At Voice of the Orcas, Carol, John, Samantha and I continue our evidence based advocacy work via writings, interviews, symposiums, consultation, sponsoring legislation, journal articles & Superpod conferences. We also partner up, when we can, with young leaders.

On 24 February 2010, and as former SeaWorld (SW) trainers, we were compelled to speak out when it became apparent SW was misinforming the public and skewing facts surrounding the death of their star trainer. The captivity giant is also famous for spreading misinformation regarding captive orca longevity, dental health, collapsed fins, social strife and more. Note the rake marks on Amaya's head below.

Image from Elizabeth shows a fresh and fairly deep rake mark on Amaya's head

Participating in the captivity debate has taken us abroad, and it's been the young people we've met, globally, that give us hope. The younger generation gets it. It gives us great pleasure to link up with students who shifted their dream from "orca trainer" to animal advocate.

Photo by Elizabeth: Shows two collapsed dorsal fins on Keet & Ikaika "Ike"

This blog features Elizabeth, a young marine biology student who, like us, felt the need to speak up for the orcas at SeaWorld. She does her work of taking high quality still images and videos, with a camera. After this paragraph, we turn the blog over to her, including images she wants you to see and the inspiration for her work. Note that she lives in San Diego and uses her access to the park to collect these photos, all from SeaWorld's California "collection"

From this view, Corky has no viable mandibular teeth. You can see bore holes and evidence of teeth grinding on concrete. Photo by Elizabeth

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Hi, my name is Elizabeth...

I was that kid… Entranced by the lights, the music and the energy that was so thick you could feel it in the air. But most of all I was mesmerized by the raw power of the Killer Whales. As I got older I realized the truth that SeaWorld so desperately tries to hide.

A fresh rake make (still red in color) is seen on the right dorsal surface of Keet's body (caudal to the dorsal fin)

I witnessed a very aggressive attack between two orcas that changed the way I viewed them in captivity. After years of doing my own research on the captivity industry and learning how SeaWorld obtained many of its orcas I decided to take action. I’m currently in school for marine biology to help bring change for these animals. Before I decided to go to school I really wanted to be a SeaWorld trainer.

The skin covering Nakai's lower jaw has not healed properly since it was scraped or bitten off

Some may call me a hypocrite... but the way I see it, I was blinded, like many, when it comes to SeaWorld. My goal is to help people wake up. Or at least give them accurate information so they can decide for themselves what they think.

Rake marks are unusually prominent on this young orca, Makani

My goal isn’t to have SeaWorld shut down. But to have them cycle out big animals that are not suited for captivity and urge them to do right by "their" animals. I've collected numerous photos and videos that show the truth. These animals suffer every single day. Collapsed dorsal fins are not “normal” as most trainers would have you believe.

Fungal infections seen here on Kasasata are caused by stress, in-discriminant antibiotic use and water quality issues, per the Merck Veterinary Manual

Broken and worn down teeth are not “normal." It’s time we all stand together and put an end to this. Even if you don't have a degree or have any experience, you can still do something to help these animals. Speak up for them at school or online. Go to protests and help sign petitions to end their suffering.

"We all have a choice to do right by them and we all have a voice to speak for them" Elizabeth

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Another perspective on Amaya's rake marks. Photo by Elizabeth

Ike's damaged mouth from jaw popping. Photo: Elizabeth

At our last blog, here, you met marine biology student, Elizabeth, who uses her proximity and season pass to access SeaWorld's California orca "collection." She has the goal of collecting forensic evidence and sharing truth regarding the conditions of captivity. Elizabeth is a cetacean lover who imagined becoming an orca trainer, at one point, but now advocates for captive whales and dolphins using a camera. We're honored to publish more of her photographs this week and pleased to share more information on Elizabeth's personal story via a brief Q&A session. In her own words:

I witnessed a very aggressive attack between two orcas that changed the way I viewed them in captivity. After years of doing my own research on the captivity industry and learning how SeaWorld obtained many of its orcas I decided to take action. I’m currently in school for marine biology... Before I decided to go to school I really wanted to be a SeaWorld trainer.

Photo by Elizabeth shows extensive rake marks on Makani

Q: Elizabeth, when did u first recognize the dental problems of captive killer whales?

A: I've noticed it since I was young. I even remember asking a trainer as a kid and getting the typical SeaWorld public relations (PR) answers. I started documenting each individual orca's teeth to show the public just how bad they are and still continue to decline.

Q: Dr John Jett and I have written several papers that discuss this issue. Have you read any of those?

