#captive cetacean deaths

[enter-the-phantom]

I didn’t even think about the heat here in the South right now. With no shade.

There is blood on the hands of not only The Miami Seaquarium, but on those of our government organisations. There were multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act going on that were left unchecked for decades. The Endangered Species Act was supposed to protect her.

An absolutely monstrous ending to a horrific story. Now is the time to spur the public to action and get these stories out there beyond our movement, while there’s anger in the air.

I know a lot of harrowing things have happened this past week alone but this news is my last straw.

we have had record breaking heat all summer and they had her swimming in circles in a glorified shallow pond by herself with no shade. our coast water temperature reached 101 degrees, I cannot imagine how hot that tank water was for her. she was taken from her mother when she was a young calf and sold to Miami Seaquarium and lived in that tank since 1970 and hasn't been in the company of another orca since 1980.

RIP Lolita, you deserved better.

[orcinus-veterinarius]

Are dolphins still being captured for aquariums/parks and is it ethical (or complicated?)

Thanks for the ask! Yes, captures unfortunately do still occur in unregulated countries, though far less frequently than in the past. One of the most infamous examples is the annual dolphin drive in Taiji, Japan. While the main purpose of this hunt is to kill animals for meat, a small number of young, attractive dolphins are kept alive each year for sale. Nowadays, only unaccredited institutions purchase these dolphins, and even the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums now prohibits its members from acquiring captured dolphins. Although Taiji is the most well-known, the majority of cetaceans captured from the wild in the 2000s/2010s came from Russia, which recently prohibited the practice.

Western parks and aquariums have not purchased wild-captured cetaceans in decades. The last captures in US waters occurred in 1989, and the last foreign imports were in the early 1990s (long before widespread public sentiment turned against dolphinariums). I do not believe the practice was ethical, and almost all my colleagues would agree with me. Some of them were indeed brutal affairs, such as the infamous Penn Cove captures, in which several young Southern Resident killer whales (including the famous Tokitae) were taken. Multiple animals were inadvertently killed, and the hunters clumsily attempted to hide the deaths by stuffing the whales’ corpses with rocks. The bodies resurfaced, and following public backlash orca captures were no longer performed in the US.

As awareness of animal welfare grew amongst scientists and the general public in the 70s and 80s, collections of smaller cetacean species became considerably less vicious. They were typically supervised by a veterinarian, and care was taken to ensure animals were not physically harmed. However, these were still undeniably stressful to the animals.

I’m glad the practice stopped. Dolphins are not endangered, and I don’t think we can justify the trauma of removing healthy young animals from their pods. Of course, I make exceptions for individuals that are ill, injured, or a danger to themselves or humans (like Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Izzy)—and these situations are never taken lightly. And if a species ever became endangered (highly unlikely for bottlenose, but a possibility for belugas), that would also be cause for reevaluation.

Dolphins do quite well in modern accredited aquariums. In the United States, all managed dolphins were either born in human care or have been out of the wild for over 30 years (excluding non-releasable rescues). While there are valid concerns about cetacean captivity, ongoing wild capture is not one of them.

[local-hellhound-steals-spaghetti]

Hi! Given your experience working with marine mammals and intelligent views on cetacean captivity, I wanted to ponder the following. Here in the Netherlands is a cetacean (mostly porpoise) rescue organisation. After years of having no facilities, and having a 100% kill policy unless a porpoise could be returned straight away, they finally have a gorgeous rescue facility again.

Recently they announced the facility would be getting an outdoor expansion, featuring habitats emulating the Wadden Sea ecosystem. Providing both education about its inhabitants, as well as a place for late-stage rehab porpoises to spend their last weeks before release outside, in a larger habitat. And, in case an animal is non-releasable, provide an adequate space to hold them for while while next steps are being assessed.

The response was overwhelmingly negative. Most of their following is cetacean-smitten, but completely anti-cap (of the emotional, uninformed type). They all bristled at the idea that perhaps a few sharks and seals would be kept there "and then you'd be no better than a zoo!" (which is of course the worst thing to be). But mostly: the amount of people saying they would honestly rather see a non-releasable porpoise killed, because death is preferable to spending a single day in captivity ("because that is what I would want"), is frankly staggering. What do you say to these people??? A rescue facility is getting a beautiful outdoor expansion - GREAT! How can someone claim to love the animals so much when they would rather see them dead than in a situation that makes them personally uncomfortable? It just boggles my mind and frustrates me to no end.

Tl;dr: people want rescued porpoises dead because they might end up in captivity, and have you found an appropriate response to this ridiculous line of thinking?

Wow that's really amazing that the Netherlands is stepping up like that! It sounds like a great option for rehab and also to provide much needed education about porpoises to the public.

Honestly my response to those people is pretty much what you said: "Why do you want to see these animals dead just because it makes you personally unhappy to see them in human care?"

I think it's important to call out these comments as what they are: advocating for the death of animals. It's not noble, it's people projecting their own guilt complexes (of something they have no control) over onto animals.

And that is what a lot of anti captivity propaganda relies on - shame and guilt. That's what I remember when I was starting to allow myself to learn more about SeaWorld after being so convinced by Blackfish for a long time. I felt a hollow shame feeling in my chest as if being curious about how killer whales are trained was somehow wrong or bad.

Activist marketing (especially The Dolphin Project and anything from Naomi Rose, Lori Marino and Ingrid Visser) is about making you feel bad for even considering going to marine parks or learning more about cetaceans in human care. As if it would genuinely make a difference on things like Taiji or improve the lives of the animals in any way (it won't and it looks like it's only making things worse at this point)

A lot of these activists have massive egos and savior complexes that are fed by this sort of marketing. As if their snarky comment on Facebook is going to make a difference.

At the end of the day, they're people that have to make zero personal sacrifice (going to a marine park is not a hard thing to do for them) to feel a sense of moral superiority. And that's very reinforcing and feels good.

If you calmly give them the facts about cetacean welfare in human care and tell them exactly what they're advocating for (death or poor welfare)- it may not change their mind (because that's not how our brains work) but it may convince the people reading the comment thread.

[a-minke-whales-tale]

Captivity, Hospitals, and Tanks

I spend so much of my time fearing to be put back in the hospital, that I will be locked away again. But lately a lot of times I really question if life on the outside is really better than the hospital. I have been good for a very long time, done whatever my humans have demanded without resistance or complaint. I know they are in charge, they have command. Still I am under so much stress and exhaustion desperately trying to please my humans so they do not put me away again, but I am not happier now. I am miserable, in many ways I think worse than when I was in the hospitals, or at least the long term ones, though that is perhaps just the memories fading.

