscript Submitted to The Orca Project Appendix A Compiled by John Kielty Appendix B Adapted by the Authors Keto & Tilikum Express the Stress of Orca Captivity The practice of keeping killer whales in captivity has proven to be detrimental to the health and safety of animals and trainers alike. On Christmas Eve, 2009, trainer Alexis Martinez was killed by a male captive bred orca named Keto, who was on loan from Sea World to a facility called Loro Parque, in the Canary Islands, Spain. Two months later, on 24 February 2010, trainer Dawn Brancheau was killed by Tilikum, an animal involved with two previous human fatalities. Medical Examiner (ME) reports described massive trauma to both Dawn and Alexis. Neither death was accidental. While orca captivity generates large profits for companies like Sea World (SW), life in a shallow concrete tank is greatly impoverished compared to the lives of their free-ranging counterparts. Trainer deaths, whale deaths, and numerous documented injuries to both trainers and whales provide evidence of several key issues related to killer whale captivity. Tilikum is representative of the many social and health issues plaguing captive orcas. Typically spending their entire lives within tight family groupings, orcas captured from the wild, including Tilikum, have been traumatically extracted from the security, comfort and mentoring which these groupings provide. Captured animals are confined to small, acoustically-dead, concrete enclosures where they must live in extremely close proximity to other whales with which they often share no ancestral, cultural or communication similarities.
    [Show full text]
  • Political Discussion Group Packet January 2017
    POLITICAL DISCUSSION GROUP PACKET JANUARY 2017 Wild Elephants Live Longer Than Their Zoo Counterparts Maryann Mott for National Geographic News December 11, 2008 Wild elephants in protected areas of Africa and Asia live more than twice as long as those in European zoos, a new study has found. Animal welfare advocates have long clashed with zoo officials over concerns about the physical and mental health of elephants in captivity. PHOTO: Elephant Shuns Jumbo Treadmill (May 19, 2006) More U.S. Zoos Closing Elephant Exhibits (March 2, 2006) VIDEO: Abused Elephants Saved (March 26, 2008) British and Canadian scientists who conducted the six-year study say their finding puts an end to that debate once and for all. "We're worried that the whole system basically doesn't work and improving it is essential," said lead author Georgia Mason, a zoologist at the University of Guelph in Canada. Obesity and stress are likely factors for the giant land mammals' early demise in captivity, she said. Until these problems are resolved, the authors are calling for a halt to importing wild elephants and breeding them in facilities unless an institution can guarantee long, healthy lives for its elephants. The study will be published tomorrow in the journal Science. (Related: "Zoo Life Shortens Elephant Lives in Europe, Study Says" [October 25, 2002].) Wild and Long-Lived Mason and colleagues looked at data from more than 4,500 wild and captive African and Asian elephants. The data include elephants in European zoos, which house about half of the world's captive elephants; protected populations in Amboseli National Park in Kenya; and the Myanma Timber Enterprise in Myanmar (Burma), a government-run logging operation where Asian elephants are put to work.
    [Show full text]
  • Killer Controversy Why Orcas Should No Longer Be Kept in Captivity
    Killer Controversy Why orcas should no longer be kept in captivity ©Naomi Rose Prepared by Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. March 2014 The citation for this report should be as follows: Rose, N. A. 2014. Killer Controversy: Why Orcas Should No Longer Be Kept in Captivity. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, D.C. 16 pp. © 2011 Humane Society International and The Humane Society of the United States. All rights reserved. © 2014 Animal Welfare Institute. All rights reserved. i Table of Contents Table of Contents ii Introduction 1 The Evidence 1 Longevity/survival rates/mortality 1 Age distribution 4 Causes of death 5 Dental health 5 Aberrant behavior 7 Human injuries and deaths 8 Conclusion 8 Ending the public display of orcas 9 What next? 10 Acknowledgments 11 ii iii Killer Controversy Why orcas should no longer be kept in captivity Introduction Since 1964, when a killer whale or orca (Orcinus orca) was first put on public display,1 the image of this black-and-white marine icon has been rehabilitated from fearsome killer to cuddly sea panda. Once shot at by fishermen as a dangerous pest, the orca is now the star performer in theme park shows. But both these images are one-dimensional, a disservice to a species that may be second only to human beings when it comes to behavioral, linguistic, and ecological diversity and complexity. Orcas are intelligent and family-oriented. They are long-lived and self- aware. They are socially complex, with cultural traditions. They are the largest animal, and by far the largest predator, held in captivity.