A: Yes, your and JJ's paper in 2011, Keto & Tilikum Express the Stress of Orca Capvitity

This solution was reportedly dripped into the eyes of a captive dolphin at SeaWorld, presumably for infection

Q: Have you witnessed teeth irrigations and how often do the trainers flush the broken teeth

A: Flushing of teeth is hard to capture since trainers don't typically want the public to see this. But I have seen trainers do it. Normally teeth irrigations are performed after shows since the orcas received fish that can get impacted in the open [bore] holes. But this isn't always the case [that they do it after shows].

With mouth open, a captive orca is preparing to have her teeth flushed out. Fish gets trapped in the open bore holes

Captive orca is getting her broken left maxillary teeth flushed out by a SeaWorld trainer. Photo by Elizabeth

Q: Have you witnessed orcas jaw popping or biting down in the steel gates?

A: I have seen many orcas chewing on gates. I even have video of Kalia doing it. I also see Ike and a few others jaw popping. They do it a lot out of boredom.

Photo by Elizabeth shows the damaged mouth and jaw of Northern Resident killer whale Corky

Q: Elizabeth, your research is valuable. Thank you for sharing this photographic evidence. How many hours or days of observations have you done in the past year or years?

A: Oh gosh... I've been doing this on and off for a while. But I really cracked down on documenting it all since late 2015. I go to SeaWorld at least 2-3 times a month. Each visit lasts for about 5 hours; unless security chases me away.

Elizabeth's photo shows Shouka's damaged lower jaw with Amaya next to her.

Q: Have you watched the whales grind their teeth on concrete?

A: Yes, I have. They often do this under the water so it's hard to capture it on film. But normally you will see paint left on their teeth

Drs Visser, Jett & Ventre could not determine what this photograph of Orkid's teeth depicts. Pigment vs tooth?

Q: What message would you like to share with the people who will be appreciating & viewing your teeth photographs?

A: Always speak up. The more voices we have talking about this issue the more changes we will see. People sometimes forget that SeaWorld is a for profit & publicly traded corporation, not a conservation organization. Profit and attendance means everything to them. So the more people that speak and share this information... the more aware the public becomes & the more pressure it puts on the company to change its ways.

On Christmas Eve 2009 the SeaWorld orca Keto killed trainer Alexis Martinez. The two were practicing "stand-on spy-hops" for a show. Keto became frustrated when two high-energy but imperfect stand-ons were not bridged & rewarded by the lead trainer on stage, a supervisor from SeaWorld of California. The frustrated Keto took it out on Alexis, crushing his ribs & driving him to the bottom of the concrete pool.

Click HERE to read this article

60 days later the SeaWorld orca Tilikum brutalized Dawn Brancheau, his third victim; except on this occasion he pulled her from a shallow ledge. All three of Tilikum's victims were dragged into the the water by an arm or leg, based on witness reports, video & forensic evidence. Why waterwork was not halted corporate-wide after Alexis' death remains a mystery, but in this case SeaWorld put profits over safety.

The human tragedies, also including Keltie Byrne & Daniel Dukes, have been described by journalists including Tim Zimmermann and Elizabeth Batt, and they've also been immortalized in the documentary Blackfish, as well as in David Kirby's book Death at SeaWorld.

Note: There remains volumes of unreported material on these human tragedies, the OSHA trial, the cover ups, the 27 minute delay in calling the Orange County Florida Sheriff, the gag orders, the misinformation; enough for many more books, articles, dissertations, or films.

Click HERE to read this article

While tragic, these stories focus on the loss of human life, with less attention given to the suffering experienced by all captive marine mammals who are forced to live and be on display until death. We advocate for seaside sanctuaries as retirement areas for currently captive cetaceans. Read about the Whale Sanctuary Project, here.

So what happens to the whales when they die at SeaWorld? The industry has been effective at keeping details away from the public, mainly by lobbying lawmakers to pen or amend laws that allow them to NOT publish necropsy reports & other health or welfare data. The industry realizes that more transparency translates into public outrage & lower stock prices. Below are 5 videos and a testimonial that describe the death process at SeaWorld, but for whales, not humans.

Video one: Ex SeaWorld trainer Samantha Berg describes the death of the false killer whale known as "Zori."

Video two: Ex SeaWorld trainer Dean Gomersall describes the death of the orca Kanduke

Video three: Excerpt from the Blue Freedom Film, Voiceless. Please go to minute 12:00 to hear Dr John Jett describe how killer whales are "disposed of" at SeaWorld

Video Four with journalist Elizabeth Batt: Go to 4:20 to learn how the orca "Splash" died with "Hundreds of pounds of sand in his stomach."