I often wish my time in human captvity looked more like a normal cetacean captivity. My body not twisted into this terrible shape, back in the water I belong, swimming forever. When I express this though to other therians close to me, some will say it is impossible, but more will say that I would not actually want that, that the humans would torture me. Often times they will proceed to describe captivity: being trapped in a small bare room, with others you do not know and may not understand, with humans controlling everything that happens to you, and being made to perform and do tricks for the humans but that you cannot always know what they want and you will be punished if you do not comply. They talk of it like it is a horrible thing, and yet that is how I lived for many years, and even now in my current state where I am allowed outside a hospital, almost all of that is still true. I do not think my captivity now is really better, it is just different. There are some things that are nice, I do have a larger selection of entertainment and sometimes I can have some nice human food. But the humans like to pretend the walls are not there and I have a choice, but I can still see the walls, I know they are there, and I know the humans are in charge and my only option to reduce punishment is obedience. At least cetaceans in captivity (in current times) generally have the ability to say no if they want. For myself some nice human food and youtube simply is not worth everything else.

Something I find interesting is that most cetacean therians I have met are very against captivity, some think that certain places are less bad than others but none are good while others favour #emptythetanks movement. But where does that leave those like me? I could not survive in the wild, the simple physics says that is so as 5m is thought to be about the minimum size needed to sustain balenic filter feeding. Even in a sea pen I do not think I could survive. Even if the humans brought to me food, the greater variation in things like wave height, the exposure to more parasites, and being in a position where I cannot meaningfully hear, but nor could I see far, would almost certainly lead to my demise, and if not if there were others in my pen I do not think I could find others and would be desperately lonely and only rarely see the humans when they came to bring me food. At least in a tank I could see and find others if there were others, and if not then I could watch the humans the glass of my tank or the trainers up at the surface. I cannot speak on the situation for other cetaceans what would be best for them, and though things like money and public opinion often sways what actually happens in the end, I trust the scientists to generally do their best of those charged under their care. It would be ideal if I could return to the wild, to swim again with others of my kind, but it is simply not possible. For me then the choice is very simple: tank, or death.

I find this aberration in the pattern among cetacean therians interesting, it is one true for the other CLCZ cetaceans I have met, Sonar and Ike seem to have similar feelings. I often wonder if it because how we are treated by this world we are trapped in, if we all see ourselves as living already in captivity and do not see how cetacean captivity would be meaningfully worse for us, and often it appears better. The cetaceans in tanks to be honest I am jealous of them, and wish I were there. I do not have illusions that tank life will be incredible and wonderful and fix everything, I have written in comics talking about how I think it might be, that I am stressed, I am bored, I am lonely, that it is loud and the days are be monotonous, and that I still have this need to be good and obey my humans. But then is so much of that different to how things are now? At least in the water I would be myself. That is a freedom that is hard to imagine, but ironically kept in a tank, I would have a greater freedom than I ever could have kept among the humans, and then I could start to heal. The scars I bear are deep, but in time they would start to fade and those scars might start to look more like the scars on other captive cetaceans.

~ Kala

[chaifootsteps]

"I first met Tokitae (also known as Toki, Lolita and Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut), a female orca who had been captured off the coast of Washington, in 1987. I was a biology graduate student at my first professional conference, and the scientific society hosting this event held the opening reception at the Seaquarium.

Toki was 20 feet long and 7,000 pounds, and should have been in the Salish Sea traveling 40 miles a day and diving 500 feet deep with her mother and siblings. Yet there we were, a few hundred marine mammal scientists who mostly did field research, watching this magnificent being perform silly tricks in a bathtub.

That’s not really an exaggeration in Toki’s case. Toki’s tank was the smallest enclosure in the world for her species. It was only 35 feet at its widest point and 80 feet long. It was 20 feet at its deepest; if Toki hung vertically in the water, her tail flukes touched bottom. Captured in 1970 when she was 4 or 5 years old, she lived in this tiny space for 53 years.

The federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), administered by the US Department of Agriculture, has a ludicrous requirement for tank width — only twice the length of an average adult orca (or 48 feet). But Toki’s tank didn’t even meet that weak standard. For years, the USDA offered various excuses for not taking steps to revoke the exhibitor’s license. None of them made sense, as the tank was plainly not to code. Activists repeatedly tried to sue the USDA for failing to enforce the law, without success.

Toki’s was a strange, lonely life. Despite many campaigns to repatriate her to her family (the L pod in Puget Sound), years passed. The stadium around her slowly and literally crumbled.

The ‘Blackfish’ Effect,” named after the 2013 documentary that eventually reached tens of millions of people globally, has shifted the captive cetacean paradigm in the past decade. Businesses have severed ties with marine theme parks, and policymakers have passed laws ending the commercial display of orcas and other cetacean species. SeaWorld, the company that built its brand on Shamu, is phasing out orca display — no longer capturing, breeding or trading them.

And still Toki languished in the South Florida heat. The Seaquarium’s two owners during Toki’s first 52 years there were adamant that she would never leave the park and disdainfully dismissed talk of returning her to her family.

In March 2022, however, Toki’s outlook finally seemed brighter. The Seaquarium was sold to a company whose business model relied primarily on swim-with-dolphin encounters. An orca didn’t fit that model, and these owners were willing to let her go. Efforts could finally begin in earnest to return her home. The Lummi Tribe, who gave her the name Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut and considered her a relative, had prepared detailed plans for a seaside sanctuary in the Salish Sea.

Then, last month, Toki died. The hope felt by so many that she would finally go home disappeared in an instant.

Captivity robs orcas of a true life in the deep open sea. It robs them of family, of purpose, of change and challenge. Captivity is tremendous monotony for these socially complex, wide-ranging, intelligent animals. We should not perpetuate that.

Zoos and aquariums long ago relegated dancing bears and tricycle-riding chimps to circuses, but still claim that cetacean shows — loud extravaganzas featuring leaping orcas and cavorting dolphins — are educational (they are not). The industry could and should invest in seaside sanctuaries — it’s a win-win choice, as the industry would be heroes and the animals’ welfare would improve.

Let Toki’s miserable, isolated life and sad death mean something for her fellow captives. These amazing beings should not have to die to finally be free."