    [Show full text]
  • Marine Mammals in Captivity
    The Case Against MARINE MAMMALS IN CAPTIVITY ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE + WORLD ANIMAL PROTECTION The Case Against MARINE MAMMALS IN CAPTIVITY Authors: Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. and E.C.M. Parsons, Ph.D. Editor: Dave Tilford • Designer: Alexandra Alberg Prepared on behalf of the Animal Welfare Institute and World Animal Protection This report should be cited as: Rose, N.A. and Parsons, E.C.M. (2019). The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity, 5th edition (Washington, DC: Animal Welfare Institute and World Animal Protection), 160 pp. TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations 60 Chapter 8 • Cetacean Intelligence 3 Overview 65 Chapter 9 • Mortality and Birth Rates 66 Non-cetaceans 6 Introduction 67 Bottlenose Dolphins 68 Orcas 9 Chapter 1 • Education 70 Other Cetacean Species 70 Summary 14 Chapter 2 • The Conservation/ Research Fallacy 72 Chapter 10 • Human–Dolphin Interactions 16 Species Enhancement Programs 72 Dolphin-Assisted Therapy 18 Mixed Breeding and Hybrids 73 Swim-With-Dolphin Attractions 18 Captive Cetaceans and Culture 75 Petting Pools and Feeding Sessions 20 The Public Display Industry Double Standard 77 Chapter 11 • Risks to Human Health 22 Ethics and Captive Breeding 77 Diseases 22 Stranding Programs 78 Injury and Death 23 Research 83 Chapter 12 • The Blackfish Legacy 26 Chapter 3 • Live Captures 83 Blackfish 31 Bottlenose Dolphins 85 The Blackfish Effect 33 Orcas 87 The Legal and Legislative Impacts of 35 Belugas Blackfish 88 The End of Captive Orcas? 37 Chapter 4 • The Physical and Social Environment 89 Seaside Sanctuaries:
    [Show full text]
  • Seaworld Captivity Argumentative Text
    SeaWorld Argumentative Text Set SeaWorld tanks or sea pens? Dispute over which is best for orcas continues Source 1: Copyright: NEWSELA https://newsela.com/articles/seaworld-whales/id/13994/ For the killer whales at SeaWorld San Diego in California, there won't be a "Free Willy" happy ending. A documentary released in 2013 accuses the company of neglecting and abusing its killer whales, or orcas. The movie “Blackfish” angered animal welfare activists. They are demanding that the San Diego theme park free its 11 orcas. But marine biologists — including SeaWorld critics — agree that the orcas probably will never be released to the open seas. Even if the killer whales don’t spend the rest of their lives in the theme park, the closest they would get to freedom would be retirement in ocean coves. The coves would be separated from open water by netting. There, they would be fed and cared for by humans for the rest of their lives. Never Completely Freed “They are not good candidates for release to the wild," said Naomi Rose. She is a marine mammal scientist for the Animal Welfare Institute. No enclosed sea pens exist to hold all 11 killer whales. The cost of building such pens could reach $5 million each, Rose said. The cost of paying workers to care for the orcas could cost up to $500,000 a year for each pen. Although animal welfare groups have pushed the idea of moving SeaWorld’s orcas to sea pens, it may never happen. SeaWorld Entertainment Inc., which owns several SeaWorld parks in the U.S., has rejected the idea of giving up its killer whales.
