What’s Eating ‘Keet,’ SeaWorld’s Captive Killer Whale?

Posted on May 23, 2013 by David Kirby

The orca’s dorsal fin is in terrible condition—but did a virus or the bite of another killer whale cause the damage?

First Published at TakePart.com

As if having his dorsal fin completely collapse weren’t enough, something—or someone—has been eating away at the back of the massive appendage of Keet, an exceedingly itinerant 20-year-old male orca, currently parked at SeaWorld San Diego.

In a video recently posted on YouTube, visitors captured a treatment session in the medical pool. Other witnesses reported similar medical procedures on Keet over the past few months.

In the video, Keet obediently moves into position before the pool bottom, partly covered in green algae, rises up to beach him. Next, a female veterinarian gingerly applies what looks like laser surgery, apparently to cauterize the ragged flesh of his fin. At times you can see bits of his folded dorsal light up in orange as the laser burns away rotted tissue. The curator, heard on tape, is clueless as to what is going on.

I don’t how much pain, if any, the 7,000-pound killer whale is experiencing—he doesn’t seem to flinch. But it’s still a bit hard to watch. And one immediately walks away with the one obvious, but unanswered question: What on earth happened to this poor animal?

SeaWorld did not respond to a request by TakePart for comment, so it is impossible to know why his dorsal fin is in such dreadful shape.

“I’ve never seen anything like it, but maybe others have,” Howard Garrett, an experienced whale observer from The Orca Network, told TakePart. Dr. Ingrid Visser, of New Zealand’s Orca Research Trust, said that she has seen wild orcas “with ragged edges to their dorsal fins which are very similar to this.” It’s not clear if boats, sharks or other orcas did the damage.

So what happened to Keet? It was either caused by disease—or another whale.

If another orca attacked Keet, or tore away bits of fin in a bout of extreme roughhousing, he wouldn’t be the first captive killer whale wounded by a tank-mate. In the most infamous contretemps, also at San Diego, in 1989, Kandu and Corky had a severe altercation during a show in which Kandu severed an artery in her jaw. She slowly hemorrhaged to death in a back pool, spurting red jets of blood from her blowhole as helpless staff and her calf Orkid looked on.

Keet’s dorsal looks like it could have been macerated. “Not knowing all the whales in this community, who knows who is doing what to whom, but it sure does look like someone has been chewing on it,” Dr. Naomi Rose, senior scientist at Humane Society International, tells TakePart.

Visser concurs. “Without a closer look it’s hard to tell,” she says. “Some of it certainly looks like orca bites.”

It reminds me of the sad story of Tilikum, the three-time killer who spent his youth at the second-rate SeaLand of the Pacific, in Victoria, British Columbia, where he was subjected to almost unceasing abuse by the tank’s two females, who dominate killer whale society.

As I reported in Death at SeaWorld, trainer Eric Walters complained to Canadian officials about safety and animal-welfare issues, including:

The three killer whales were “housed from 1730 hrs until 0800 hrs the following day in what is called the ‘module,’” a small, dark, metal confinement that barely accommodated the animals, Walters wrote. “I have seen the male, Tilikum, with the ends of his flukes [tail] abraded and bleeding,” Walters said. The tight space “leads to conflict between the whales, which have no options for avoiding confrontations. Often the whales’ skin shows teeth marks from aggressive action between the three, which are not just superficial tooth rakes.” Some witnesses said his flukes looked like raw hamburger.

Keet’s injuries, if that’s what they are, look a bit like those inflicted on his father Kotar. The back of his dorsal fin, when he was young, looks chewed on in this photo: Kotar, incidentally, attacked another male, Kanduke, in Orlando, biting his penis. In 1988 Kotar was banished to San Antonio, where he died seven years later when a metal gate crushed his skull.

San Diego, of course, is also home to Nakai, who sustained a ghastly disfigurement on his chin last year. According to journalist Tim Zimmermann, it happened during a major fight between Nakai, another male named Ikaika, and Keet. SeaWorld said Nakai “came in contact with a portion of the pool.”

Then there’s the germ theory. It’s possible, but if Keet’s flesh-eating disease is infectious, he must be isolated and the algae-laden medical pool thoroughly sanitized after each use.

“It’s hard to say without knowing his diagnosis, but not all diseases are highly contagious. It could be his outbreak is related, say, to stress rather than something external that can be sanitized,” Jenni James, litigation fellow at the Animal Legal Defense Fund, tells TakePart.

Keet’s condition could be viral, James notes. “In rehab facilities, for instance, stranded sea lions with San Miguel skin disease, which is viral, don’t need to be isolated because the virus won’t generally spread unless they are housed with seals who also have open sores.”

SeaWorld may say Keet is not contagious and sanitizing is not necessary, James adds, “but I doubt they would address the correlation between stress and viral outbreaks. SeaWorld won’t want to admit Keet is stressed, particularly because housing incompatible animals together is a violation of the law. Of course, Keet’s stress is not necessarily from his tank-mates. If those are the only choices, his outbreak is stress-related or external, SeaWorld’s in a conundrum because the one shows that captivity is stressful, and if it’s external, then why is he not isolated?”

As for algae, even in a medical pool, growth is not strictly prohibited under the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Algae growth is recognized as a contributor to poor water quality and bacterial growth, but it’s not banned. “An argument could be made either way that the algae in this video is a violation,” Rose says. “It would be easier all around if they clearly stated that ‘visible algae growth is not permitted.’”

Whatever or whoever was eating Keet, he is obviously getting good care. But one hopes it won’t happen again. He’s had a rough, unusually ambulatory life. Ripped from his mother’s side in Texas at just 20 months old, he was shipped to Florida. In 1999, he was moved to California and, the next year, to Ohio. A year later, he flew back to San Diego. In 2004, he was dispatched to Texas and, last year, sent once more to California.

Meanwhile, the public deserves an explanation. If some microbe assaulted Keet’s fin, can we be sure it won’t recur? And if he was attacked by another orca, will SeaWorld comply with the AWA’s provision that, “Marine mammals shall not be housed near animals that would cause them stress or discomfort, or interfere with their good health?”

If that’s the case, then the hapless, wayfaring Keet might have to board a plane once again.