Dr. Naomi Rose is senior scientist (marine mammal biology) for the Animal Welfare Institute in Washington, D.C.

[ihazyourkitty]

If you personally believe orcas or other cetaceans should not be in captivity, that's ok. There is a reasonable discussion to be had about the ethics there, even if the animals have good welfare. Maybe you're just not comfortable with the idea period. Fine.

But to say that you conclusively know what their lives in captivity are like because you watched a documentary is, um.... stupid. Take some time to actually listen to real dolphin/orca trainers. The vast majority of them will tell you how full of BS Blackfish is. The so-called "whistleblowers" in Blackfish are in the minority, and I can guarantee you they have far more to gain financially from promoting that documentary than they ever did as trainers.

Its featured scientists are also activists who work for/collaborate with HSUS, PETA and the Nonhuman Rights Project.

Also, David Kirby, author of Death at SeaWorld, written as a companion to Blackfish... also peddled in anti-vaccine nonsense. So yeah. This comparison is not completely unfounded.

[multidimensionalguidance]

🫧🐬 Chart Analysis: Ric O’ Barry 🐬🫧

The other day I watched the documentary “The Cove” and it touched me very deeply. I’ve always had a strong affinity for the Ocean and all the creatures that inhabit it, despite my irrational fears of what might touch my feet when I’m in it. I’m a water dominant person, so despite my personal experience with the Ocean, I’ve always been called to it as a soft lullaby you can’t ignore. My most healing moments have also been near it, so I was captivated by Ric’s story and his continuous dedication to saving and bringing awareness to all sea creatures, but specifically with cetaceans.

He is an environmental activist who initially started the series Flipper. He spent 10 years capturing and training Dolphins, and the remaining saving them from captivity after recognizing the mistake of what happens when you use other living creatures as entertainment or for financial profit. It is a beautiful story of a men seeking redemption and about his strong connection to the spiritual path that connects him to the Ocean.

He has gotten arrested multiple times, received several death threats, and put in near death situations, all in the attempt of correcting his previous mistakes.

NOTE: although I see the value in both Tropical and Sidereal, I personally use the latter. At any case, I will put a strong emphasis on the planetary interactions, since at the end of the day the signs are simply the outfits the planets use. Also, I do not have his confirmed exact time of birth which limits my understanding in term of the houses each planet is located which does give a lot of information.

First of all, that exalted Mars in Capricorn and Libra stellium was the first thing that caught my attention. Mars shows how quick and willing he initially was to profit out of Dolphins without knowing how it would lead to karmic issues blaring at his face later on (Saturn-Ketu/South Node). Mars being exalted can make the native be a natural business mastermind and navigate those spaces very easily. Libras in general can have the tendency of being seduced by the false beauty of the material world, and learn their tough lesson after seeing how the pursue of it brings nothing but emptiness. If you have a stellium in any sign, these themes and lessons are intensified.

Saturn conjunct Ketu/South Node makes the individual feel somewhat detached from fulfilling their karmic duties and responsibilities in general during their youth (specially before Saturn return). It also denotes someone who already comes to this life with pending karma that must be resolved by helping others, doing good deeds, and developing discipline with their spiritual practices. This is a rare conjunction that only happens once every 18 years, since both Saturn and Ketu/South Node move very slowly. It is then no surprise that this individuals come to fulfill very important roles in their current lifetime.

I also keep on noticing how Venus-Rahu individuals will stop at nothing once they truly connect with their inner passion and life path. They are nature lovers, for it is what connects them to life’s real beauty of an unending source of pure love and harmony. I will definitely make a separate post of this conjunction since I find it very interesting.

Mercury conjunct Venus and he is very vocal to expressing his love for sea animals and all the injustices related to them. His voice is also very pleasant and an actual delight to hear, specially when involved to the topic he’s the most passionate about. These natives simply make communication feel like its art, since Venus beautifies everything it touches. This also says their mind is naturally interested in all Venusian themes, and well, Venus is after all the Goddess whose birth is directly associated with the Ocean. So it’s no surprise that a Venusian will naturally feel connected to it, and its exaltation in Pisces completes the image.

Jupiter in Pisces being domicile also confirms his love for the ocean and specifically all the endangered creatures that clearly display high levels of consciousness, and therefore, spiritual connection. Jupiter will push natives to seek joy and abundance through a path of righteousness, and will punish you for choosing excess.

I would personally say that both Jupiter and Venus have as a mission to show humans how our spirit connects us to everything. They want us to understand how spirituality is the key to abundance and true love. There is no abundance or love that flows naturally if we’re in the pursue of selfish goals that disconnect us from the universe, and the main lesson being that there is no need to pursue something you already have within.

Sun in Virgo is an obvious one for me when it comes down to having a deep love for nature and animals as well. Virgos always have a special connection with animals, and understand them like almost no other sign can. You can also notice how animals feel comfortable around this sign, unless they are too stuck in their heads, which tends to be one of their main challenges. Virgo being the earth sign that represents the moment when the land is already fully nurturing the growth of whatever you plant, and how in order for it to be maintained one must be consistent. They are the real givers of the zodiac, which is why acts of service is their love language to give AND receive. They want to give to the world what they wished the world could give them, which can be hard since no one nurtures quite like them. I would say a Cancer can match their level, but being ruled by the moon it can make them inconsistent which Virgo cannot stand at all.

My final observation is ALL of those aspects that Pluto is making in his chart. It shows me how transformational his entire life has been, since this is the nature of that planet. Pluto will bring you to the highest highs, and the lowest lows until you learn to wield its power the correct way. His life was and it still is very turbulent, but thanks to his devotion after a later point in his life he’s been awarded with being renovated and being seen as someone who many people admire a lot. He allowed Pluto to purify him completely and align him to a life that feels worth living.

[cipher-the-sidhe]

Trying not to run screaming in the streets over the absolute horseshit conclusion printed on Tokitae’s official necropsy report.

Old age? OLD FUCKING AGE???? She was in her 50s! Her mom is still swimming free at a grand 98 years. J2 was 106 when she died. 50s is not “died of old age” territory for her pod. For a captive orca 50 is old age sure, but WHY IS THAT HMMM????? Why are captive orcas expected to live half as long as wild ones I wonder??? I am BITING.

And what was with all the “she’s in great health!” reports we got not two weeks before she died of- apparently- chronic and acute EVERYTHING? Heart disease, renal failure, pituitary mineralization, pneumonia… excuse me?????? Surely those weren’t all just conveniently missed in what I can only assume were the most useless health checks ever performed.

