Orca - Hostage to Fortune?

After a year of tragedy for both orcas and trainers alike, WDCS asks what lessons have been learnt?

On February 24^th 2010, the world was shocked by the tragic news that trainer Dawn Brancheau had been killed by Tilikum, a male orca at SeaWorld Orlando, USA, resulting in a huge media response. Just a few weeks before, another tragic death occurred at Tenerife’s Loro Parque in Spain, where trainer Alexis Martinez was killed by Keto, also a male orca. One year on, questions still remain unanswered – similar deaths have never been reported involving orcas in the wild, so should such large and complex animals be held in captivity?

SeaWorld has recently announced it will debut new ‘killer whale shows’ in coming months, including a return to the ‘Dine with Shamu’ segment, during which Ms Brancheau met her death. These shows will not, however, see a return to trainers conducting in-water work with the captive orcas.

Cathy Williamson, anti-captivity campaigner at the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) criticizes the continued confinement of these amazing animals in captivity: “Ethically, and backed up by strong scientific evidence, there is no justification for the continued display of orcas in captivity in the 21^st century. Although orcas can be big money-spinners for the facilities holding them, the price the whales have to pay and the risks presented to their trainers are just far too high”.

This opinion was recently supported by a comprehensive report published by two former SeaWorld trainers, which provided shocking details about the impacts of captivity and public display on orca health and welfare.

Meanwhile, SeaWorld continues to stand strong against all criticism and has called for the exclusion of the public from a court hearing set for the 25^th of April. SeaWorld is expected to present evidence at the hearing of the abatement measures that it has instituted since OSHA, the US government Occupational Health and Safety Administration, cited and fined SeaWorld $75,000 in August 2010 for willfully exposing its employees to hazards and risk of injury and death in its orca programmes.

“WDCS is calling on the US Department of Labor to ensure the hearing remains public. Marine mammals are a public trust and not the private property of any facility or economic interest. The public has the right to know the details of this case which will have a direct impact on the future of orca welfare and worker safety at these parks”, states Courtney Vail, US campaigner for WDCS. “It is time for the truths behind captivity to be heard in the court of public opinion.”

Please click here for more information about ORCA WATCH

For more information, please contact one of the following:

Danny Groves at the WDCS Press Office on 01249 449 534, 07834 498 277 or email - press@wdcs.org

Cathy Williamson, WDCS anti-captivity campaign manager on 01249 449 523 or email - cathy.williamson@wdcs.org

Courtney Vail, WDCS US campaigns officer on 480-747-5015 or email - courtney.vail@wdcs.org

Notes to editors:

At www.wdcs.org, WDCS presents all facts about the hidden and disturbing world of orcas kept in captivity; where they are held, where wild capture operations have taken place, an overview about dozens of documented incidents involving captive orcas, and other information.

The 2011 SLS Team

Our first whale watch is only 6-weeks away, how did that happen?!

Boat preparations are well underway with Sula Beag getting a thorough repaint, from keel to mast.

We are also putting together some ideas for our visitor centre in Tobermory, with some great news, Lydia is returning as our Centre Manager this season, some of you may remember her from her first season in 2009, an unforgettable enthusiastic girl who will bring a smile to everyones face on arrival at the centre! She has been travelling and working down south for a short while, great to have her back aboard!

We also have our head guide of now two seasons returning for her third, Ruth, I am sure some of you will remember her for her knowledge and passion for the beasties we find out here, as well as brilliant leadership with the rest of the team.

Also Ewan who worked with us for a few months in the 2010 season will return as a full time guide, their are not many folk on the plannet with as much enthusiasm towards birds, if your keen, he's your man!

We will continue to work on the boats until they launch at the end of March, a superb place to work on Kerrara, near Oban, where they are based, we take a small ferry across there each day to work, not a bad life up here on Mull

James ;-)

Skipper