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SEAWORLD GOES PUBLIC TODAY – Statement by David Kirby

Posted on April 18, 2013 by David Kirby

Today, SeaWorld and the Blackstone Group will offer their IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. I would never advise anyone on investments, but I would ask them to consider the moral, ethical and safety issues of keeping killer whales in captivity for entertainment and profit.

Orcas are huge ticket sellers. But holding them in tanks 1/10,000th the size of their natural range creates risks that any investor must consider. First, captive orcas die at 2.5 times the rate of wild whales. But captive orcas also attack people, something that doesn’t happen in the wild.

SeaWorld’s prospectus warns that trainers have been hurt or killed by the company’s orcas, including the 2010 death of trainer Dawn Brancheau. “This incident and similar events that may occur in the future may harm our reputation, reduce attendance and negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations,” it says. My book Death at SeaWorld and the upcoming documentary Blackfish are included in the prospectus’ section on “risk factors.”

Now some business media are taking note. As one headline in Business Insider Australia put it: “SeaWorld: Our Investors Should Know That It’s Bad For Business When Our Killer Whales Kill People.”

 

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SeaWorld Suffers Legal Setback in Fight Against OSHA

Posted on April 8, 2013 by David Kirby

Even as SeaWorld and OSHA engage in settlement talks over the 2010 killing of trainer Dawn Brancheau by the orca Tilikum, the company has suffered a legal setback in its fight to keep OSHA inspectors from interviewing trainers about federally mandated safety measures before the mediation process concludes.

U.S. District Judge Roy Dalton has ruled that OSHA inspectors can enforce subpoenas to interview trainers, in order to ensure that safety measures the federal agency imposed after Brancheau’s death are being enforced. Dalton’s ruling was first reported Monday afternoon by Courthouse News Service.

Those measures, which OSHA agreed to mediate with SeaWorld, in a surprising turnaround, include a ban on trainers getting near killer whales during shows without a minimal distance or protective barrier.

I wrote about those measures, and the negotiations last week at TakePart.com.

Despite the settlement talks, OSHA inspectors have been trying to interview three trainers about the company’s enforcement of the safety measures handed down by the agency and upheld last year by a federal judge.

Presumably, the inspectors want to ask the trainers if they have engaged in onstage behavior – including hugging, kissing and otherwise touching killer whales – in direct violation of OSHA’s safety mandates.

SeaWorld fought OSHA’s efforts. “OSHA issued administrative subpoenas to three SeaWorld employees, Tony Moore, Craig Thomas, and Brian McFadden,” Court News reported. “SeaWorld and the employees insisted, however, that they would not give testimony pertaining to the abatement date modification petition.”

But now Judge Dalton has ordered the company to comply.

It should make for interesting interviews – countless photos, YouTube videos and at least one Orlando TV newscast all show trainers in intimately close poses with the orcas, well after OSHA’s measures became an official order.

“OSHA may reinspect the premises – and issue administrative subpoenas as part of the reinspection process – to ensure abatement,” Dalton wrote. “As such, respondents’ (SeaWorld’s) objections are not well-taken.”

Enforcement of the subpoenas will not infringe on the outcome of the mediation process, where the ultimate decision “may moot OSHA’s follow-up inspection,” the judge wrote. “Nevertheless, Sea World currently has a duty to abate in accordance with the original abatement deadline, and OSHA may act to enforce the required abatement.”

The move comes as SeaWorld is trying to put its best face forward ahead of an IPO that is expected later this month. Just today, SeaWorld and parent company The Blackstone Group increased the offering from $100 million to $500 million.

For now, the clock is ticking. If OSHA inspectors interview the trainers, under oath, and find that they have performed in extremely close proximity to the whales, as expected, then it could head off any negotiations toward a settlement.

On the other hand, as the judge pointed out, if mediation is finalized first, it could well “moot OSHA’s follow up inspection.”

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Feds in Settlement Talks with SeaWorld in Trainer Death Case: Will History Repeat Itself?

Posted on April 3, 2013 by David Kirby

Up Now at TakePart.com:

Attorneys for SeaWorld are currently in settlement negotiations with officials at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the latest step of a prolonged legal drama that started when trainer Dawn Brancheau was killed by the orca Tilikum just over three years ago in Orlando.

TakePart has confirmed with a Labor Department spokesman that mediation talks are underway. The precise subject matter of the discussions was not disclosed, but a source close to the case—and documents obtained via the Freedom of Information Act—indicate that SeaWorld wants to keep trainers in contact with the whales during certain “Shamu” show segments, even though it was declared a safety hazard and forbidden by OSHA in a citation issued by that agency that was upheld by a federal judge and a Labor Department commission in late spring, 2012.

The talks are part of a “voluntary mediation program” at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, where SeaWorld is fighting OSHA’s efforts to keep trainers at a safe distance, away from the killer whales.

“As a result of this mediation, it appears that the parties may have found a way to come to an agreement disposing of all issues in the case,” according to a document filed with the court on December 20, 2012. “Working out the precise terms of the settlement, though, will likely take at least a month.”

Clearly, it is taking longer than that.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/04/03/seaworld-trainer-safety-dawn-brancheau

Statement by David Kirby, Contributor to TakePart.com

In 2007, following the near-death attack by Kasatka on SeaWorld trainer Ken Peters, California OSHA published a scathing report, issuing a raft of safety recommendations and condemning the park for putting trainers at risk. The agency issued a prophetic warning. “If someone hasn’t been killed already,” it said, “it is only a matter of time before it does happen.”

But SeaWorld marshaled its lawyers and met behind closed doors in Sacramento to work out a negotiated settlement. In the end, Cal OSHA caved on nearly everything, even agreeing to rescind the “only a matter of time” language. SeaWorld did little to upgrade safety protocols.

Three years later, in December of 2009, Keto, a SeaWorld orca on loan to Loro Parque in the Canary Islands, brutally rammed and killed his trainer. Two months after that, the 12,000-pound bull Tilikum dunked, rammed, dismembered and killed his trainer, Dawn Brancheau, at SeaWorld Orlando.

It is surprising that the federal OSHA might be willing to water down its own findings, much like Cal/OSHA did six years ago.

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Kids File “Visual Briefs” in Legal Drama to Free the Orca Lolita

Posted on March 11, 2013 by David Kirby

(Published at www.takepart.com)

If art can change the world, can big art change the world in a big way?