Video Five: At the end of the BBC radio interview with Dr. Jeffrey Ventre, he describes what happened with blackfish Tilikum

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More Death at SeaWorld

Preface: Cynthia Payne is a former SeaWorld animal care handler and president of a company in North Carolina called Go Green, Inc, which she founded in 2007. She's lived in Holland & Germany and is an accomplished equestrian rider. After watching Blackfish, she reached out to us, at Voice of the Orcas, with this moving testimony, which we originally published, here.

She was employed by SeaWorld, in Orlando, from 1992 to 1994, and told us, "I truly, truly cared for the animals and admired several of the people I worked with and for, but I also recognized it was wrong." Cynthia adds her voice to ours, and to a growing number of former industry workers, and citizens, who are speaking out against companies who display intelligent, self-aware creatures for human amusement.

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Cynthia bottle feeds a small manatee as others surround her

"Over the course of three years and as an employee of the animal care department, SeaWorld of Florida, Orlando, I witnessed the deaths and misery of several animals including that of [orca] Nootka’s stillborn calf."

[Below is Cynthia's story - unedited]

During this time, I participated in “whale watch” [aka "night-watch"]; extra personnel to watch for the upcoming birth of Nootka’s calf. She seemed separated from all of the whales, her only apparent communication was through the gates. Touch, feel, social interaction is a critical component to a whale's life. I remember so many nights of sitting up with her, listening to her cry at the gates. I was young, 18-19 years of age. What did I know, I thought? But the doubts were amassing as to my remaining [employment] at SeaWorld.

Cynthia on Night-watch at Shamu Stadium

On the night of her calf's birth, I was present, next to her pool on whale watch. Nootka gave birth to a stillborn calf.

The next few hours were a horror movie.

Staff members, everywhere, were giving orders and decided they must immediately remove the stillborn calf, thus refusing Nootka any time to grieve.

Nootka fought and fought AND FOUGHT. She carried the stillborn calf repeatedly, trying to keep it at bay from the staff.

Mercilessly, the staff seemed intent on the calf’s immediate removal. I turned to the vet on-site, almost in tears and I asked “Can't she have a moment to grieve?” There was no debate, there was 'no time,' he stated. They needed to take the calf immediately.

The "Animal Care" Department at SeaWorld of Florida in 1994

This night replays over and over in my head, I can still hear her screams.

The SeaWorld staff dropped a net the depth and width of the pool. Nootka would try to pick up the net and then at other times push her baby over it, all in an effort to escape this onslaught of people, everywhere, screaming orders and trying to take her calf away. Certainly, any mother would need, desire, require some time to grieve?

They gave her nothing. They took the stillborn. Nootka was forced into a holding pool, hardly enough space to turn around.

I sat with her that night on whale watch. I had witnessed everything. She cried through the night. She cried and cried. I still hear her screams and I still wish I could have helped her.

I sat in total disbelief at the events of that night. I was horrified... feeling as a participant, of any kind. She died shortly after this night. I was hopeful she was in a better place. This night replays as a vivid movie over and over again in my head with her screams and cries sounding just as sorrowful as they did that night . I remember feeling sickened at my participation and then relief knowing… I was leaving SeaWorld.

Despite the corporation's reluctance to say it, SeaWorld's new "Orca Encounter" is just another show, withoutimprovements for the killer whales who are forced to live at Shamu Stadium.

What a flop! SeaWorld's new #Blackfish show doesn't impress fans (or the captive orcas) #OpSeaWorld https://t.co/iAZtBCNBHe
— Crusty Crab (@CensoredCrabz) May 29, 2017

And based on space constraints, broken teeth, two deaths by mosquito, & witnessed aggression, the whales are not thriving despite the statements of SeaWorld's PR team. This includes Jungle Jack Hanna, a board of directors member for their "Conservation Fund." Jack has been shilling for SeaWorld since at least the mid 1990's when some of us at VOTO met him. His recent interview on Good Morning America is linked in the Tweet below:

#AlternativeFact @JungleJackHanna incoherently rambles re:all the #Blackfish who've killed themselves in seapens https://t.co/t0gYlZqMuR
— Tilikum&Co. (@Tilikum_Co) May 30, 2017

The set changes enhance the customers' experience and create different optics; a PR thing. The new set has a larger 140 foot screen, the music has shifted from "pop" to "cinematic," and now the waterfall pumps run for several hours daily.