Anyways, I’m absolutely rabid in the worst way over this bullshit. Not even the decency to be honest about her after her death. Fuck the Miami Seaquarium, fuck the Dolphin Company, fuck Friends of Tokitae, and fuck every single facility that keeps cetaceans for entertainment.

[sylvermidnight]

Actually. I am gonna talk about Keiko a bit because I’m sad today and…I love him and I think everyone is a little too harsh about his story. So let’s take a look at it.

Keiko the orca was the star in the 1993 film “Free Willy” alongside his human costar Jason Richter. How he came to be in that role is a rather long complicated and sad story I don’t want to dwell on all too much but the long and short of it is this: He was captured off the coast of Iceland in 1979, where he was then sold to the Icelandic Aquarium in Hafnarfjörður. Three years later he was sold to Marineland Ontario, of Kiska the loneliest whale in the world fame (they are reunited now may they both rest in peace). It’s reported that that’s when he started performing and under their care he developed skin lesions and became unappealing to the public so was sold to Reino Aventura, an amusement park in Mexico City, Mexico, in 1985.

Reino Aventura is the park featured in the film Free Willy, and the enclosure there is indeed Keiko’s real habitat that he lived in.

The interesting fact of the matter is that Keiko became the star of the movie because no American marine park (or any other park in North America) wanted to be featured in a film displaying how they kept their whales, and centered around freeing them. Reino Aventura had no such qualms. The cast and crew all became very attached to Keiko, as well as those at the marine park who cared for him. He was often sickly, housed in water too warm and in too small amounts for him. Simply put, Keiko was dying a slow and painful death. He was underweight and often experienced skin conditions.

I don’t feel the need to talk about the project to free him and how it came about everyone knows that.

What I do want to talk about is the excellent care he received after work began. He was rehabilitated in Oregon for a time, and grew stronger. Trained to hunt fish on his own and be a little more independent. In September of 1998 he was flown back to Iceland to spend time in a sea pen there where he could choose to come and go via the US Air Force.

Once in Iceland he spent some time in a sea pen, and then eventually chose on his own not to return to it. Many people speak misguidedly on the fact that Keiko never integrated with a pod. This is not fully true. Keiko spent much time around and in nearby pods, and was observed interacting as much as he wished to. In the Summer of 2002 Keiko disappeared, undergoing a migration to Norway alongside a pod of wild orcas. When he reappeared Skålvik Fjord he sported signs of even having tried to mate. Yes he sought out contact with human beings but that is not such a sad thing. He chose it on his own terms. He had freedom, and choices for the first time in his life ever. His caretakers relocated to Norway and continued to conduct boat-follows with Keiko for the next 15 months. On the basis of girth measurements and blood tests, it was assumed that Keiko had fed during his 900-mile (1500 km) journey from Iceland to Norway.

Keiko died of pneumonia in the winter of 2003, by one of his beloved caretakers sides. It was not a long nor a painful death, and pneumonia is often the claimer of many wild cetaceans. He lived to about 27, which is considerably longer than most orcas in captivity and very close to the wild lifespan. He was given many more years than he would have had if he’d stayed in Mexico.

The point is. I’m tired of everyone saying he only had 15 months of freedom when it simply isn’t true. He was in ocean water in his natural environment for upwards of five years, and never once seemed distressed by this fact. He enjoyed the last years of his life and we dishonor his legacy by implying otherwise. He was a beautiful and happy soul.

I highly recommend the documentary Keiko the Untold Story, a passion project put together by those who knew and loved him and worked passionately to give him the best life he could have.

[sukitails]

I cannot speak for physical health, but why do beluga whales seem more mentally... well-adjusted(?) in captivity than their other cetacean cousins? When I see videos of beluga whales in captivity, I've seen less stereotypic behavior and evidence of such (such as wear on teeth from biting tank edges) than on, say, orca whales or bottlenose dolphins.

A quick Google search brought up many articles suggesting that beluga whales suffer premature death in captivity, but I didn't do any in-depth research.

Has anyone noticed what I noticed, or am I imagining it? Is there some reason why beluga whales seem to fare better mentally than orcas and dolphins?

[orcinus-veterinarius]

When horses end up with severe leg/hip injuries, they are almost always put to sleep. The odds of recovering full mobility from such injuries are slim and the odds of reinjury are high, so even if the horse is perfectly healthy in all other aspects, it is generally recognized to be more humane to put them down than to keep them alive just to live the rest of their lives limping around a small paddock or stall. A life for a horse in which s/he cannot gallop, leap, explore and play is no life at all. Why not apply the same logic to cetaceans? A life for a cetacean in which they can’t dive hundreds of meters, make meaningful autonomous choices (“should I play with the rubber ball or the puzzle feeder today?” is not a meaningful choice; research has shown that autonomy is crucial for animal welfare), echolocate and experience the rich biodiversity of the ocean is no life. I really don’t understand why it’s so horrible to think it more humane to euthanize a confused and sick orca calf if there is no chance of rehab and release than to take her/him permanently into captivity. It’s not disparaging or hateful to cetacean trainers to say so—I know they care about animals—it’s simply a logical ethical stance. Instead of searching in vain for orca conservation organizations that aren’t “radically anti-captivity”, maybe pro-caps should look inwards and ask themselves why all the major orca organizations (Center for Whale Research, Orca Behavior Institute, OrcaLab, Wild Orca, Orca Conservancy, Far East Russia Orca Project, etc.) as well as some cetacean organizations (ex. Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Cetacean Society International) oppose captivity. Is it because all of these esteemed groups, which if you look them up are all staffed by credentialed scientists, have been duped by the “animal rights agenda”, or could it be because maybe, just maybe, they know what they’re talking about? If captive orcas are so different from wild ones that wild orca biologists have no credibility to speak about their welfare, then that’s a clear indictment of captivity already.

Hi. I'm sorry for not answering right away, I was still at my externship when I got your ask, and I wanted to be able to sit down and give you a proper answer. So unfortunately, I don't think what I say will satisfy you. I don't expect to change your mind, nor is that my goal here. I only want to explain why I believe the way I do, so that you or others reading this can at least understand that it's not a position I take lightly, nor do I think it's infallible.