Gigi Glendinning, who runs the Philadelphia-based animal welfare education group, 22 Reasons, is banking on it. Glendinning is currently enlisting students at schools across the Philly metro area to complete and sign giant, life-sized murals of Lolita, the loneliest killer whale in the world. It’s part of a worldwide legal effort to send Lolita back to her Pacific.

The murals are “visual briefs,” if you will, for courts to consider.

Kids instinctively take to Lolita’s long and sad saga. They can imagine what it must have been like for her, 43 years ago, to be yanked away from her family and flown across a vast continent, put in a tiny swimming pool at the Miami Seaquarium, and taught to perform tricks for camera-toting tourists clad in Bermuda shorts.

Activists have been fighting for years to win Lolita’s freedom and send her for rehabilitation in an enclosed sea-pen in her native Pacific Northwest waters. Eventually, she might be able to reunite with her family. After all, we know who they are, and we know where they are.

TakePart asked Glendinning about her art-for-the-whale idea:

 What first gave you this unusual idea?

I wanted students to get a sense of the actual size of an orca, so I decided to create a 22’ x 9’ template for each school to paint. With every animal story that we share, we offer a specific action that kids can take on behalf of that animal. Signing the life-size mural and writing their thoughts about Lolita’s situation is the perfect way for students to voice their concerns and desire to help.

Why such large paintings? What is the impetus and hoped-for impact of their size?

Empathy. When you stand right up next to her, it makes her more real — it connects you with her and with the reality that this magnificent creature has been confined in a pool for 43 years. The same thing happens when I show kids the size of a laboratory cage used for chimpanzees — it puts them in the animal’s world for a moment.

Tell us a bit about Lolita and her current living conditions in Miami.

Lolita is beautiful and strong — it’s a miracle she is still alive. Lolita has been confined in an 80 x 35 foot tank for 43 years, 33 years of which she has been without another orca. She is forced to perform tricks for food, one or two times a day, to obscenely loud rock music. In the ocean, she would swim alongside her family up to 100 miles a day, at 30 mph, diving 500 feet deep. Instead, she has spent the majority of her life floating in a tank with her tail touching the bottom. Her living conditions are, simply, criminal.

Have you been to see her at the Seaquarium? What was your reaction?

Yes, I went to see her situation first hand so I could speak from experience. I hated giving money to the park and I was miserable from the moment I walked through the gates. Animals in the Miami Seaquarium are living in squalor — it was very upsetting. I did enjoyed seeing Lolita after reading so much about her. She “spy hopped” and watched me take photographs of her, but then she would float off to the side, a painful reminder of her daily existence. Once the show started, the whole scene made me angry, especially the spectators laughing and clapping.

What are the students’ reactions when they hear Lolita’s story?

They are shocked. When I show the photo of her tank, the room is silent. People assume zoos and aquariums take good care of their animals so they are saddened to see otherwise. Learning about Lolita’s situation definitely promotes intense thoughts and conversations about confining animals for our amusement and “education.”

How can this project tie-in with other things children study, like conservation and the law?

There is always a way to tie the stories I share into the curriculum. Students at one school took it upon themselves to apply what they learned in history class to better understand the legal efforts that advocates are now taking to boost Lolita’s case. They identified the branches of government responsible for enforcing the Animal Welfare Act and the Endangered Species Act, and in Lolita’s case, they discussed the government’s lack of enforcement of these laws.  An English teacher at another school decided to have the students practiced their writing skills and wrote over fifty individual letters to the USDA on Lolita’s behalf. The kids put their personal opinions in writing and advocated for Lolita — it was a win-win!

What about the two lawsuits on Lolita’s behalf?

Ideally, they’ll get Lolita OUT of the tank and into a sea pen in the Pacific. The Animal Legal Defense Fund and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have filed two lawsuits to do just that. One against the USDA for continuing to award the Seaquarium permits for the tank, which fails to meet Animals Welfare Act minimum standards for housing a whale of her size. A second lawsuit against the National Marine Fisheries Service seeks to award Lolita endangered species status, like the rest of her family. She would no longer be harassed and forced to perform. The Orca Network has devised detailed plans on moving Lolita to a sea pen for rehabilitation. Most experts agree she could eventually be reunited with her family.

What’s next for this project? What do you hope to do with these murals?

I’d love to hang them together, this summer, for the public to enjoy. I want to showcase the kid’s feelings about this — they care, and they want a better life for Lolita. Most people are open to learning and changing, and they get excited when they can apply what they’ve learned. The kids are thrilled to help Lolita and they want to be part of the movement to end the use of animals for our entertainment. If we are able to have a grand display of these life-size whales, a display of our children’s concerns, I’m certain more people will jump on board to free Lolita!

Why is Lolita so important to 22 Reasons, and why is so important to these students?

We believe animals deserve the opportunity and liberty to experience their natural born lives. Lolita has been denied that. Sharing her story promotes the critical thinking necessary for action on her behalf, and for change in how we treat animals. Children can handle the truth: Using animals for education or entertainment is fundamentally wrong. Kids, given the choice, don’t go for it. Whether it’s an elephant in a zoo, a lion in a circus, a chimp in a movie, or an orca in a tank — it’s blatant disrespect of the animal. We can do better than that. We must fix these “traditions.” 22reasons teaches kids to revere animals, but from a distance – respect their role and their rights on this planet.

What can other people do if they want to join the effort to return Lolita to Washington?

Don’t buy a ticket to the Miami Seaquarium, or any marine park for that matter. Visit www.orcanetwork.org and www.aldf.org to participate in any current or future letter writing campaigns and to read updates on Lolita’s case. And of course, have me come to your school to create a life-size Lolita! info@22reasons.org

 

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Feds Cite SeaWorld For Crumbling Facilities

Posted on March 7, 2013 by David Kirby

PUBLISHED AT: TakePart.Com 3/7/13

Packs of decade-old sutures. Rust and concrete cement chips in the dolphin nursery. Flooring and concrete mesh chipping away at Shamu Stadium. Eroded paint exposing rough concrete edges in the orca “slide-out.”

Is SeaWorld going to seed? No, it’s just another day at America’s favorite marine mammal entertainment park.

Last December, agents from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) inspected SeaWorld Orlando and found a number of problems that could potentially put the animals’ health and lives at risk.

