tagged w/ Miami Seaquarium
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The Orca Project and Orca Network, along with countless other marine mammal advocates believe they can handle the transport and care of Orca, released from captivity.
On the basis that continued animal abuse, for the benefit of profit and human entertainment, is both bad for the animal and human kind, a plan has been laid out on how to transport, house and care for formerly captive marine mammals, and one Orca whale in particular.
Text from The Orca Project site:
"August 8, 1970 in Penn Cove, Whidbey Island, Washington State. Lolita is the last surviving orca of 45 members of the Southern Resident community that were captured and delivered for display in marine parks between 1965 and 1973. At least 13 members of her family were killed during the brutal captures."
Now, 40 years later, the Orcanetwork and Orca Project, continue an exhaustive and comprehensive campaign to get Lolita released.
Read more about how they would handle such a monumental task at the link.
http://theorcaproject.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/lolita-the-orca-her-life-her-legal-issues-and-her-way-home/The Orca Project and Orca Network, along with countless other marine mammal advocates... more
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Susan Berta, of orcanetwork.org, shared a story on the orcanetwork facebook page today about Lolita, the last living Orca from the Penn Cove Orca Captures, having a tooth infection. Tooth infections can be fatal for captive marine mammals, and have lead to the death of captive Orcas.
Lolita, the oldest killer whale in captivity, was born around 1966. She has spent most of her life at the Seaquarium since her capture in 1970. The 7,000 pound whale has lived in the 20-foot deep tank for 40 years. This tank is considered substandard by marine mammal scientists.
Numerous organizations have lobbied for the release of Lolita, and many think this tooth infection could be fatal, and are in hopes it will help them promote her release from the Hertz family who owns the park.
Her family pod still swims in the waters around the Puget Sound. Marine mammal experts even think her mother is still alive. Lolita’s birthright is the L25 matriline of the “L” pod of the Southern Resident orca community in the Pacific Northwest. Lolita’s mother is believed to be Ocean Sun, approx. age 82, who still resides with Lolita’s family swimming freely in the open waters where Lolita was captured.
orcanetwork.org 's Howard Garret posted a comment on the tooth infection story, saying: "Her life is in danger where she is. The proposal for her retirement would be completely safe and would provide her the chance for a long healthy life and contact with her family."
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/03/04/lolita-the-killer-whale-recuperating-from-tooth-infection/Susan Berta, of orcanetwork.org, shared a story on the orcanetwork facebook page today... more
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41 years after the horrific capture of Orca whales in Penn Cove, Whidbey Island, Washington, still shocks.
The video attached to this post might help those who continue to support being entertained by captured Orca to rethink their support of this form of entertainment.
No longer legal in the United States, capturing wild marine mammals continues in many countries today.
Help educate yourself and those you know by watching this link attached footage of how animals are captured for human entertainment, and contact orcanetwork.org to find out more about how you can put your animal loving to real work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfwnpjghVk041 years after the horrific capture of Orca whales in Penn Cove, Whidbey Island,... more
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http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/15/1631428/seaquarium-protesters-call-for.html
For Lolita the killer whale, home has been the Miami Seaquarium for 39 years.
But Saturday her captivity became a cause of protest as more than 50 demonstrators waved signs demanding her return to the Pacific Northwest outside the marine life attraction along the side of the Rickenbacker Causeway.
``Keeping her in captivity is cruel and inhumane,'' said protest leader Shelby Proie, director of SaveLolita.com.
Organizers said critics of the 3.5-ton, 40-something orca's confinement rallied in 43 cities. They want her released to a sea pen near her native Puget Sound, near Seattle.
``She can be with her mother and her pod,'' said Simon Hutchins, director of expeditions at the Oceanic Preservation Society. A Canadian, he was also expedition director for this year's Oscar-winning feature documentary, The Cove.
For its part, the Seaquarium disagreed.
General Manager Andrew Hertz issued a statement calling plans for release an ``irresponsible . . . experiment'' that would ``jeopardize her health and safety.''
He also dismissed the idea of release as ``the whims of a small group of individuals who have no firsthand experience working with a killer whale.''
Hutchins countered that protesters were advocating a gradual, humane release. ``It's not like we're going to give her $50 and a bus ticket,'' he said.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/15/1631428/seaquarium-protesters-call-for.html#ixzz0oEgJBjckhttp://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/15/1631428/seaquarium-protesters-call-for.html... more
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