(Long post below the cut):

To start off, as an (almost) veterinarian, there are absolutely plenty of circumstances where I find euthanasia to be the correct decision. Euthanasia is our final gift to our patients, a swift and painless death in the face of prolonged suffering or poor quality of life. A large dog with debilitating osteoarthritis. A cat with terminal lymphoma. A down cow. A raptor with an amputated leg. Or like you mentioned, a horse with a fractured hip. These animals would live in a constant state of pain that they don't understand, and death can rightly be considered a kindness to them.

But an otherwise healthy orca calf? I would consider that a false equivalence. I agree that life in the wild should be prioritized whenever possible, and that captive orcas lead very different lives than their wild counterparts. But if that orca cannot return to the wild (orphaned and unable to be reunited with its pod, habituated to humans, non-painful disability such as deafness), and there is a facility willing to take it on, I do not think euthanasia is an appropriate option. In human care, that calf can still swim, breach, and dive, even if not to the same depths as the ocean (it's also worth noting that these are all costly behavior energetically and are not performed for no reason). It can still socialize and form family bonds with an adopted pod of whales. It can still (theoretically) mate and rear calves. It can still engage its big brain in problem-solving through training and enrichment in the place of hunting. And as a bonus, it will never go hungry and has access to veterinary care if ill or injured.

This is not a wild life. This is not the same life they would've, or should've known. A pool, no matter how well-appointed, is not the ocean, and we should not claim they're comparable. But I don't think it's a fate worse than death. I truly don't. But if it is... if freedom really is worth more than life, then all captive whales need to be euthanized. Even in a sea pen setting, they will not be free. They will not choose their food, their companions, their enrichment, their comings and goings. Those choices will still be made on their behalf by caregivers, and they will still have pretty much the same levels of autonomy as in their tank habitat. They will still be captive. (While some people do advocate for this, I don't think it's a popular outlook. Even SOS Dolfijn, a historically anti-cap organization, recently announced plans to build an aqauarium as a permanent home for non-releasable cetaceans rather than continuing to euthanize them).

Speaking of autonomy, yes, it is very important. But I truly don't think the orcas are distressed by the lack of meaning in choosing between enrichment devices. I think that's why we disagree on this topic... we have different worldviews. We both see orcas as beautiful, intelligent creatures, but I do not see them as people. They are animals, and for all their complexity, I interpret their behavior the same way I do any other species... they are motivated by food, reproduction, and (since they're highly social) companionship. Because of that, I still think we can give them a good life in human care, which is why it frustrates me to see the zoo community throw up their hands and give up rather than trying to improve our current less-than-ideal setups (*shakes my fist at the Blue World project*).

Now, I don't think it's wrong to be emotional about animals. I most definitely am! And it's very clear to me you love orcas and care about their wellbeing deeply. I admire that about you, and I appreciate your passion.

On to the next point... in the cetacean world, I've found that there is an unfortunate divide between researchers and caregivers who work with cetaceans in human care and those who study them exclusively in the wild. And that schism far predates the Blackfish era. Most of those organizations you listed are indeed legitimate, and I fully support their vital work and encourage others to do the same. A few of them, though, share things like this:

I think you can understand why this hurts me. And it's a lie. I've now interned at three aquariums (two of them AZA-accredited) that house various species of cetacean, and it's impossible for me to reconcile what I know and have seen to be true and what Whale and Dolphin Conservation wants the public to believe: that these unbelievably loved, vivacious animals are drugged and tortured by their greedy captors. It's not true, and I do not appreciate WDC for spreading this creepy artwork around. Nor do I think that fighting captivity is a beneficial allocation of resources when there is an overwhelming number of genuine threats to the survival of wild cetaceans.

Anyway, back to the scientists. Personally, I don't consider researchers who work exclusively with wild orcas to be either superior or inferior to those who work with captive whales. And sometimes I wonder how much of their position is a self-fulfilling prophecy: if someone opposes captivity on moral grounds, they won't work with captive whales, so they'll never get to know what their lives and care are like beyond maybe a single tour of the park or memories of how things were done in the 1960s (like Dr. Spong, who worked with some of the very first captive orcas at the Vancouver Aquarium).

I also don't think it diminishes the expertise of wildlife biologists to say that they are not experts on husbandry, training, or medical care... those are very different fields, and ideally, they should all inform each other. And of course, there are folks who work with both wild and captive whales. One of the reasons I linked SR3 in my previous post is they have staff with backgrounds in both managed care and research of free-ranging populations (I actually have no idea what the organization's official stance on captivity is, it's not something they address).

Maybe I'm wrong. I try my best to keep an open mind, but I know I'm also swayed by my own preconceptions and experiences. When I started this blog in December 2020, I was a first year vet student with minimal actual experience outside of domestic animals and some herps, and had only recently adopted the pro-captivity outlook. Now, I'm much more deeply involved in the zoo and aquarium world. These are people I know and respect, people who have written me letters of recommendation and comment on my Facebook posts, people I've had dinner with and showed up with after hours to care for a sick animal. And I recognize that biases me. The zoo world is often resistant to change, especially folks who have been in the industry for many years. And that doesn't do anyone, especially the animals, any good. I don't want to get stuck in an echo chamber, so I make it a point to read anti-captivity literature, even when it upsets me. If there is anything I can do to improve their lives, I want to learn about it, regardless of the source.

I try to adapt to new information. For example, in the past few months alone, I've become a lot more favorable toward the idea of sea pen habitats. My concerns about "sanctuaries" are more logisitical* and philosophical** rather than the idea that artifical habitats are inherently superior to pen habitats (they're not), especially when plenty of traditional facilites already make great use of ocean pens or enclosed lagoons. There are pros and cons to both, and a lot of it depends on the needs of the individual animals.

*funding; maintenance; lack of land-based backup pools and fully-equipped medical facilities; introducing immunologically naive animals to pollutants and infectious agents; disruptions to native wildlife; staffing activists and wildlife biologists rather than those with relevant husbandry experience

**villainizing aquariums; promoting the project as a "release to freedom" to the public when it's really another form of captivity; claiming the animals' lives will be "natural" when they will still require training, artificial enrichment, contraceptives, and social management if done correctly; downplaying or completely denying the very real risks of such a transition and insisting the animals will automatically be better off when Little White and Little Grey have proved that's not the case

If you made it to the bottom, thanks for reading. I wish all the best for you, and I mean that genuinely ❤️ even if we disagree, I hope you can appreciate our shared love for these animals and a desire for their wellbeing. Best of luck in all your endeavors!