SeaWorld and the government played down the citations as routine and hardly noteworthy. But to many critics, it is precisely because such disrepair is routine that cetacean captivity becomes even more untenable.

In the diminutive concrete tank known as the dolphin nursery pool, where mothers and infants swim within earshot of an adjacent rattling roller coaster, “painted concrete & concrete patches” were found around the rim that, “have separated and are loose, are no longer durable, and are not in good repair.” Several small cracks were also found.

“The dolphins in this pool can potentially have contact with these patched areas which might create a health risk,” the report said, especially if concrete chips were ingested, “or if they become abrasive to the dolphin’s skin.” The patchy areas were not conducive to cleaning and disinfecting as well.

Meanwhile, two overhead metal beams were rusty, which could cause peeling and flaking which, “can also create a potential health hazard,” if chips fall in the water, though it’s not known if that occurred.

At Shamu Stadium, inspectors found “several small areas of flooring that the trainers walk on behind the big screen (that) is not durable, and is loose, worn and chipped away, exposing the underlying porous concrete. This inspector easily dislodged a piece of this floor coating/concrete with his shoe. The loose pieces of flooring, if dislodged, can easily fall into the water and create a health risk if they should become injected,” (sic).

There were also problems in one of the slide-out areas, where “Shamu” (the stage name for SeaWorld orcas) hauls out of the water, back arched and flukes up in a pose that would be grotesque in the wild. The area had “worn paint exposing the underlying concrete matrix,” the report said, “These areas are also not in good repair, do no facilitate cleaning and disinfection, and can potentially cause a health risk to these whales.”

The feds ordered SeaWorld to fix the problems by March 1, 2013, “to protect the whales and dolphins from injury.” They also said to dispose of medical sutures that had expired nearly a decade earlier. Their use was “inappropriate,” and SeaWorld was told to “establish an effective procedure” to ensure expired sutures are discarded.

The report was only recently made public, and a copy was obtained by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Staff attorney Jared Goodman told TakePart that PETA filed a complaint at USDA in December, after a girl was bitten by a dolphin at the feeding pool, and that is what prompted the inspection, though USDA listed it as “routine.”

Either way, “According to the inspector’s notes, SeaWorld was evasive when asked about past dolphin bites and refused to provide information on them, but ultimately wasn’t cited for the biting incident,” Goodman said. But the expired sutures and tank disrepair were “discovered and cited during the inspection” and “jeopardize the orcas’ and other dolphins’ safety and are further evidence of SeaWorld’s repeated disregard for federal laws meant to protect animal welfare.”

According to Goodman, “Decrepit tanks are only the beginning of the cruelty at SeaWorld. From housing incompatible animals together and intense boredom and aggression, causing orcas to gnaw on the metal gates and concrete tanks and damage their teeth, to forcible insemination, the blaring music during its tawdry shows, and roller coasters overhead, SeaWorld is an unnatural and devastating environment.”

Last year at SeaWorld San Diego, APHIS investigators concluded that a ghastly wound sustained by the orca Nakai was caused by something “in the pool environment.” And, Goodman said, “concrete tanks at SeaWorld San Antonio appear to have caused two recent bloody dolphin injuries.”

Goodman called the conditions in the citations “unconscionable,” though SeaWorld and USDA seemed to think they were no big deal and repaired in a timely fashion.

“All the items noted by APHIS during their most recent routine inspection have been resolved and the matter is now closed,” SeaWorld spokesman Fred Jacobs told TakePart. “The safety of guests and staff and the health and welfare of SeaWorld’s animals are our highest priorities.  The items listed by APHIS in their report of December 3 posed no safety or health risk to our staff, guests or animals.”

USDA spokesman David Sack said his agency “doesn’t have any reason to believe that the expired sutures were being used by the facility.” He added that, “Most dolphins won’t ingest concrete, but if one did, the concrete would need to be removed. The amount of concrete ingested would also play a factor. Same goes with killer whales. As I’m sure you understand, I can’t speculate on exact outcomes from hypothetical ingestions.”

As for Nakai, “Again, I can’t speculate on that,” Sacks said. “I can, however, say that our inspector found no areas of the pools that were in need of repair,” in San Diego. But, he added, “We will continue to make routine, unannounced inspections to make sure that SeaWorld is adhering to all pertinent Animal Welfare Act regulations — including those that cover the physical facilities such as pools.”

It’s true that we can’t speculate on “hypothetical ingestions,” but it’s plausible that some animals did ingest concrete, rust chips, or flooring. They have certainly eaten more exotic items, like floats and toys. In Death at SeaWorld I discuss orcas at Loro Parque, Spain, who peeled away and ate strips of pool lining. When I was at the dolphin pool in Orlando once, someone dropped a phone in the water. By the time staff was alerted, it was nowhere to be seen. More than 15 minutes passed before someone suited up and went in to search. I don’t know if the toxic piece of electronics was ever found.

When marine mammals ingest foreign objects, such as crumbling pieces of their habitat, they can get sick and even die.

“Mortality in marine parks and zoos due to foreign body ingestion is well documented in the literature,” said a 1990 report co-authored by James Coe, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “At Marineland of the Pacific, numerous cetaceans died as a result of ingestion of foreign material,” the report said. One dolphin died after ingesting a piece of plastic. “Approximately one-half of the forestomach lining and submucosa had eroded away,” the report said, “with necrotic tissue and inflammation extending deep into the musculature of the stomach wall.”

Captive marine mammals “have abundant time to investigate, manipulate, damage or destroy vulnerable elements within their facilities,” notes the textbook Wild Mammals in Captivity.  And when they eat the wrong thing, consequences can be dire. “Any ingested foreign body must be manually removed from the forestomach,” the book said. Induced vomiting might kill the animal via blockage, suffocation and pressure on the heart and trachea.

Crumbling pools and manual removal of foreign objects from animals do not happen every day, of course. But they do happen. And because peeling concrete and flooring is considered nothing but “routine” by industry and regulators alike, activists are convinced there is simply no “acceptable” artificial habitat for wild marine mammals.

“I’m stunned that SeaWorld can claim they give their animals the ‘best care in the world’ when their living conditions are literally falling apart,” Alex Lewis of the anti-captivity group Fins and Fluke told Take Part.

Courtney Vail of Whale and Dolphin Conservation agreed. “The chronic and perpetual decay of these facilities underscores the extreme costs and risks to both the animals, and the facilities themselves,” she said.

