I trained the very first orca in captivity in the eastern United States. That was way back in 1968. Hugo was his name. The young orca was violently captured in Vaughn Bay near Puget Sound, WA. Hugo would smash his head against the tank at the Miami Seaquarium where I was training him to become a circus clown. He died in his sub-standard tank of an aneurism... I realized back then that orcas do not belong in captivity. It was so obvious. That was a long time ago. Now seeing this global debate on captive orcas, spurred by Blackfish, happening in theaters, CNN, online, and in newspapers around the world is very special for me, probably more than anyone on the planet. This is because Im seeing many very brave young trainers do what I did back in 1970: They are quitting the dolphin and orca captivity business and speaking out against it... My voice for captive dolphins and orcas has been blowing in the wind for 43 years, too often falling on deaf ears. Finally I feel I’m not alone anymore. I cant describe the feeling of joy this brings me. In a word: Vindication! Not to mention hope for the orcas and dolphins in captivity and the many in the wild who face the prospect of being ripped from their families to be put in small tanks for the rest of their lives. dolphinproject.org/blog/post/seaworlds-captive-and-psychotic-orcas
Posted on: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 01:33:35 +0000
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