[ihazyourkitty]

As a former aquarist... THANK YOU!!! Everyone is concerned about cetaceans in particular not getting live fish. No one seems to be questioning the ethics of using live fish, however, let alone thinking about their welfare. It's a case in point of our own anthropocentrism. People feel sorry for the captive cetacean, but not so sorry for the fish. Fish is stupid and less like us, therefore, it's not as big of a deal when we mistreat them.

And yet, many of these same people would be horrified at the thought of someone feeding live rodents to their pet snakes.

Yes, both snakes and cetaceans eat live prey in the wild. But when we're talking about animals in captivity, we have to consider the ethics of how we treat the predator and the prey. Negative welfare for live prey can impact the animals who consume them. Prey have the opportunity to escape predation in the wild. But when you confine them in a closed space with a predator? If they are not consumed quickly, you're likely putting them in a constant state of stress.

There were times where I have had to use live food (i.e. live insects, rodents, anoles, small fish) because those animals just would not eat pre-killed food. With insectivorous reptiles in particular, freeze dried insects tend to lack the necessary nutritional value. So live food is a necessity for them.

Fish habitats with mixed predator and prey species are also carefully designed with enough space and hiding places to help prevent predation. Feeding strategies will also be adjusted for each to species to reduce the likelihood of predators eating smaller fish. It still happens on occasion, but good aquarists do what they can to mitigate this, including being aware of which species just cannot be housed together, and separating animals when needed.

I could be wrong, but most marine mammal habitats I've seen don't tend to be designed with these sort of variables in mind. Many of their filtration systems also use small amounts of chlorine, which is not appropriate for housing fish. If the fish are not consumed quickly, you're basically condemning them to a long and stressful death.

I'm not saying it's never appropriate to use live food. It has its place. Personally though? For captive animals that can eat pre-killed food while also getting all the nutritional content they need to thrive? Using live food on rare occasions for enrichment is one thing. But to use it regularly to present some kind of feel good image to the public? IMHO, I find that incredibly unethical.

It treats fish as disposable objects whose welfare is less important, and that ain't cool with me.

P.S. Frozen fish are used because the freezing process kills potential parasites that could be passed to the animal you're feeding. It does have the trade off of losing some of the vitamin content, which is why vitamin supplements are used to counteract that. I mean, I'm sure @why-animals-do-the-thing already knows this, but it's a good FYI for other folks. Also, it's much easier and sustainable to get frozen fish in bulk.

So, going off your response to the Jaguar escape, why /do/ modern zoo ethics prohibit allowing captive predators to engage in full behavioral sequences like stalking and killing?

It’s because the welfare of the prey animal matters as much as the welfare of the predator. It’s not considered acceptable in pretty much any animal sector to put prey animals through the stress of being hunted, and especially not when they have no potential to escape. (The only exception I have heard of for this is in programs that are training animals from conservation programs to hunt right before they’re released into the wild).

Plus, people would get really mad - there’s already a lot of people who are horrified by carcass feeding just because it’s not a Disney-fied image for their kids, although that’s lessening due to educational campaigns about why it’s utilized as a feeding technique. 

There’s also this thing where, as an animal trainer, a really good rule of thumb is to never let an animal practice a behavior you don’t want it to do frequently or be good at. Letting big predators practice and hone hunting skills while in human care would make an already dangerous animal care job even more risky. 

There’s something worth talking about, though: the fact that, while we care mightily about the welfare of mammals, birds, and reptiles with regards to live feeding, fish seem to be fair game. Which is kind of interesting, since they’re also vertebrates and therefore do potentially experience not only pain but stress and maybe fear. Lots of zoos that will only feed pre-killed rodents and chicks have no problem with putting live fish in pools for big cats and bears, and I’ve always wanted to see more of a discussion about why that’s where the professionals have decided to draw the line. 

[a-minke-whales-tale]

This is a pretty heavy vent post. Just be warned. My emotions have been particularly volatile lately and I am not well. Hopefully we will return to regularly scheduled whale nonsense shortly of either more engineering (I came up with some breathing notes as well as tongue notes), or more cute drawings.

Vent below the break.

Tw: vent, unreality, abuse, captivity, death

I am so exhausted and stressed. I have been honestly much of the past year, it got really bad towards summer and summer holiday did not help. I worked very hard for the humans, I did whatever I was commanded without question or resistance. I was a good animal and did what I was told to. This block it was finally going to start to get easier because I was going to reduce my time. But the humans lied to me and betrayed me and threw me away. I was not good enough for the humans still. And this past month and a half has just destroyed me so much more. I think the increased stress had already caused me to need my crutch again months ago. I am just not handling things well, but I also right now have no choice. I cannot rest, I have to solve this or I go away and if I do I likely never come back.

They took away the stability I was promised, and the relief I was promised, and replaced it with so much more stress. I have to be useful, I have to find new humans to serve. But I am exhausted in a way nothing seems to fix. I try desperately to be good but the exhaustion is just overwhelming. Before I could push myself forward, there was promise of relief of the horizon and the humans I served I thought were happy with me and valued me and I was a good animal, but then that was taken away. I have to still be good, put a smile on my face and obey the humans even though they made it clear I am not valuable to them even working my hardest and they did irreparibly fuck me with their lies.

There is no standing up for myself, there is no defending myself, and no human will help me. The humans did as they are allowed by their own rules, not that the humans would have helped me if they didn't. They are in charge and they decide what happens to me. I can only comply with them and try to make them happy. I have to try to be good, if I am not I go away.

I am not people like others. I am a useful thing. I was made to be useful to the humans and if not then I get put away. I had believed I was owned by the school, they gave me money to buy food and an enclosure and doctors, but they owned me. I do not see an option but to give the humans whatever they want, if I am not sufficiently useful to them I go away. And once they have used everything they can from me they will discard me and get a new one. But if I am not useful I will be locked away again, and I fear eventually I won't come out or they will eventually just have me put down. I often think things like me belong locked away, that I am not capable to really be good, to be useful enough for the humans. I am a broken thing which cannot follow the rules and cannot be good how hard I try. But still I have to try to be good or the humans will make things worse, if you do not comply they will force you to, and they have more power than I could ever fight.

I know the rules and I know my place. I do not have a choice. It is part of why I dream so much to return to the water and spend time to try to design some sort of whale suit. Beyond just fixing my body it would hopefully let me escape this nightmare I cannot wake up from, to escape the overwhelming power of the humans. Or even if I lived in captivity at least I would have my body back and the humans would not be able to pretend they do not have overwhelming power over me and sometimes they would be nice to me. It is honestly the only hope I have right now to cling to that things might someday be better.