“No captive environment will ever be adequate for whales and dolphins, and the peeling paint, expired medications, and decrepit tanks belie the futile attempts of these facilities to hide the true face of captivity from the public,” Vail added. “The captive infrastructure is costly to maintain, but as the concrete walls continue to crumble, these costs do not compare to the ultimate cost to these animals: their quality of life, and their freedom.”

 

 

 

 

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Readers Rave about ‘Death at SeaWorld’

Posted on February 27, 2013 by David Kirby

Critics have given ‘Death at SeaWorld’ some of the finest reviews imaginable. But what really counts is what readers think. I am proud to list highlights from some of the most glowing readers accounts, taken from Amazon.com and GoodReads.com. I hope you find them enlightening. Thank you! – David Kirby

Excerpts of Reader Reviews from
Amazon and Goodreads

~Reviews at Amazon~

One of the best books I’ve ever read! – Alex Lewis “Alexlewis44″ (Denton, TX) – David Kirby has hit the nail on the head once again. ‘Death at SeaWorld’ is quite possibly the most exciting book I’ve ever read. I could not put it down and did not want it to end. I have never read a book like this before. Not only is it incredibly descriptive but it’s also fact-based. Thank you so much for writing this book!

Truth! if you love killer whales – read this! – Shanna Brady “Gregory A Loew” (Burlington, Vermont) – I could not put this book down! Anyone and everyone who has or ever will visit a marine park should read this book. Informative, intelligent and a must read. Thank you Mr. Kirby! I only hope this wakes some people up to the horror of keeping hear majestic creatures is concrete cages.

The Real Truth Behind The Lies – Hydeaway Photography - I could NOT put this book down! I have read every single book about Orcas that I possibly could and this one is by far one of if not the best book I’ve read thus far. For the sake of the animals and their trainers! Thank you to David Kirby for writing this amazing book!

Lifts the lid on what SeaWorld don’t want you know – julieannboo - I received this last week and haven’t been able to put it down since. David lifts the lid on what SeaWorld don’t want you to know what really goes on life for the whales in captivit

Great book!!! Very eye opening – Pen Name – Once I began reading it I couldn’t put it down. It was very shocking and eye opening and super educating.

Read it in 3 days – James R. Lawrence III(Canyon Country, CA) – It was so good I could not put it down. This book really puts the lives of captive (intelligent) Orcas in perspective. A must read for any animal lover or appreciator of wilderness! Thank you so much for writing this book!

This book is a must read for animal lovers – Michael J. Spitale – I just bought this book this morning for my Kindle and I have barely put it down yet. The author does an amazing job of explaining Orca.

Intelligent and thought provoking – Baygirl61 – I just downloaded this book last night, and I was riveted. Finished it this morning. I was delighted to find so much information about the lives of wild orcas and the research that has been done over the years.

Factual, Gripping, Can’t Stop Read – Kirsten Massebeau (Cannon Beach, Oregon) ‘Death at SeaWorld’ is worth every penny. This factual and objective account is a book you won’t be able to put down. The author David Kirby does an amazing job of toggling between the world of wild orca, and the trainers at Sea World.

JAWS for the 21st Century – Tommy Shane – Anyone who cares about human life, and anyone who cares about the fate of other mammals, must read DEATH AT SEAWORLD. It is a page-turning thriller. David Kirby is an amazing writer. You will not be able to put this book down.

Exposes the truth behind the illusion – Marisa Hunt – Excellent book, clearly explains what goes on behind closed doors at sea world. It’s a gripping objective read full of facts taken from a variety of sources, once you start you will not be able to put it down.

I really enjoyed the DETAIL – bothellbuyer (WA USA) – I picked up this e-book awhile back and waited for a non-fiction reading ‘mood’. Boy, was I pulled into this topic. For an in-depth exploration of the topic of orca captivity issues, I would recommend this to other readers.

A MUST READ! – S. McElhaney (Woodbridge, VA) – David Kirby’s insightful book tells the real truth behind the brightly colored walls at SeaWorld. Destined to be a best-seller!

Fantastic !!!!! – Kimberly Sutherland – David Kirby has hit the nail on the head. Very informative …I LOVED this book. Sea world executives must be having a very bad day with the release of this stunning examination of the marine park procedures.

VALID .. REFRESHING – Paul Slabaugh (Leakey, Texas) - ‘Death at SeaWorld’ cleanly presents a balance of scientific and experiential data with shocking, anecdotal stories. Historically significant, this is a wonderful read from a New York Times bestselling author!!

Outstanding book – Truman Goldendog – One of the best books about a wild animal issue I have read. I have been a professional endangered species biologist for 23 years. David Kirby not only got his facts correct on the biology and ecology of the killer whale, but he has written the story in an engrossing manner. I felt like I was present at the events he described in his book.

Incredible book – Christelle – It informs its readers so well about the orca captivity situation – I feel like everything you need to know on the issue is in this book, it’s so detailed and well-researched. The 450 pages scared me at first, but I was flipping through the pages so fast – this book is captivating.

Changed the way I thought- April -The highest praise I can give a book is that it makes you stand back and really review what your beliefs are. This one does that…I will never look at any animals held in captivity the same, particularly marine mammals.

Reviews at Goodreads.com

Death at SeaWorld has received 204 reader ratings, of which, 98% liked the book. Most common rating: 5 stars.

Sarah – A gripping narrative non-fiction book that I could not put down. This is a harrowing and sad story of what happens when man uses nature to make a profit at the cost of human. I was impressed at the science in this book. Normally science books leave me cold, but Kirby showed his subjects as being intelligent and creative without overly anthropomorphizing them. The book is both educational and highly readable.

Ariel – One of the most powerful books I have ever read and along with Unbroken, my favorite nonfiction read of the year. Much like how Upton Sinclair’s, The Jungle (another favorite of mine) exposed the seedy side of the meatpacking industry during the early 20th century, this book lays bare the Sea World behind the facade they put forth.

Lara – One of the best nonfiction books I’ve ever read, and one that was very emotionally charged for me. David Kirby paces this like a thriller, and the amount of research that went into fully developed human and cetacean characters is astounding.