Sound can travel through any substance, but not through a vacuum like outer space. In water, due to it being non-compressible, sound has more power (watts) and intensity (watts per square meter or decibels) than it does in air. Thus, waterfall pumps, pneumatic gates, construction noises, roller coasters, & kids pounding on the glass are more intense from the perspective of the orca vs the kid eating popcorn in the stands. Bottom line: The captives are dealing with more noise intensity than ever. A third coaster is reportedly on the way:

SeaWorld announces new Electric Eel coaster for 2018

Currently, trainers (now referred to as "behaviorists") are sending orca maneuvers from backstage and also doing most of the feeding there. They've taken the (unnatural) trainer out of the scene. The show producers prefer audience members not-observing whales getting fish-for-tricks. This is a shift compared to previous shows which included "fish teases" and dumping double-handfuls of smelt, herring & the occasional salmon into the posterior oral cavities of the orca.

They dont feed them anymore infront of the public during the show? Trying to trick ppl tp think its natural and not a trick still...
— Blackfish_Awareness (@ChelsyOrca) May 30, 2017

In the past shows have focused on the human-whale relationship. Not so much here, although that could change as the show evolves, which they all do. This strategy has the added benefit of not exposing the dental damage in captive Orcinous orca, as seen below in Shouka. It's a shame SeaWorld doesn't share scientific data regarding the quantity and quality of teeth damage seen in captive orcas in their care.

Shouka's mandibular teeth are worn flat with maxillary teeth impacting into her gums. Photo by Elizabeth, 2017

In the show, SeaWorld claims they are helping wild whales, a debatable point as they have not lifted a finger or contributed a dime to restore the Southern Resident orca population, the one it decimated for over a decade, until it was kicked out of Washington, as seen here:

Saving the So. Residents is an opportunity for SeaWorld to come out heroic. They could likely save the very population they drove to the brink of extinction if they made the decision to do so. This orca clan needs help getting more salmon and SeaWorld has a large PR team to spread the word.

There is just one endangered orca population in the world, the Southern Residents, which included Shamu, Kandu, Winston and about 40 others they removed or killed. Why not step in and get these starving killer whales the Chinook salmon they need? It's an awesome idea and a win-win scenario for SeaWorld, the wild whales, and the public... it would be a huge success.

SEAWORLD’S LASTING IMPACT

The company could start a contemporary "save the whales" campaign, help bring down some deadbeat dams and restore the river systems where Shamu's descendants get their food from. In conjuction with select grocery stores, they could recommend that their guests purchase wild salmon only as fish farms are spreading disease, including salmon leukemia, to wild populations. Unfortunately and instead, SeaWorld is collaborating to build the largest fish farm in the world a few miles offshore from San Diego. It will have negative impacts on local wild fish as per this article:

The Many Problems With the Proposed Fish Farm in San Diego

Watch SeaWorld's new Orca "Encouter" Here:

Lastly, despite the PR blitz of happy thriving whales featuring "natural" behaviors, there are no "new behaviors." It's the same series of conditioned tricks; breaches, slide outs, fast swims, waves, et al, wrapped in a different package. This might fool some people, but does nothing to improve the living conditions of the orcas in SeaWorld's care. Instead of "Madonna" or "J-Lo" or other popular music, the whales get a high-decibel cinematic soundtrack in addition to more hours of pump noise.

SeaWorld Debuts New Killer Whale Show in San Diego - TheStreet https://t.co/oayFOOp0hr
— John Hargrove (@johnjhargrove) May 30, 2017

While we appreciate the wild orca footage and attempt to educate, the show comes off as an infomercial, promoting a captivity corporation who's core business is the exploitation of marine mammals for profit.

It's the business model that needs to change: Not the set or the script.

The whales are still swimming in circles, neurotically grinding & fracturing their teeth, enduring social strife and aggression, living in confined spaces with nowhere to run, and generally living a degraded quality of life.

Thus far SeaWorld has been unwilling to consider retirement of these captive #Blackfish to ocean sanctuaries. We'd welcome that shift with open arms.

NOTE: This letter (reprinted at VOTO) is from Jim Waddell, civil engineer, DamNation film cast member, to Matt Strickler, Senior Policy Adviser at U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources. If you are interested in conservation, including saving wild salmon and thus the Southern Resident orca population from starvation, this letter will be helpful. We have added digital supplemental material, including brief videos, and a link to Damnation movie.