Even life as a captive cetacean in a tank offers me more freedom than I can ever have like this. I keep hoping I will wake up. I had a dream/half asleep moment I thought I had died and was a calf inside my mother. The sense of relief that it was over was incredible, until sometime later I woke up and was devastated because it was not done, not yet.

Humans can be extremely unkind and uncaring to those in thier care. It is for me though an insurmountable power. A few times I have been jealous of whales like Tilikum, maybe it wasnt what he was doing when he killed those humans, it strikes me as possibly overly anthropomorphizing with insuffient proof, but he had the strength to pull them beneath the waters and enact some form of revenge. I do not want to hurt the humans though, even if I had the power to. I just want them return me to the water and stop hurting me so much. Let me exist peacefully and let me swim forever until it is time to rejoin the current and rejoin the others. Even in a tank, I would swim more free than I ever could now.

[plethoraworldatlas]

Actual text from that Atlantic Article whose Headline, as usual, was taken out of context

"-The recent incidents, none of which has resulted in any injuries to humans, are simply the result of curiosity, Monika Wieland Shields, the co-director of the Orca Behavior Institute in Washington, told me. A juvenile may have started interacting in this way with boats, she said, and then its habit spread through the local community of killer whales. Such cultural trends have been observed before: In the Pacific Northwest, orcas have been playing with buoys and crab pots for years; in the late 1980s, one group of orcas there famously took to wearing salmon hats. Is ramming boats the new donning fish? Shields believes that theory makes more sense than López Fernandez’s appeal to orca trauma. White Gladis shows no physical evidence of injury or trauma, Shields told me, so any “critical moment of agony” is purely speculative. Also, humans have given orcas ample reason to retaliate for hundreds of years. We’ve invaded their waters, kidnapped their young, and murdered them in droves. And yet, there is not a single documented instance of orcas killing humans in the wild. Why would they react only now?And though recent events may fit the story of these orcas’ being anti-colonial warriors, you can’t just anthropomorphize animals selectively. What about all the other “evidence” we have of orcas’ cruelty, or even wickedness? Scientists say they hunt and slaughter sharks by the dozen, picking out the liver from each one and leaving the rest of the carcasses to rot uneaten. Orcas kill for sport. They push, drag, and spin around live prey, including sea turtles, seabirds, and sea lions. Some go so far as to risk beaching themselves in order to snag a baby seal—not to consume, but simply to torture it to death. Once you start applying human ethical standards to apex predators, things turn dark fast.

Perhaps #orcauprising was inevitable. Humanity does have, after all, a long history of freighting cetaceans with higher meaning. Moby Dick is, among other things, a symbol of the sublime. The biblical whale—or is it a large fish?—that swallows Jonah is an instrument of divine retribution, a means of punishing the wicked in much the same way some have framed the boat-wrecking orcas. The whale 52 Blue, known as the loneliest whale in the world because she speaks in a frequency inaudible, or at least incomprehensible, to her brethren, has become a canvas for all shades of human sorrow and angst.

Orcas in particular have long been objects of both fear and sympathy, in some cases with an explicitly anti-capitalist tint. The 1993 classic Free Willy centers on a conniving park owner’s scheme to profit off of the bond between a child and a young killer whale. And more recently, the 2013 documentary Blackfish chronicles SeaWorld’s real-life exploitation of captive orcas. The “orca uprising” narrative fits neatly into this lineage. In our present era of environmental catastrophe, Shields told me, it’s appealing to think that nature might fight back, that the villains get their just deserts.But projection and anthropomorphization are only shortcuts to a shallow sympathy. Orcas really are capable of intense grief; they are also capable of tormenting seal pups as a hobby. They are intelligent, emotionally complex creatures. But they are not us."

[plethoraworldatlas]

Actual text from that Atlantic Article whose Headline, as usual, was taken out of context

"-The recent incidents, none of which has resulted in any injuries to humans, are simply the result of curiosity, Monika Wieland Shields, the co-director of the Orca Behavior Institute in Washington, told me. A juvenile may have started interacting in this way with boats, she said, and then its habit spread through the local community of killer whales. Such cultural trends have been observed before: In the Pacific Northwest, orcas have been playing with buoys and crab pots for years; in the late 1980s, one group of orcas there famously took to wearing salmon hats. Is ramming boats the new donning fish? Shields believes that theory makes more sense than López Fernandez’s appeal to orca trauma. White Gladis shows no physical evidence of injury or trauma, Shields told me, so any “critical moment of agony” is purely speculative. Also, humans have given orcas ample reason to retaliate for hundreds of years. We’ve invaded their waters, kidnapped their young, and murdered them in droves. And yet, there is not a single documented instance of orcas killing humans in the wild. Why would they react only now?

And though recent events may fit the story of these orcas’ being anti-colonial warriors, you can’t just anthropomorphize animals selectively. What about all the other “evidence” we have of orcas’ cruelty, or even wickedness? Scientists say they hunt and slaughter sharks by the dozen, picking out the liver from each one and leaving the rest of the carcasses to rot uneaten. Orcas kill for sport. They push, drag, and spin around live prey, including sea turtles, seabirds, and sea lions. Some go so far as to risk beaching themselves in order to snag a baby seal—not to consume, but simply to torture it to death. Once you start applying human ethical standards to apex predators, things turn dark fast.

Perhaps #orcauprising was inevitable. Humanity does have, after all, a long history of freighting cetaceans with higher meaning. Moby Dick is, among other things, a symbol of the sublime. The biblical whale—or is it a large fish?—that swallows Jonah is an instrument of divine retribution, a means of punishing the wicked in much the same way some have framed the boat-wrecking orcas. The whale 52 Blue, known as the loneliest whale in the world because she speaks in a frequency inaudible, or at least incomprehensible, to her brethren, has become a canvas for all shades of human sorrow and angst.

Orcas in particular have long been objects of both fear and sympathy, in some cases with an explicitly anti-capitalist tint. The 1993 classic Free Willy centers on a conniving park owner’s scheme to profit off of the bond between a child and a young killer whale. And more recently, the 2013 documentary Blackfish chronicles SeaWorld’s real-life exploitation of captive orcas. The “orca uprising” narrative fits neatly into this lineage. In our present era of environmental catastrophe, Shields told me, it’s appealing to think that nature might fight back, that the villains get their just deserts.

