Former SeaWorld trainers Jeffrey Ventre, MD and John Jett, Ph.D - inform on behavior/health of captive Orcas

http://www.counterpunch.org/hribal02252010.html

The Struggle of Nootka and Tilikum

I understand that captivity maybe had a purpose in the past, but it evident there is no such need for these shows to continue.

Yes it's amazing to see a Killer whale leap out of the water, and perform tricks, but at what cost? These animals do not do tricks or behave like parks portray them to in the wild. Nothing I've seen at these parks truly explains these majestic creatures that I can’t see this on Animal Planet and many other documentaries. In fact the documentaries go further and explain the educational side that the parks leave out such as:
* The average life span of a killer whale in the wild is 50 to 80 years old. (Captivity 20-30)
* The dorsal fin of adult male killer whales can be up to six feet high and is shaped like a triangle. (Captivity it often flops over due to the tight circles in the tank)
* Killer whales live in family groups called "pods" with up to 40 individual killer whales and they stay with each other their entire lives (Captivity different animals from different pods around the world are mixed together and expected to “Get along”)
* Killer whales give birth every three to five years in the wild with who they choose to mate with. (In captivity they have been known to give birth every two years through artificial insemination and most mothers/calves die from complications) The offspring are often separated from their mother to be transferred to other facilities

All captivity has shown me is that people and animals get hurt. These animals that are programmed to swim hundreds of miles a day are restricted to tight, barren concrete tanks (which can do numbers to their sonar echolocation). They are fed an unnatural diet of dead fish which is often medicated to treat for intestinal and physiological issues. They do not perform tricks without the reward of this food.

Now you take a human being and place them in the tank, and it is only a matter of time before someone gets hurt (as we've seen on numerous accounts: http://www.orcahome.de/incidents.htm )

There are no documented attacks in the wild that I'm aware of.

Places like SeaWorld will argue that we have to teach children conservation and that it is expensive to go whale watching. They leave out the extremely high cost of air travel, hotel, and then entrance (parking + admission) to their park. I know the children in my household (who have been to SeaWorld) would much rather plan a vacation to Washington State and Charter a boat (or even Kayak out) to see these animals swimming freely in their natural habitat.

I'm not saying these captive animals should be released immediately. There are many options: Some could be retired to a bay pen with human care for the remainder of their life (Captive born/Mentally disturbed such as Tillikum), while others (wild caught) could be reintroduced slowly (recaptured if necessary). Others that this is not an option for could retire peacefully in the park without the constraints of shows. Let’s not forget that these ARE wild animals, not dogs or cats that have been domesticated for hundreds of years.

SeaWorld could still make money off their show case orcas but in a way that does not harm the animals and further promotes conservation in a natural way. Technology has come so far in the last decade. Why not put it to good use, 3D virtual reality kayaking with real orcas pods with added education information throughout.