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As a Civil Engineer and a retired US Army Corps of Engineers career public servant with extensive knowledge of dams, reservoirs and salmon issues in the Columbia/Snake basin, I need to state that:

"Killing more sea lions is not a solution to recovering salmon or preventing their extinction"

Sea lions are being scapegoated & shot for collapsing salmon populations when the primary culprits are dams

HR 2083 is an example of government agencies and prodam advocates pitting endangered marine mammals against salmon and their recovery in another effort to deflect attention from the real problem, four too many dams on the Snake River endangering and preventing the recovery of salmon.

Immediate breaching, starting this year, not only benefits all the endangered harvesters; whether they be sea lions, killer whales, birds; tribal, commercial or sport fisherman; or farmers, but also add thousands of jobs to the region and saves tax/rate payers money.

DamNation Film Can Be Viewed Online & Features Jim Waddell

To avoid the most obvious, cost effective, economically viable and by far the best environmental choice, the Corps of Engineers has spent $2 billion on fish passage "improvements" on the four lower Snake River Dams (LSRDs) that a $33 million Feasibility Study and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in 2002 said was...

"Less effective than doing nothing"

The Corps does not have enough Operations & Maintenance money to maintain this massive investment which in turn causes more mortality than if they had done nothing. The ever smaller numbers of fish are making habitat investments pointless (a fact that the habitat proponents are only now waking up to). Ever smaller runs and declining genetic diversity makes recovery exponentially more difficult with every year that breaching is delayed.

The overall spiraling loss of biomass into the Columbia/Snake is crashing the ecosystem from the micro biological food webs in the headwaters of Idaho to the lack of primary prey for endangered killer whales to loss of fisheries in the northwest Pacific Ocean

Endangered Southern Resident orcas. Photo Jeffrey Ventre #Superpod2

All this on top of the Corps failure to meet the fundamental federal objective Congress expected when the dams were authorized. That is, the National Economic Development benefits must exceed the cost of construction, operations, maintenance and repairs. These four dams never did and do not today.

Using the Corps own planning guidance and data, economist show the benefits to be only 15¢ on the dollar or .15 to 1. And this does not count the regional loss of thousands of jobs, indirect economic and ecosystems services benefits and higher power bills by the continued operation of these four dams.

#Superpod5: The Southern Resident Killer Whales & Chinook Salmon

This is the sordid truth that regional managers and leaders want to deflect from the public's view and elected leaders, especially those in the US Congress. The Corps and Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is wasting ever more millions on these dams when it is much more needed on other dams and habitat programs.

We are using tax money to kill salmon

They also seem to revile in response to another federal judge telling them they have five years to come up with an EIS for the Federal Columbia River Hydro System. This is due to the federal agencies fifth failure to avoid a dam breaching decision on the LSRDs.

They, and other groups involved in the 25 years of litigation, have at least used this as an excuse to avoid discussions and actions for immediate breaching the earthen berms of the 4 LSRDs, in spite of plummeting salmon/steelhead runs and endangered Southern Resident Killer whales who depend on these Chinook runs for there survival.

The Federal and State agencies, most especially the Corps of Engineers, do not have to wait on another NEPA process that will take 5-10 years to, maybe, get to the answer they already have in the 2002 EIS and Record of Decision. This EIS is the NEPA coverage for ongoing mitigation actions on the LSRD and as affirmed by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, see attached letter. This EIS can be updated in just a few months because it already has breaching in it as the preferred environmental alternative.

Because the other non-breach alternatives in this EIS, used in an effort to improve salmon runs, have failed, this leaves breaching as the only recourse.

Further, since the BCR is well below 1.0 and current costs are more than power revenues meant to pay or repay the US Treasury for these costs, the Corps has a fiduciary responsibility to Congress and the American people to place these dams into a "non-operational' status.

To do so, would require removal of the earthen berm to stabilize each dam. This also restores a free flowing river around the dams' concrete spillways, power houses and locks allowing unhindered fish migration and opens 140 miles of spawning and rearing habitat. This breaching cost should be paid for by the BPA as "fish mitigation" in accordance with the 1980 Power and Conservation Act. The US Congress does not need to authorize or appropriate anything new. They should however be holding the Corps accountable and demanding immediate breach action instead of more studies of the LSRDs.

