Trainer killed at Seaworld

[thudd]

there are countries that HUNT the protected whales

I agree with you that in the WILD they (all marine life) are in danger
of being hunted!!!!!!
the fish /plankton etc they eat is being depleted
I agree with ALL of that

but in capivity they are a trained circus act
and sea world has a "special permit" to capture them
and hold them
that is kind of a bunch of garbage

that is so different then introducing the world of the ocean
helping the children understand the importance of the life in the ocean
and the complex things going on below the water

putting them in a trained circus act DOES NOT HELP TEACH anyone about the ocean environment
it only sells tickets
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somewhere the WELL intentions of sea world have gotten changed
into a circus side show (i agree with you about the disneyland)
what a shame
and a pity for these beautiful whales
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i dont think every zoo is bad, many of them are making great strides in saving species
re introduction of species is a wonderful thing

breeding zoos are doing a good thing
i can think of many that are very animal friendly
and trying to actively protect species

but many of them ARE NOT


and the sea world tanks are alot like the 1940's/1950's zoos
not a lot of natural habitat in these tanks

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and many groups claiming they are "doing research" are NOT
they are hunting ,eating, exploiting, profiteering
-------------------------------------------------------------
sea world needs to STEP ITS GAME

get out of the circus business.......

and be the peaceful environment
for aquatic life and EDUCATION
that some people originally thought it was !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[idocsteve]

get out of the circus business.......

Yeah in the circus most elephants work for peanuts.

 

[thudd]

okay if i bought a car
and the accelerator got stuck so it
it went 60 when i was at a stop sign and crashed into something/someone
yes i would boycott the car maker from then on


oh wait! that is happening somewhere?????
the stuck accelerator i mean

 

[idocsteve]

okay if i bought a car
and the accelerator got stuck so it
it went 60 when i was at a stop sign and crashed into something/someone
yes i would boycott the car maker from then on


oh wait! that is happening somewhere?????
the stuck accelerator i mean

Something is stuck alright, but it's not your accelerator.

 

[lock_washer]

there are countries that HUNT the protected whales

I agree with you that in the WILD they (all marine life) are in danger
of being hunted!!!!!!
the fish /plankton etc they eat is being depleted
I agree with ALL of that

but in capivity they are a trained circus act
and sea world has a "special permit" to capture them
and hold them
that is kind of a bunch of garbage

that is so different then introducing the world of the ocean
helping the children understand the importance of the life in the ocean
and the complex things going on below the water

putting them in a trained circus act DOES NOT HELP TEACH anyone about the ocean environment
it only sells tickets
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
somewhere the WELL intentions of sea world have gotten changed
into a circus side show (i agree with you about the disneyland)
what a shame
and a pity for these beautiful whales
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i dont think every zoo is bad, many of them are making great strides in saving species
re introduction of species is a wonderful thing

breeding zoos are doing a good thing
i can think of many that are very animal friendly
and trying to actively protect species

but many of them ARE NOT


and the sea world tanks are alot like the 1940's/1950's zoos
not a lot of natural habitat in these tanks

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
and many groups claiming they are "doing research" are NOT
they are hunting ,eating, exploiting, profiteering
-------------------------------------------------------------
sea world needs to STEP ITS GAME

get out of the circus business.......

and be the peaceful environment
for aquatic life and EDUCATION
that some people originally thought it was !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sea World hasn't taken any animals from the wild in along time. With the exemption of animals declared unreleasable into the wild by NOAA, and Fish & Game Department. Infact a pilot whale was transfered to them permanently in January because it refused to join any pods after rehab in the Caribbean. The rehab facility was unable to provide a permanent home, and refused to euthanize it.

As for the education aspect, you cannot dump that many people on an animal's environment just to see it without it be detrimental to the animal, and the surrounding environment. Its bad enough that they are experiencing problems with whale watching boats harrassing killer whales in the Pacific Northwest to see them.

I will admit I liked Sea World better when it was "Sea World" and not "Sea World Adventure Park". The reason they had to become "Sea World Adventure Park"...sadly is because America has become dumbed down. We don't appreciate science anymore in this country. The youth are too addicted to their cell phones, text messaging, video games, twitters, facebooks, myspace pages, youtube, American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, music videos, special effects movies, Ipods, and laptops. They are "so locked in their electronics"...they don't know how to deal with the real world. So all of life now has to be centered around the artificial world they live in to grab their attention now. Which is today's movies, television, theme parks, and sadly...zoos and aquariums.

Lock Washer

 

[IRBoarder]

The trainers and care takers of these animals are well aware of the dangers presented by working with these animals. It is sad that someone had to die to remind them of that. However undesirable it is to have them in the shows or captivity, it is sadly necessary. By having them jump through hoops and interact with humans, it gives the general public the idea that whales are worthy of saving and also helps raise funds for conservation efforts. This sadly makes shows and zoo’s a necessary “evil”. It is sad that we as a population must experience something first hand to determine if it’s worth our time and effort to save. It kinda brings to mind “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”

I do not necessarily agree with making the animals perform parlor tricks for a crowd, but I do realize that it does help. Even after this incident, I would still love to be one of the few people that get to interact and study these magnificent animals on a daily basis. Just my 2 cents…

 

[k374]

interesting read on CNN:
Captured dolphins aren't smiling - CNN.com

It is a difficult situation, I don't think marine parks can be shut down because the demand to see these creatures is very high.. someone once told me "I know holding intelligent creatures like dolphins captive in such a small space is wrong but I still want to go to Seaworld to see and touch them". Perhaps we will find some other alternative method where the general public can view these magnificent creatures in thier natural habitat? I don't know if that is possible.

 

[fireflock]

Perhaps we will find some other alternative method where the general public can view these magnificent creatures in thier natural habitat? I don't know if that is possible.

Dolphins are ridiculously easy to view in their natural habitats. So are Orcas, for that matter.

Myrtle Beach Dolphin Tours

It doesn't get much more 'general public' than Myrtle Beach

Killer Whales in the wild:
WhaleWatching.com - A Guide to Whale Watching Tours & Marine Life Education

 

[Thalassamania]

Right you are, I can (and do) freedive with wild dolphins almost any time that I want to.

 

[lock_washer]

Right you are, I can (and do) freedive with wild dolphins almost any time that I want to.

You can do that...but its not always advisable. For example, Moko the dolphin in New Zealand...as he's getting older, he starting to rougher with people now. What happens if an incident happens where someone drowns or gets injured by Moko while playing with him...do we euthanize him?

Off the coast of Georgia...they are having a problem with "beggar dolphins". Sport Fisherman have been feeding the local dolphins, and some of them are now conditioned now to hang around fishing boats for handouts. One stupid woman got in the water to try to swim with them...and got a nasty bite on her thigh. If someone gets killed in this situation, do we punish the dolphins?

Lock Washer