Killer Whale-3, Humans-0

[Chaser001]

I've been somewhat keeping up with the incident at Sea World in which a killer whale killed a trainer in front of thousands of people.  This is the third person the whale has killed.  I'm one of those people who is actually very bothered by whale hunting and it's my understanding that only Japan and Norway still do that.  I think it's a terrible practice.  However, I also don't think whales killing people is a very good idea, either.  Call me crazy but somehow I think a whale who has already killed three people should at the very least be retired.  I'm just wondering if the profit motive may have anything to do with the fact that Sea World seems gung-ho on continuing with this killer whale show.  To make matters worse, they are actually blaming the trainer for her own death because her ponytail got in the whale's way.  I guess I'm in the minority, though, because I think in this case the show should not go on. 

[uwe]

I think the Good Lord, in all his wisdom, never meant a huge and highly intelligent sea predator that has been held in captivity for 30 years in amich too small basin and a human to swim side by side or do little circus stunts. Pony tails or no pny tails. I'm not PETA, I eat meat, even whale meat (in Iceland where even Greenpeace can't argue that the indigenous whales are threatened), but captured orcas in amusement parks have no business being there nor do humans have business hanging ariund them. Like Spanish bullfighting, this does serve any remotrly justifiable purpose. Open the gates for this killer whale and all the others and let nature take its course.

[Dave W]

It's not fair to the whale to let it loose.

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

What kind of whale? KILLER!

21,000 pounds of DEATH!

To quote Sting:

"Free, free~ Set them free"

"The show must go on" ~Greedy bastids

[Barklessdog]

It sound like something my dog would do.

At least they are not killing the whale. When you put daqngerous animals like adult Killer Whales, tigers, bears & chimps interacting with trained proffesionals your're going to get casualities, how can anyone not expect that?

They are still wild animals, not trained poodles.

I really feel sorry for all the little kids that witnessed it, holding thier Shamu steefed animals & wearing shamu tee shirts.

[JimB52]

I don't think Orca realizes humans can't hold their breath for 5 minutes.
Or maybe he was having a bad day.

[the mojo hobo]

I'm pretty sure more whales have been killed by humans than humans killed by whales. Quoting Wikipedia:

Between 1954 and 1997, Japan took 1,178 killer whales and Norway took 987. Over 3,000 killer whales were taken by Soviet whalers, including an Antarctic catch of 906 in 1979 and 1980 alone, prompting the International Whaling Commission to recommend a ban on commercial hunting of the species pending further research.

[nofi]

not a fan of zoos, aquariums or anyplace that takes animals out of their natural habitat for human amusement.

[eb2]

I think this whale's kill record has been somewhat exaggerated.  The second kill was a mentally unstable guy who trespassed, jumped in the tank naked and then died of exposure.  The whale was swimming around with the guy draped over its schnozz.  Hardly a kill, but more like playing with its new big human toy.  Overall this is a big playful cute killer whale that just wants to play.  

Me, I like zoos.  I like Sea World.  Animals in captivity are un-natural, but lots of things aren't, like Twinkies.  The deficient thinking part of this lies in the now-dead "trainer."  The news reports indicated she was very experienced and had been working with these creatures for 16 years.  I would say that the training curve estimate lies now beyond 17 years.  I think this is a tragedy, but when you work around things that can kill you, like killer whales and kitchen remodel job sites, sh!t happens.   Safety is job #1, and you always have to be careful.  She sadly wasn't.

I think that the other handlers there may be very uneasy about doing a show with that one now.  Letting it go may be just as dangerous.  It has been eating fish out of people's hands for years.  It may think that people at a beach in Florida are fun toys and the only way to have lunch.  Not good.

[Chaser001]

I'm pretty sure more whales have been killed by humans than humans killed by whales. Quoting Wikipedia:

Between 1954 and 1997, Japan took 1,178 killer whales and Norway took 987. Over 3,000 killer whales were taken by Soviet whalers, including an Antarctic catch of 906 in 1979 and 1980 alone, prompting the International Whaling Commission to recommend a ban on commercial hunting of the species pending further research.

I am also very much against whaling as well as being against all the SeaWorld nonsense. 

[uwe]

Whaling or not, killer whales were never ever on the brink of extinction. They are just giant dolphins and those are a more stable population than, say, tuna. It never made much sense hunting orcas either, they are predators and don't taste well, they have little blubber! You can't make perfume from them and they are difficult to hunt.

I know that whale who didn't like pigtails wouldn't stand a chance in the open sea after three decades of behavior-deforming captivity, but at leat he would get to swim out in the open before being killed by other orcas or starving to death.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

It's a testament to their temperment and intelligence that even the idea of having humans in close contact is possible. We're the same general size, and in wetsuits, the same coloration and silhouette as one of their major food items, seals. Killer whales kill great white sharks just for the hell of it. My guess is the whale was irritated with his situation and was trying to express his displeasure but never meant to kill her. If he had, there would only have been pieces of wetsuit left.

I know he put up with being confined to a space barely liveable for him much better than I would. He may actually be capable of surviving in the wild, and a tracked release would  have scientific merit. We know very little about killer whales and their migration and navigation. Even if he was killed by his own kind, he would die free. I'd say the odds are 50/50 for his survival in the wild.

[gweimer]

I don't think Orca realizes humans can't hold their breath for 5 minutes.
Or maybe he was having a bad day.

My wife watches these kinds of shows a lot.  The whale was probably just playing with the trainer.  The trainer wasn't bitten in an attack, but grabbed by the pony tail.  The Orca has no comprehension of how frail a human is to their size and weight.

[Highlander]

They have tried to rehabilitate "captive" orca's, but it has not been successful - the most notable failure being Keiko, of "Free Willy" fame...

http://www.keiko.com/

It is not only whales that are "hunted" ... this video is NOT for kids...



Colours to the mast - what difference does it make... it's only an animal...

[Psycho Bass Guy]

They have tried to rehabilitate "captive" orca's, but it has not been successful - the most notable failure being Keiko, of "Free Willy" fame...

I think they pretty well implied that he died of pneumonia as a complication of old age, and he was thriving in the wild before that. I wouldn't label that a failure.