I have attached a letter to the Chief of Engineers written in July of 2016 reminding him of these facts. A year has gone by and things have gotten worse for salmon, steelhead, orca, fishermen, and with HR2803, sea lions, but he has done nothing but say that they will consider breaching in this new NEPA process.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to comment,

Jim Waddell
Civil Engineer, PE, USACE Retired
Port Angeles WA, 360-775-7799

The tragedy of Kasatka... with a tribute to her by VOTO's Samantha Berg

Photo v #Elizabeth #Blackfish Kasatka is immunocompromised from stress & years of meds. She is literally being eaten alive #CaptivityKills pic.twitter.com/EPCP7RkgR8
— Voice of the Orcas (@Voice_OT_Orcas) July 11, 2017

First, some context:

In the run-up to SeaWorld's (SW) next earnings report at noon Eastern time (USA) on August 8th, the company is in full scramble mode. SEAS stock is currently trading below $15.00 and pressure is mounting on CEO Joel Manby to get the ship turned around, or perhaps more accurately... prevent it from sinking.

The captivity-corp is under two Federal Investigations& the old SW guard wants leadership change. Former execs are being investigated for misleading statements which downplayed Blackfish movie's actual impact on earnings & attendance, and also for possible insider trading. Our prediction is that the Justice Department & the SEC will find a bounty of Blackfish related emails on company servers.

TIME: Seaworld's Profits Drop 84% After Blackfish Documentary

Duped investors are angry, having potentially lost millions. Insiders have paid themselves handsomely through rough times, publicly blaming things like "Easter," and in spite of missing financial targets. The natives are restless.

Meanwhile the obvious solution to SW's woes, sea sanctuaries, alternately referred to as #EmptyTheTanks, are being ignored and mocked by the captivity giant, which is now primarily controlled by China’s the Zhonghong Zhuoye Group. Instead of changing its ways, SeaWorld is working with the Chinese & United Arab Emirates to exploit whales and dolphins in places with fewer animal protections. So much for conservation. But then again, it was never really about that.

SeaWorld under multiple federal investigations as attendance and revenue plummet: report https://t.co/SqrLPqqypz pic.twitter.com/K4gn8i0CXE
— Raw Story (@RawStory) June 24, 2017

There are multiple law firms working on class action suits, with at least one going to trial, at this point. See article here:

Class Action Lawsuit vs SeaWorld Promises Drama & Discovery

And then there's Kasatka...

A wild born female North Atlantic orca captured by the theme park in 1978, the mother of multiple "assets," as SW refers to "their" whales in financial documents, & the former matriarch at the California park for the last several decades. Kasatka will forever be immortalized by her thrashing of Trainer Ken Peters as seen in this video below from CNN:

See CNN video below with comments from VOTO's Carol Ray.

Estimated to be about 40 years of age, she won't experience that long post-menopausal life enjoyed by her wild cousins. Wild females experience reproductive senescence (the equivalent of menopause) at 40-48 years of age. Killer whales, humans, and short-finned pilot whales are the only 3 mammals on the planet known to go through menopause. Dr Darren Croft discusses the evolution of killer whale "menopause" here at #Superpod5:

Learn more about killer whale matriarchs from Dr Astrid van Ginneken MD, PhD, in the video below:

A Tribute to Kasatka by Samantha Berg

I just saw photos of Kasatka’s disease ravaged body.

Tom Hall, Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Manny Oteyza, Jeffrey Ventre, Samantha Berg (speaking), John Jett, John Hargrove

Inevitably Kasatka’s death will be portrayed by the SeaWorld corporation as a tragedy. SeaWorld will say they are saddened to lose (yet another!) family member. They will tell the public and the media that they did everything they could to give her a loving home, restaurant quality fish, superior dental care and a whole host of other lies that should be familiar to anyone who is dialed in to the anti-captivity movement.

Kasatka’s trainers will be sad, the public will mourn, and the news cycle will move on to the next story and Kasatka will be forgotten.

NOTE: This PR video doesn't show Kasatka very well. They strategically keep her hidden or turned away from the camera. Note the language. This video is preparing the public and media for death by pneumonia even though she is being eaten alive by disease. SW will emphasize that pneumonia is the leading cause of death in killer whales, although not true for wild orca, as far as we can tell. We have not been able to find evidence that pneumonia is the leading cause of mortality for wild orca. The reality is that Kasatka is being eaten away, probably by a bacterial necrotizing fasciitis. Generally speaking the pathogen-type is not relevant to her impending death & current suffering. Of course SeaWorld doesn't tell us what is eating her flesh, just that it is not fungal.

So, before she goes I want people to at least know this:

It is Kasatka’s LIFE – not her death- that is the real tragedy

Kasatka was stolen from her true family in Iceland in 1978. She has spent the last 39 years in prison. Her crime? She was born a killer whale – a species so intelligent, beautiful and intriguing to humans that the owners of Seaworld knew they could put her on display and charge other humans just to watch her swim in a tank.