Elizabeth Batt – Death at SeaWorld is a ‘read it and weep’ exposé of shocking connotations. The reader is cleverly and artfully guided by the author through a complicated ‘mess-story’. But this is the quiet strength of the book. Kirby’s knockout format is articulate and mind-blowing. This riveting read is not one that will easily be dismissed.

Karin Susan Fester – David Kirby’s book documents and effectively engages with the fierce debate about whether it is good and right to keep killer whales (orcas) in captivity at marine theme parks. For his compelling argument, the author employs a wide range of sources: empirical evidence, scientific expert opinions, and numerous interviews with trainers and a host of others. Each chapter is packed with essential information and supports the author’s comprehensive argumentation. David Kirby has left no stone unturned. His book is simply superb.

Angela – Excellent informative book. I learned so much about Killer Whales and all the reasons they SHOULD NOT be kept in captivity! I’ve done the Sea World/Shamu thing, and now I have a totally different perspective. Excellent research, well written. Recommend if you are interested in this subject matter.

Michelle – The author does an excellent job of winding a narrative through this non-fiction piece. It reads much like a story, or at least parts of it do. The science is fascinating and I don’t know how anyone could read this and not agree that orcas should not be kept in captivity. It was fascinating to learn the whole story behind Keiko. This is a very important read, for anyone

Brittany – This book is prodigiously well-researched and compulsively readable. Kirby launched a full-scale journalistic investigation into the history of orcas in captivity, specifically those at SeaWorld. Kirby does his homework. He gets in up to his elbows interviewing anyone who at any time had anything to do with SeaWorld. It makes for fascinating reading. The resulting book is an eye-opening look at the history of killer whales and a distressing exposé of SeaWorld.

Diane Richards – Compelling. The book is well written and thorough. Kirby does an excellent job painting a portrait of an industry that sustains cruelty. As a milestone of progress toward the day when this industry dies out, the book is important. It’s also darn hard to put down.

Cheryl – Thank you Mr. Kirby for writing such a book, with such attention to details, dates, names, places, etc. You have written a book that should be required reading for anyone who even thinks about going to these shows. Mr. Kirby, I will look forward to reading more that you have written.

Deborah Blalock – David Kirby, a well-respected journalist, tells the truth. Unfortunately for SeaWorld, Kirby reveals their carefully crafted public relations magic to be smoke and mirrors. Well written, well researched, and well thought out, this is a must read for anyone who cares about the world we live in.

Brian Walters – I checked out the preview to the book and it held me. The history of the death at Sea World is truly amazing. I don’t think i can view animals in captivity the same after reading this book. It is well written and documents the history of sea world well. I would recommend it.

Jennifer – This book made for compulsive reading. After finishing, it seemed clear that ending the use of these huge predators as entertainment is best, both for orcas and the people who work with them.

Mary Ellen – This book was well-received and widely reviewed. One quote stuck with me: “Putting an orca in a swimming pool is like putting an eagle in a parakeet cage”. Read this provocative book and decide for yourself.

Mary Beth – This is a very good and very important book. I believe I approached the subject from an almost purely neutral position. I didn’t really know enough to have an opinion one way or another. The book clearly has a viewpoint but it is about as fair and objective as it can be.

Julie – A very detailed eye-opener to the horrible things that go on with animals in captivity. How any of us could think it’s a good idea to put large (or any) animals into a tank for people to gawk at is beyond me….even though I sort of pushed that thought aside for a long time. This book is sad and there is no happy ending. But it is very thought provoking.

Manisha – This book is a very captivating read. The images that David Kirby creates about orca life in the wild versus orca life in captivity is so haunting and moving, that I don’t think I’ll be able to look at places like SeaWorld the same ever again. The characters in this book are real people fighting for what they believe in, and the characterization of the infamous Tilikum, the killer whale that brutally attacked and killed Dawn Brancheau in 2010, is equally moving.

Elena – Thanks David Kirby for opening the eyes of many about what really happens behind the “smiles” of orcas and dolphins, although I noticed how some people tell me “they prefer not to know” … much easier I guess.

Annica – I found this very interesting and informative! David Kirby is very good at writing without personal bias while still letting you know it’s there.

Barbara Borg-Jenkins – What an eye-opener! Like all wild animals, orcas have no business being captured and held for the entertainment of humans.

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Dolphins Know Each Others’ “Names” – Are They Too Smart for Captivity?

Posted on February 22, 2013 by David Kirby

This article first appeared at www.takepart.com

If you were a dolphin, what would your name be?

It may sound like a pointless question from a Barbara Walters Oscar-night special, but it’s actually a serious line of inquiry explored by scientists. What they found was remarkable: Bottlenose dolphins not only have individual “names,” technically signature whistles they use to identify themselves, they also copy the whistles of companions and family members likely as a means of calling out to those specific animals.

Scientists have long known that animals learn how to copy common sounds made by their own group, whether a flock of birds or a pod of whales. But the signature whistle of bottlenose dolphins “stands out from these examples in that it seems to be more individually specific,” writes lead author Stephanie L. King in a study published in the current issue of Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Bottlenose dolphins command an impressive repertoire of whistles and pulsating sounds they use to communicate with each other, although the question of whether they employ “words” and “language” is highly controversial.

Still, anyone who has studied and observed wild dolphins, including killer whales, knows how well they coordinate their movements, whether resting, foraging, playing or travelling.

Male bottlenose, for example, form their own little groups that band together for companionship, common defense and general pack-like marauding.

But how do they recognize one another, and how do they find each other if separated in the open sea? Dolphins have no sense of smell, and though their eyesight is good, I doubt they can visually identify every individual in their group from a distance, especially at night or in murky water.

That’s where the whistles come in: bottlenose dolphins not only recognize the signature sounds of others, they can use them to call out to close associates as well.

“The signature whistle tends to be the most commonly used whistle in each individual’s repertoire accounting for around 50 per cent of all whistles produced by animals in the wild,” the study said. “Bottlenose dolphins are, however, able to learn new sounds throughout their lives, and [group members] occasionally imitate the signature whistles of others. Thus, one animal’s signature whistle can form a minor part of another animal’s vocal repertoire as a result of copying…allowing it to be a label for that particular individual when copied.”

Copying was almost always limited to close associates “such as mother–calf pairs and male alliances during separation,” the study said. The dolphins never called out to each other in aggression, nor did they employ the skill for deception.