But projection and anthropomorphization are only shortcuts to a shallow sympathy. Orcas really are capable of intense grief; they are also capable of tormenting seal pups as a hobby. They are intelligent, emotionally complex creatures. But they are not us."

[cetacean-content]

Kasatka

We are saddened to share the passing of Kasatka today (August 15, 2017) at SeaWorld San Diego. Following lengthy treatment for a bacterial respiratory infection, or lung disease, Kasatka’s health and appetite significantly declined over the past several days, despite continually tailored treatments. Kasatka’s veterinarians, who are experts in marine animal medicine, and her caretakers made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize her to prevent compromising her quality of life. Kasatka was the beloved matriarch of our orca family. A mother of four, grandmother of six and great grandmother of two, she was considered by the most current research as an older killer whale at nearly 42 years old. Kasatka passed away at approximately 8:15 p.m. surrounded by members of her pod, as well as the veterinarians and caretakers who loved her. All of us at SeaWorld are deeply saddened by this loss, but thankful for the joy she has brought us and more than 125 million park guests.

“Today, I lost a member of my family. I have spent the past several years with Kasatka and was truly blessed to be part of her life,” said Kristi Burtis, orca behaviorist. “Although I am heartbroken, I am grateful for the special time we had together and for the difference she has made for wild orcas by all that we have learned from her. I adored Kasatka and loved sharing her with millions of people. I will miss her very much.”

While Kasatka lived a long life, we had been treating her for lung disease for the past several years. This type of respiratory condition has been identified as the most common cause of mortality and illness in whales and dolphins, both in the wild and in zoological facilities. Because of the great relationship Kasatka had with her behaviorists, she participated in daily check-ups by her veterinarians and her individualized care such as treatments using a custom-built inhaler allowing the medicine to go directly to her lungs. Over the past year, as her immune system aged, it became more difficult for her to fend off the illness and her medication took longer to have an effect. Her behaviorists and veterinarians passionately provided the finest care possible ensuring her illness was properly managed and that she continued to live a quality life up until the time of her death. The veterinary team will conduct a full post-mortem examination known as a necropsy to examine the extent of her illness and how it impacted her organ function. It may take several weeks before results are finalized. “Nobody knows more about caring for killer whales than the professionals at SeaWorld,” said Dan Ashe, President and CEO of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. “Having the privilege of working with these animals daily provides veterinarians and other animal care staff with the expertise and insight to make very difficult choices, like with Kasatka. Certainly, this was a difficult and wrenching decision, but I have absolutely no doubt that it was made with Kasatka’s best interest in mind. On behalf of the entire AZA family, we offer condolences to the dedicated SeaWorld professionals who have loved and cared for Kasatka throughout her life.” At this time, the SeaWorld team’s attention remains focused on the rest of the orca pod to provide the care and attention they need. We’d like to thank our fans and friends for their outpouring of support during this difficult time.

Q&A:

When did Kasatka die? At approximately 8:15 p.m. today (Aug. 15, 2017), Kasatka passed away at SeaWorld San Diego’s Orca Encounter facility. She was nearly 42 years old. What happened…was she sick? Kasatka had been diagnosed with a bacterial respiratory infection, or lung disease, several years ago. The diagnosis was made following analysis of blood samples and through a bronchoscopy, which allowed veterinarians to obtain a culture from deep within her lungs. Was Kasatka suffering? Was that why you decided to euthanize? Kasatka was being treated for a respiratory bacterial infection, or lung disease, for several years but as she aged she had a more difficult time fending off the illness. Kasatka had a dedicated team of veterinarians and care staff providing critical care. Despite their best efforts, her health and appetite significantly declined over the past several days despite continually tailored treatments. Kasatka’s veterinarians and caretakers made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize her to prevent compromising her quality of life. Who was with Kasatka when she died? Kasatka passed away surrounded by members of her pod, as well as the veterinarians and caretakers who loved her. What type of medical treatment did she receive? Because of the great relationship Kasatka had with her behaviorists, she participated in daily check-ups by her veterinarians and her individualized care such as treatments using a custom-built inhaler allowing the medicine to go directly to her lungs. How long had she been sick? Kasatka was diagnosed with this condition in 2008. The diagnosis was made following analysis of blood samples and through a bronchoscopy, which allowed veterinarians to obtain a culture from deep within her lungs. How are the behaviorists taking the news? Any loss of a SeaWorld family member brings great sadness. The passing of Kasatka is especially difficult for the staff that cared for and loved her. Kasatka’s behaviorists shared a special bond with Kasatka and are deeply saddened by her passing. Was Kasatka’s condition contagious? Since she shared the pool with 10 other whales, are they in danger of becoming ill? No. Her condition posed absolutely no threat to the other whales. How are the rest of the killer whales doing? The other 10 orcas appear to be doing well, but we’re monitoring and watching for any changes in their behavior. While the loss of Kasatka is heartbreaking for the animal care, veterinary and training teams, as well as the entire SeaWorld family, our focus is to continue the care of the rest of the orca family at the Orca Encounter facility. How many whales currently live at SeaWorld San Diego? 10 killer whales: five females and five males. How many killer whales does SeaWorld care for now? With the loss of Kasatka, SeaWorld now cares for 21 orcas at its three facilities in San Diego (10), Orlando (6) and San Antonio (5). Did Kasatka have any calves? Kasatka was a mom, grandmother and great grandmother. She bore two daughters and two sons (Takara, Kalia, Nakai and Makani). She also had six grandchildren (Kohana, Trua, Sakari, Kamea, Amaya and Kyara) and two great grandchildren (Adan and Victoria). Was Kasatka involved in any research programs? Yes, Kasatka participated in a number of important studies that could help killer whales in the wild. Most recently, Kasatka participated in the following research: Audiogram (hearing) study Photographic assessment of body shape changes study Breath sampling (CO/CO2) study These studies are not published yet; for information about already-published studies involving killer whales, visit SeaWorldCares.com and HSWRI.org. Are any of Kasatka’s family members living at SeaWorld San Diego? Yes, Kasatka’s daughter, Kalia, and two sons, Nakai and Makani, as well as her granddaughter Amaya (daughter of Kalia), all live at SeaWorld San Diego. Are any of Kasatka’s family members living at other SeaWorld parks? Yes, Kasatka’s oldest daughter, Takara, and granddaughters, Sakari and Kamea live at SeaWorld San Antonio. Her grandson Trua lives at SeaWorld Orlando.