Kasatka’ body has not been ravaged by illness alone – she has been forced to perform via food deprivation for every day of her life for the last 39 years. She has also been forced to bear children that were then removed from her side and relocated to other corporate-owned prisons. Given what we know about the bonds between mother and calves – this is an even greater violation than food deprivation and amounts to extreme emotional abuse.

Captivity: A bad idea from the beginning. The original Shamu seen here thrashing the company secretary for a promo video

Kasatka is not an individual – she is a corporate asset worth millions of dollars to a corporation that cares about her only to the extent that she can continue to perform and generate revenue. Her owners don’t care how she feels or that she just might have memories of another happier life in the ocean.

Kasatka is one of only 4 remaining wild-captured killer whales still living in US Seaworld parks. With her passing there will only be 3 – Ulysses and Corky in San Diego and Katina in Orlando.

Sadly, the practice of capturing wild killer whales has not ended – the Russians continue to capture whales and the Chinese are building new facilities for whales to perform, breed and be on display.

Morgan, a killer whale who was “rescued” in the Netherlands remains in prison at Loro Parque in the Canary Islands even though she could have been a candidate for release.

Tilikum, also captured near Iceland, lived a miserable life at SeaWorld from 1992 until his death in 2017

While SeaWorld will say that Kasatka’s life performing circus tricks for food helped them to provide an educational experience for countless numbers of school children who stream through their turnstiles every year – this is also a lie.

Watching whales perform tricks in captivity is a distraction from the very real dangers facing our planet and our oceans right now.

@SeaWorld in full scramble mode with Fed investigations, CEO Manby on the ropes & #Blackfish #Kasatka suffering now pic.twitter.com/psyokS83S0
— Voice of the Orcas (@Voice_OT_Orcas) July 15, 2017

Did Kasatka’s prison term help to educate park goers about ocean acidification, plastic pollution, fish farm effluent or dams that are right now causing salmon populations to crash and thus leading to the death and starvation of a wild pod of killer whales in the Pacific Northwest?

Will her death wake people up enough to address these issues? Likely not.

At least in death, Kasatka’s decades of suffering will finally come to an end. My heart breaks for her, not because she is dying but because she deserved better.

RIP Kasatka

Note: Samantha's comments used with permission and also appear in this article at The Dolphin Project v Elizabeth Batt

A new article by Kyle Swenson at the Washington Post has SeaWorld in, what some describe as, big trouble. His story lays out The Blackfish Effect onto the company, blow by blow; a can of worms for a captivity corporation who is facing increased public scrutiny & numerous allegations contained in class action lawsuits.

Famed Ringling Bros. circus closing after more than 100 years

In February of 2017 U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White ruled that a class-action lawsuit filed against SeaWorld, for false advertising, can move forward; important as SW was feverishly trying to have the case thrown out so it could avoid legal discovery. Discovery is a nightmare for the captivity corporation; one that has a lot to hide. The company is still trying to block discovery by designating its orca medical records (documents key to the case) as "secret."

In regard to the newly described federal investigation at the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), many of us "Superpod-ers" were watching the alleged fraudulent statements from SeaWorld and associated SEAS stock collapse happen in real time. Its a breath of fresh air during a time when it's easy to question whether malfeasant corporations ever receive justice.

Today's stock report shows the Blackfish Effect. Note the one day collapse in August of 2014

We also speculated that BlackStone rushed the initial public offering (IPO) back in April 2013, so to best extract maximum wealth out of the marine-circus before it started to tailspin from the foreseeable Blackfish Effect.

The Washington Post piece is the first time the impact of Blackfish (on SW) as well as the executive response has been articulated in an accurate, chronological and nearly comprehensive way. Also, it specifically mentions the Blackfish Effect, a term coined by the filmmakers

According to Swenson at WaPost:

In court documents filed last Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice asked a California judge to temporarily pause depositions in an ongoing shareholders lawsuit against the theme park chain.

World news- the the FRAUD division of the DOJ is handling the CRIMINAL investigation of SeaWorld https://t.co/Eu3ZYIVrrL @jeffrey_ventre pic.twitter.com/02pIdKAQsy
— John Hargrove (@johnjhargrove) August 31, 2017

Sandra Moser, the acting chief of the DOJ’s fraud section, petitioned the court for a temporary stay while the government conducts an “ongoing federal criminal investigation,” the filing stated.