“Deceptive signature whistle copying by male dolphins could allow them to gain access to females guarded by other males or to avoid directed aggression from a male alliance,” according to the paper.” However, “It appears that copies are sufficiently rare to allow for such a use without jeopardizing the reliability of signature whistles as identity signals.”

In other words, males in one pack don’t want to blow their cover around males in a rival pack.

The communication among associates was, instead, consistently friendly in nature. “This use of vocal copying is similar to its use in human language,” the study noted, “where the maintenance of social bonds appears to be more important than the immediate defense of resources.”

This discovery only deepens our understanding of and fascination with the uncanny intelligence of animals. Dolphins have large, highly evolved brains, they possess a deep sense of compassion, are capable of logical deduction, abstract understanding and tool use, and they can recognize themselves in the mirror—a feat that only elephants, great apes and people over the age of two can perform.

And now we know they call out to specific friends and family members, who answer them back by name.

To me, the more we learn about dolphin intelligence, the more unethical it becomes to hunt, kill and keep them in captivity. The horror of the dolphin drive, slaughter and abduction that goes on in Taiji, Japan, for example, comes into even more agonizing relief when you realize these animals are calling out to each other, individually, in pain, panic and desperation. Perhaps they are even saying “goodbye.”

Once in captivity, some dolphins copy the signature of others, but not as much as bonded wild dolphins.

But even so, if these captive, sentient animals can call out to each other by name, might they be exchanging other types of messages? Imagine what they might be “saying” about their predicament in a concrete pool surrounded by gawking tourists.

Somewhat ironically, this study, which provides even more evidence that captivity is just plain wrong for animals of such intellectual caliber, was conducted using captive and “briefly captured” dolphins, all of them in Florida.

Data in the field were collected over time from bottlenose dolphins taken from Sarasota Bay and then released. Captive dolphin data came from four males (Calvin, Khyber, Malabar and Ranier) held at Disney’s The Seas Aquarium in Lake Buena Vista.

It’s not clear if other dolphin species can copy the signature whistle of close associates, though it wouldn’t surprise me at all. I have always wondered, for example, how Antarctic killer whales coordinate their attacks on seals resting atop ice floes. Apparently at the command of a single orca, likely the matriarch, they line up and charge the ice, creating a wave that sweeps the seal into the sea, where one killer whale is waiting, mouth agape, for lunch.

I wondered how they decide who will catch the next seal, and how is that information is transmitted to that member of the pod.

So just think about this: We humans are holding captive creatures who can address each other by individual name. In light of that knowledge, to me, cetacean captivity becomes as exotic and grotesque a proposition as aliens keeping people on display at a “humanarium” on some distant planet.

You don’t have to commit the scientific sin of anthropomorphism to understand that some animals are just too much like us to be put on display like storefront mannequins. The question then is, why do we still need captive dolphins to learn that they are too intelligent for captivity?

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Baby Orca Born into Troubled ‘Family’ at SeaWorld

Posted on February 14, 2013 by David Kirby

SeaWorld San Diego is celebrating the birth of a baby killer whale on this Valentine’s Day, backstage at Shamu Stadium. But not everyone is delighted with the news.

Anti-captivity activists say the newborn has a hard life ahead, in a grotesquely unnatural world.

The calf was delivered early Thursday morning by Kasatka, a 37-year-old female yanked from Icelandic waters in 1978. He or she will grow up in an artificial pod of dysfunctional orcas, many of them with long histories of aggression, abnormal behavior, self-injury, and serious attacks on each other – and humans.

Kasatka herself is one of the most notorious orcas in SeaWorld’s collection, and made worldwide headlines last July when I released this video of her attacking trainer Ken Peters in San Diego in 2006. It was far from her first incident, and trainers have been barred from entering the water with her ever since.

Kasatka has gone on the rampage several times. In most, if not all of the incidents, her calf was calling to her from a back pool during training or a performance. Like any human mother would, she becomes extremely agitated when not able to comfort her own crying child.

As I wrote in Death at SeaWorld:

Kasatka was not an easy animal to work with. To begin with, she was fiercely protective of her calf, Takara. Sometimes when Takara called for her mother, Kasatka would split from the trainer’s control to spend time with her calf at the gate, or swim in angry circles around the pool until finally responding to a call-back signal to the stage. Kasatka grew more aggressive with trainers in the water after Takara was born.

Kasatka was also aggressive toward subdominant whales, especially the males, whom she would rake repeatedly or even bite with her teeth. Her aggressive tendencies became more pronounced when social conflicts erupted among other whales, or when trainers had her switch behaviors with little or no positive reinforcement. Kasatka had racked up a long rap sheet In addition to minor foot-mouthing incidents, she had jaw popped (snapped on) a trainer’s foot and whacked a trainer in the back with her fluke. In April of 1993, Kasatka had progressed to mouthing the legs of a trainer. Three months later, she grabbed a trainer by the knee and dunked him under water, and then grabbed a foot and dunked him a second time.

Then, in June, 1999 Ken Peters was doing the Shamu show with Kasatka and her calf Takara in the main pool. Takara unexpectedly split to a back tank. Kasatka left Peters in the water and began circling the perimeter at high speeds – a known sign of frustration and a precursor to aggression. She opened her jaws wide, moved in to grab Peters’ legs and tried to throw him from the pool. He was pulled from the water before she could reach him.

In 2006, Kasatka turned on Peters, now for the third time, nearly killing him. During that incident, her calf Kalia was calling for her from backstage, right in the middle of a show.

Kasatka is a good mother, but she can’t always protect her offspring at SeaWorld. Her son Nakai, born in captivity in 2001, received a horrific gash on his chin last year that kept him out of performances until very recently. SeaWorld said Nakai injured himself on something “in the pool area,” though some experts speculated he was attacked by other orcas in the tank, a charge refuted by federal inspectors.

Nakai’s father, incidentally, is Tilikum, the 12,000 pound bull responsible for three human deaths, including Orlando trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010. Tilikum also sired Nakai’s half-brother, Ikaika, who recently returned to San Diego after a misbegotten “breeding loan” exchange with Marineland Ontario. SeaWorld successfully sued to get “Ike” back from Canada, claiming that inadequate conditions at Marineland were failing to “ensure his ongoing physical and psychological health.”

