https://padlet.com/kegl1026/h7yjwu5t0i2eo1bf en-us 2020-12-08 15:55:45 UTC 2026-03-07 21:55:57 UTC hello@padlet.com kegl1026 https://padlet.com/kegl1026/h7yjwu5t0i2eo1bf/wish/998741686 Dawn Brancheau, a former trainer at SeaWorld, died on February 24th, 2010 from an unexpected orca attack. After a performance, Brancheau moved to a shallow ledge of water and socialized with the massive, six-ton Tilikum. She had just fed him some herring, and now lay in the water talking to him while he rest next to her. The two were said to have a great relationship, as it was clear in this image of the two. However, within the next moment it all seemed to change. Tilikum was supposed to dive down and swim towards viewing glass for families to see as a fun photo op. Instead, Tili grabbed Brancheau and dragged her underwater. "He dismembered her. He tore off her left arm and scalped her. Her scalp and full head of hair were on the bottom of the pool. He severed her spinal cord. And he never gave her body up," states witness Jeff Andrews. SeaWorld denied the intensity of the event, but it struck hard with its employees. "Every safety protocol that we have failed," says Kelly Flaherty Clark, SeaWorld director of animal training.]]> 2020-12-08 16:10:55 UTC https://padlet.com/kegl1026/h7yjwu5t0i2eo1bf/wish/998741686 kegl1026 https://padlet.com/kegl1026/h7yjwu5t0i2eo1bf/wish/999771229 There are many issues that arise in the life of a captive animal, many of which are seemingly ignored in order to paint a pretty picture. For starters, many are taken from their families in the wild, or separated from their mother's at a young age if born in captivity. Mammals like orcas and dolphins have evolved to swim in groups, travelling long distances each day in order to hunt. They have internal schedules of migration that cannot be fulfilled. None of that can occur when they're put into small, single tanks and fed dead fish. The drastic change in lifestyle results in heavy stress on the animal, and trainers have been know to use drugs in order to quiet the aggression that results from this unnatural way of life. It's been shown that many dolphins and orcas break their teeth from chewing on parts of their tank, exposing nerves and creating infection. Studies have shown that 70% of orcas have some manner of tooth damage, where many have resulted in death. Many interactive activities with humans can expose them to disease, and not to mention it's generally overwhelming for the mammals.]]> 2020-12-08 19:35:12 UTC https://padlet.com/kegl1026/h7yjwu5t0i2eo1bf/wish/999771229 kegl1026 https://padlet.com/kegl1026/h7yjwu5t0i2eo1bf/wish/999943918 California has recently proposed a bill that would ban marine mammal captivity and shut down SeaWorld. Senator Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton) is a sponsor of this bill, known as the Dolphin Protection Act. This bill is said to be almost an expansion of the current Orca Protection Act that bans these killer whales from being bred or held in captivity. All cetaceans would be protected and banned from use in entertainment or captivity. The goal of this bill is to transfer the current captive mammals to facilities for rehabilitation. “We should not rely on cruel and inhumane treatment of any creature simply for our entertainment,” Senator Galgiani says, in support of the bill.]]> 2020-12-08 20:16:49 UTC https://padlet.com/kegl1026/h7yjwu5t0i2eo1bf/wish/999943918 kegl1026 https://padlet.com/kegl1026/h7yjwu5t0i2eo1bf/wish/999994397 Blackfish is the 2013 documentary that changed the face of SeaWorld forever. It contributed to the California Orca Protection Act that banned the breeding and captivity of killer whales throughout the state. Blackfish illustrates the horrors of captivity on the sea-park facilities through the story of Tilikum, a killer whale who caused the death of several trainers during his captivity. He was captured in the wild when he was about 2 years old and torn away from his family. Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite debunks the lies that SeaWorld has told, forming the truth of the treatment and torture of the animals in their care. ]]> 2020-12-08 20:31:01 UTC https://padlet.com/kegl1026/h7yjwu5t0i2eo1bf/wish/999994397 kegl1026 https://padlet.com/kegl1026/h7yjwu5t0i2eo1bf/wish/1000158246 During the summer of 2018, four different Russian firms found a "whale jail" where eleven killer whales and 87 beluga whales had been captured and stored in small pools. All of the mammals were in poor health, and around 15 of the belugas were still babies in need of their mothers. Many lesions on the orcas' skin were examined, and Veterinarian Tatyana Denisenko found the killer whales to be "thickly seeded with various microorganisms". However, on April 18th, 2019, the Russian government ordered a release of the cetaceans back into the wild. This was ordered and signed by Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of Russia’s Primorsky region, and co-signed by Jean-Michel Cousteau, founder of the California-based nonprofit Ocean Futures Society, and Charles Vinick, executive director of the Whale Sanctuary Project. ]]> 2020-12-08 21:24:38 UTC https://padlet.com/kegl1026/h7yjwu5t0i2eo1bf/wish/1000158246 kegl1026 https://padlet.com/kegl1026/h7yjwu5t0i2eo1bf/wish/1000280115 The Whale Sanctuary Project is an organization that's goal is to establish a healthy and successful seaside sanctuary where cetaceans will be able to heal and live away from their past of captivity. Depending on the damage done to the creature, they will either be rehabilitated or live permanently in a space similar enough to that of its natural habitat. Their project costs around $12-$15 million US dollars, and then about $2 million a year for care of around 8 whales. They claim to achieve this money through endowments, donations, and educational programs. Munchkin Inc. has already donated $200,000 towards the cause, and prepares to offer at least $1 million once the sanctuary is complete. The project also considers working alongside SeaWorld, hoping that they may be able to work together to provide these cetaceans with the care they need. The sanctuaries will be open to the public, but will be more educational rather than used for entertainment. The project stresses that these animals are here to heal and rehabilitate in a way that is natural to themselves. There will be no petting zoos or interaction. They hope to educate people of all ages using different methods, one being a virtual reality of the life of an orca.]]> 2020-12-08 22:15:27 UTC https://padlet.com/kegl1026/h7yjwu5t0i2eo1bf/wish/1000280115 kegl1026 https://padlet.com/kegl1026/h7yjwu5t0i2eo1bf/wish/1000326151 2020-12-08 22:40:40 UTC https://padlet.com/kegl1026/h7yjwu5t0i2eo1bf/wish/1000326151