    [Show full text]
  • See Book Sampler
    FOREWORD by Captain Paul Watson 6 INTRODUCTION 7 CHAPTER 1: The Beginning 9 CHAPTER 2: The Famous - Keiko, Kandu V, Tilikum, Calypso & Clovis, Keto, Luna, Miracle 15 CHAPTER 3: The Deceased 23 CHAPTER 4: Currently Enslaved Whales 32 USA SeaWorld Orlando – Katina, Makaio, Malia, Nalani, Trua 36 SeaWorld San Antonio – Kamea, Kyuquot, Sakari, Takara, Tuar 42 SeaWorld San Diego – Amaya, Corky II, Ikaika, Kalia, Keet, Makani, Nakai, Orkid, Shouka, Ulises 48 Miami Seaquarium – Lolita 60 FRANCE Marineland Antibes – Inouk, Keijo, Moana, Wikie 62 CANADA Marineland – Kiska 67 SOUTH AMERICA Mundo Marino – Kshamenk 69 SPAIN Loro Parque – Adan, Keto, Kohana, Morgan, Skyla, Tekoa, Ula 71 JAPAN Kamogawa SeaWorld – Lara, Lovey, Luna, Ran II 79 Port of Nagoya – Earth, Stella, Rin 84 RUSSIA Moskvarium – Naja, Narnia, Nord 88 Seaside Dolphinarium – Malvina 92 CHINA Chimelong Ocean Kingdom – Grace, Nukka, Orpheus, Tyson, 5 Unnamed 94 Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park – Dora, Wow, 2 Unnamed 95 Wuxi Changqiao Ocean Kingdom – 2 Unnamed 96 CHAPTER 5: Blackfish 97 CHAPTER 6: The Advocates 101 CHAPTER 7: Alternatives 105 APPENDIX 109 SOURCES 116 5 Orca Book Final - InDesign.indd 5 5/23/20 7:38 AM FOREWORD by Captain Paul Watson Over the last fifty years, humans have kidnapped, imprisoned and made slaves of one of the most intelligent, socially complex, self-aware species on the planet. Orcas – Powerful yet playful apex predators who have never caused any harm to humans in the wild yet have been captured for the sole purpose of entertaining human beings for profit. It is an evil industry that has made billions of dollars and has caused incredible misery and deaths to these magnificent sentient beings.
    [Show full text]
  • 'BLACKFISH' STUDY GUIDE Dolphinproject.Com
    'BLACKFISH' STUDY GUIDE DolphinProject.com For more information, visit DolphinProject.com 'BLACKFISH' STUDY GUIDE DolphinProject.com Grades 3-5 Synopsis 'Blackfish' is a documentary that exposes what life is like for killer whales in captivity. It mainly focuses on Tilikum, a whale owned by SeaWorld Orlando, and his involvement in the death of Dawn Brancheau and two other people. The film also uncovers accidents caused by other killer whales in captivity, causing one to question why SeaWorld would jeopardize the safety of its trainers by putting them in the water with these unpredictable whales. The documentary also discusses topics from SeaWorld’s practices on breeding, especially on artificial insemination involving Tilikum, to SeaWorld’s attempt to educate the public about wild killer whales based on SeaWorld’s observation of its own collection of whales in captivity. 'Blackfish' is based on many emotional interviews that give an insight to many points of view about captivity. Learning Objectives: Students can analyze information given from personal accounts of whales in captivity to form their own opinions. Students will compare and contrast behaviors and characteristics of killer whales in captivity to killer whales in the wild based on information gathered from the film. Students will respond to discussion points in the film both orally and in written format. Students will make inferences and draw conclusions about the effects of keeping killer whales in captivity. Students will make inferences and draw conclusions about the filmmaker’s purpose by using supporting evidence found in the film. Students will be able to identify cause and effect relationships in the film.
    [Show full text]