Then there is Orkid, said to be the ruling matriarch of this bizarre little society. Orkid is smart, somewhat neurotic, and can become very aggressive. It’s not hard to figure out why. Her life has been anything but normal.

Orkid was born during a Shamu Show, in front of thousands of camera-toting tourists, in San Diego in September, 1988. Her mother was Kandu and her father was Orky II.

Orkid’s father died in misery from pneumonia and wasting just three days later. Ten months after that, Orkid saw her mother Kandu meet her own gruesome demise. It took place in August, 1989, again in front of thousands of fans in San Diego. It involved Corky II and Kandu (In 1987 witnesses reported that Kandu violently collided into Corky, leaving a three-foot-gash along Corky’s stomach.). As I wrote:

Kandu had been resting in a back pool with her one-year-old calf Orkid, along with Corky. Corky had shown intense interest in the calf, something that agitated Kandu intensely. Kandu slammed her head into Corky, severing a major artery in her upper jaw. Blood flooded the back pool and a 10-foot geyser of crimson spouted from Kandu’s blowhole. Over the next 45 minutes Kandu bled to death as SeaWorld staff and the audience looked on in helpless distress. Captivity opponents pointed out how stressful and unnatural it was for orcas to be confined to a tank with other whales with whom they shared nothing in common. Captive whales fought so violently because they had no place to run.

The orphaned Orkid was raised by humans, and two surrogate mothers, Corky and the erratic Kasatka. She also formed a tight bond with another male about her age named Splash. Splash was a preemie who developed acute epilepsy.  In 1995, Splash and Orkid were playing around when he suffered a serious seizure and slammed into a gate. Orkid and Kasatka kept him afloat until trainers could get him to the medical pool. His lower jaw was severely injured and infection set in. SeaWorld vets removed his lower teeth, leaving his mouth so deformed he could never fully close it again.

Then, in July 2002, Orkid and Slash dragged a female trainer into the water and roughed her up severely, fracturing her arm and leaving her hand a bloody mess. It was not Orkid’s first attack. Between 1990 and 2002, her profile listed 12 aggressive incidents: She head-butted a trainer’s head, bumped a trainer’s body, whacked several trainers with her fluke and rammed a number of thighs, all during water work. Several times she lunged from the water to go after people standing on the edge, pushing a trainer in the stomach, mouthing someone’s thigh, bumping a hip, and “jaw-popping” an arm.

Three years after attacking the trainer, Splash died of an acute infection in a back pool as Orkid looked on from an adjacent tank, along with another juvenile named Sumar. Sumar’s life had been no less abnormal than that of Splash and Orkid. He was born in 1998 at SeaWorld Orlando, the offspring of Taima and Tilikum. But Taima rejected and attacked him when he was just three months old and he was later shipped off to his new dysfunctional family in San Diego. Sumar died in 2010, just months after his own mother Taima, Tilikum’s closest companion, perished in Florida.

So you can see why not everyone is cheering this “miracle” of artificial insemination (sperm reportedly came from a captive bull in Argentina). Dr. Naomi Rose, Senior Scientist at Humane Society International and lead protagonist in my book, said that, despite Kasatka’s aggressive history, “she is also one of the best breeders SeaWorld has.”

Industry defenders contend that captive orcas have “somehow been domesticated,” Rose added. That requires selective breeding, but SeaWorld “is not actively choosing parents for characteristics – such as docility – that might fare better in captivity,” she said. “They’re breeding whales who produce viable offspring, even if those offspring go on to develop undesirable traits. That’s troubling.”

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Its IPO Imminent, SeaWorld adds ‘Blackfish,’ ‘Death at SeaWorld,’ OSHA Case as Risk Factors to Its Business

Posted on February 12, 2013 by David Kirby

SeaWorld Entertainment, likely under pressure from the Securities and Exchange Commission, has filed a revised prospectus for its Initial Public Offering by adding several “risk factors” for investors to consider that could negatively impact the company’s business.

Among the risks now specified are the 2010 death of Orlando trainer Dawn Brancheau, the ensuing OSHA violations and ongoing appeals process, and the widespread publicity it generated, including the book Death at SeaWorld and the documentary Blackfish, which recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and will hit theaters this summer.

The filing tends to dispel speculation that SeaWorld and its parent company, The Blackstone Group, sought an outright sale of the theme park franchise, possibly to Six Flags. In the amended filing, SeaWorld announced it would list the new common stock on the New York Stock Exchange.

In its new filing, SeaWorld “bulked up its risk disclosures,” the Wall Street Journal reported. “The changes to language, which typically come after prodding from an SEC reading, give a clearer view into what the company sees as its dangers.”

What the company “sees as its dangers” are the killing of Brancheau by the orca Tilikum and the legal and media headaches it continues to visit upon park officials.

SeaWorld’s original prospectus, filed at the SEC on December 27, 2012, made no mention of the Brancheau death, the federal response, and the vast media coverage it caused. But the revised filing on February 11, 2013, under the section “Risks Related to Our Business and Our Industry,” mentions them twice.

“Featuring animals at our theme parks involves risks,” one sub-head of the risk factor section says.

“All animal interaction by our employees and our guests in attractions in our theme parks, where offered, involves risk,” both the original and revised documents said. “While we maintain strict safety procedures for the protection of our employees and guests, injuries or death, while rare, have occurred in the past.

But in the amended filing, the following language was added:

For example, in February 2010, a trainer was killed while engaged in an interaction with a killer whale. Following this incident, we were subject to an inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which resulted in three citations concerning alleged violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and certain regulations thereunder. We have appealed certain of these citations and the appeal process is ongoing. In connection with this incident, we reviewed and revised our safety protocols and made certain safety-related facility enhancements. In addition, this incident has been the subject of significant media attention, including television and newspaper coverage, a documentary and a book, as well as discussions in social media.

The prospectus added that “This incident and similar events that may occur in the future may harm our reputation, reduce attendance and negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.”

I first wrote about investing in SeaWorld’s IPO on The Huffington Post. And when I wrote Death at SeaWorld, I had no intention of affecting the company’s bottom line, or future earnings. As a journalist, my job is to spread information, not inform spreadsheets.

But I do find it interesting that somebody at SeaWorld, Blackstone, or most likely the SEC, considered my book, Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s movie and OSHA’s ongoing battle serious enough to be added to the list of risk factors for the ongoing profitability of keeping killer whales in captivity.

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