Captive Whales By:Coley Davis Abstract Capturing Methods Effects on Humans Solving the Problem Many of us have had the priceless privilege of attending what are know as oceanic There are two methods to catch whales: catching to preserve, and whaling But not only has the orcas population began to decline since captivity for these amazing Killer whales are beautiful 8,000 pound creatures of the sea. They belong in the ocean theme parks. Through propaganda and customer satisfaction, these parks have (Peta, 2013). Killer whales are found in all of the world’s oceans. They are most creatures, incidents of the past have led to human deaths as well. Captive whales lives consist of and deserve to be free in their natural habitats. A Sea Park could never replace the ingrained themselves into our minds as locations of splashes, sun, and family fun. common in the Arctic and Antarctic oceans, and are occasionally spotted off the the training and performing of tricks in a show pool, day in and day out. The show pool is a comfort, space, and joy this marine mammal has out in the wild. These animals cannot Along with these thoughts comes the common misconception that these corporations West Coast of the United States. vast sized concrete structure filled with water; allowing the orca to perform and swim around at are taking the needs of their animals into account as well. These aquatic metropolises ! ease. When not performing the animals are kept in what are known as “Holding tanks”. Holding speak for themselves, they expect someone to help in doing so (Soboroff Jacob, 2011). house numerous species of magnificent marine mammals and more; however, one Catching to preserve: Fishermen set out on the rough and dangerous seas, and tanks are a great amount smaller than show pools. An orca would have to swim around the rim This is where we the public come into play. There are many things we as citizens can do mammal has attracted the attention of an extensive audience. The Orca, also known as travel far distances until they spot a group of wild orcas. Once identifying their of the pool more than 1,400 times to match the same distance orcas travel in the wild; about 100 today in helping bring captive whaling to an end; the four most effective strategies in “The Killer Whale,” is beautiful, powerful, eight-thousand pound creature. These target, they lock in and began the hunt. They keep the group of wild orca in view miles a day. The confinement and acts of training has lead to aggressive executions many killer doing so are listed below. ! whales draw viewers from near and far through their great entertainment value. by either a built in programed sonar system, or by following the herd and waiting whales have portrayed during shows. Many have believed that the whales that have attacked ! Additionally, they are one of the main sources of income for marine parks. What for one of the many whales to rise for a fresh breath of air. They then deploy trainers during a performance are due to emotional, physical, and mental stress. Studying the 1.) Self educate others about this topic and discuss the cold truth behind captive audience members fail to realize when they purchase that $80 ticket is the everyday smaller speed boats from the vessel and use them to corral the pack. If necessary, videos that display the act of aggression, many have concluded that the animals are trying to whales ! abuse, pain, and suffering these magnificent creatures face. Although Sea World and air support could be called in to help track down and keep the killer whales insight. express what is being done to them. ! other sea parks appear to be wonderful homes for killer whales, the cold, hard truth of A three acre net is released around the herd to maximize the capture rate. Once the One of the killer whales named Kasatka had attacked her trainer Ken Peters back in the 2.) Connect with anti-captivity groups! what occurs after ‘Shamu’s’ performance is anything but magical. net is securely knotted and attached to the back of the boat, slings are used to year of 2006. When the trainer had entered the water to perform a trick with her, she grabbed ! guarantee the captives will not escape. The whales are dragged behind the boat all onto his foot and dragged him underneath the water. Finally rising back to the surface the trainer 3.) Don’t support Sea Parks and Oceanariums such as SeaWorld! the way back to land. Upon reaching a dock, the whales are untied and loaded into did his best to comfort Kasatka. She still had a hold of Ken Peters foot, he remained trapped. ! flat bed trucks. They are then transported to marine parks, where they will spend For a second time the whale had unleashed its powerful strength and took the trainer underneath 4.) Make your voice heard and take a stand for these magnificent creatures the remainder of their lives performing in small, cement pools. This capture process the water for a second time. Finally surfacing once again, the trainer kept calm and did his best is designed for the safety of the animals but is unreliable at best. The objective is to to ensure the killer whale would not lash out once again. Finally the whale had released the catch these animals without harming them; the purpose is to display these trainers foot allowing him to swim away. Ken Peters was able to evacuate the scene with only a fascinating creatures to audiences across the world and entertain humans. broken foot. Lucky for him, he was one of the trainers that survived his killer whale attack. Unfortunately, the mortality rate is high and with whaling in the picture, we face a Many people who watched this video stated that the killer whale expressed “The feeling of dwindling supply of killer whales. being trapped”. If the whale wanted to cause more damage to the trainer, there would not have been any hesitance to do so. There has been over one hundred aggressive acts recorded by killer ! A herd of wild orca swimming freely in whales in captivity, and four deaths that have occurred. Since these incidents, safety precautions ! A killer whale named, Lolita, was their natural habitat rises for a gasp of have been taken into account; trainers and professionals that interact with these beasts are no ! violently captured during a round fresh air before continuing their journey. longer allowed to get in the water with them. Not only does captivity for whales take a toll on ! up of the now endangered (Courtesy of www.CoveBlueJiyu.com) A beautiful rare glimpse at an orca underwater. (Courtesy of www.Divencounters.com) ! southern resident killer whales; their species as a whole, but also affects the human race as well. ! she now awaits the flatbeds after ! being dragged to a dock. History on Whaling ! (Courtesy of Terrell C. Newby; www.peta.org) The first killer whale capture occurred in 1961 by Marine-land of the Pacific, ! ! Kasatka clenching onto Ken Peters foot dragging located in California. The female killer whale was described as “sick” and “disoriented”. him beneath the surface during a SeaWorld After coming to that conclusion, the whalers corralled the whale onto a flatbed . Two ! ! performance. (Courtesy of Lori Weisberg; days after towing the whale to captivity, she was transitioned into a tank. The whale was www.utsandiego.com) traumatized and frightened, she repeatedly smashed her head into the walls of the tanks Whaling: Fishermen leave shore and set off into the oceans dangerous and and eventually died from acute gastroenteritis and pneumonia. Three years later in 1964 wild seas in what is referred to as a “Factory Ship”. A Factory Ship is a massive Samuel Burich a sculptor was offered commission by the Vancouver Aquarium to kill a and powerful ship that does not only catch whales but also loads them onto the killer whale and then create a life sized model of it for the museums attraction. Burich vessel from the back. This ship has numerous ropes, nets and weapons such as harpoon gun. The ship travels great distances until spotting one or more whales. took on the mission and harpooned a fifteen foot long, one ton whale. Surprisingly, after Reasons for Capture one viscous strike the whale did not die; moreover, it retained consciousness after a They keep the animal in sight by using the same methods as mentioned before. The bullet from Burich. At wits end, the aquarium director assigned the whale to be brought ship has workers on deck waiting to fire their harpoons when given the chance. It is not unreasonable for humans to have an interest in orcas and other marine animals; When the whale rises, the harpoon gunner carefully aims and fires at the whales however, when it places the animals in harm’s way we must draw the line. Humans do not back to Vancouver. Using the harpoon line that was attached to the whales dorsal fin, There are numerous organizations and body. After striking the whale, another shot is fired to ensure connection with the extract these animals from their habitats just for pure curiosity. These intelligent vertebrates are they began a 20 mile journey back (“A Whale Of A Business" Historical Chronology, opportunities that are out there in helping bring whale. Whalers let down ropes, tying the tail of the whale to the boat. The whale is stolen from the ocean for four primary uses; Entertainment, Economical use, Rescue, and 2012).