The documents indicate the investigation concerns “disclosures and public statements made by” the company and executives “regarding the impact of the ‘Blackfish’ documentary.”

Those concerns echo the allegations shareholders leveraged in the 2014 lawsuit, which accuses the company of purposely deceiving investors about the business hit triggered by the exposé. SeaWorld has previously denied any wrongdoing and is fighting the lawsuit.

This new can of worms is both legal & perceptual for SeaWorld. The executives have consistently tried to blame their collapsing public appeal and overall value on anything but the truth. They've unloaded their holdings while simultaneously describing that everything was "OK" to their investors. It seems like a clear case of fraud, at least to some of us.

In Memory of our Friend Sam Simon

Perhaps one day SeaWorld will #EmptyTheTanks& move its marine mammals to seaside sanctuaries or open ocean pens, where they can continue to receive medical care, live in cleaner chemical-free water, feel the tides, interact with fish, kelp and other sea life.

This story tees up the case for the class action suits that follow

Gif file compiled by Jeffrey Ventre from #Superpod4, Salish Sea, WA, USA

_______________________________

Supplemental material:

Author: Jeffrey Ventre is a board certified medical doctor in the specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R). He treats patients with physical impairments from back pain & stroke, to spinal cord & brain injuries. He worked with SeaWorld killer whales Katina, Tilikum, Kalina, Gudrun, Nyar, Kanduke, Kotar, Taku & favorite, Taima. JV appears in Blackfish movie along with Carol Ray, Samantha Berg, and John Jett. The four ex SW trainers, collectively "Voice of the Orcas" or VOTO, appear in Voiceless film, Death at SeaWorld & JV & JJ appear in New York Times best seller & Good Reads choice award winner (2015) Beneath the Surface, by John Hargrove.

Associated reading: Blackstone Nearly Triples Money on SeaWorld Amid Controversy

The complete article can be read here:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/08/30/investors-say-seaworld-lied-about-business-downturn-after-orca-outcry-now-feds-are-investigating/?utm_term=.ba1addb0bae7

NOTE: Credit to the artists who produced the gif files used in this article. They were circulated publicly without attribution on social media

Dear APHIS & the City of Miami:

You have warned Floridians not to abandon pets in the wake of Irma. The city has mentioned felony penalties for animal cruelty. The governor issued mandatory evacuation orders for South Florida. The mayor of Miami Beach told residents to leave early. Irma was described as "catastrophic" and "nuclear."

If it's not safe for you, it's not safe for your pets either. Take them with you when you go. #HurricaneIrma
— USDA APHIS (@USDA_APHIS) September 8, 2017

Why does the Miami Seaquarium get a free pass?

Executives at the company elected to roll the dice with Lolita's life. Captive orca transports are routine. And while not completely risk free, leaving her to perish in a flimsy facility on Virginia Key is unconscionable. Does the Seaquarium get infinite passes regarding clear cases of animal cruelty?

Hurricane Irma: Dozens of dogs abandoned by POS people left unable to escape. We need tougher animal cruelty laws!!! https://t.co/4yYrlBsNIg
— John Hargrove (@johnjhargrove) September 10, 2017

They left Lolita, aka Tokitae, in the cross hairs of a major hurricane. What gives? You preach animal safety, but your record in policing the Miami Seaquarium calls into question your ability to enforce the law fairly, especially versus institutions like captivity companies. Lolita's tank is undersized, cruel and illegal. When, if ever, will the city or APHIS take action? Lolita is an endangered Southern Resident killer whale with a known home, living family and obvious potential happy ending.

Commentary below is from Jeffrey Ventre & Samantha Berg of Voice of the Orcas

JV: In 1995 I rode out a hurricane with SeaWorld's killer whales including Tilikum, Katina, Gudrun, Taima, Nyar and others. That storm, much less powerful than Irma, passed over Orlando in August of that year.

Shamu Stadium 1995 showing concrete pillars & reinforced roof

Unlike the flimsy undersized-illegal facility where Lolita is held captive, Shamu Stadium in Orlando is generally stout; basically reinforced concrete, steel, cement pillars & reinforced roof

"The hurricane threats to captive killer whales include missile injuries, blunt force trauma, stress, contaminated water and foreign objects in the pool"

Dear @USDA_APHIS& @CityofMiami: We request an inquiry RE @MiamiSeaquarium's inhumane decision 2 leave #Blackfish Lolita @ mercy of #Irma pic.twitter.com/1bzfzFBXyv
— Voice of the Orcas (@Voice_OT_Orcas) September 10, 2017

In nature whales can ride out storms spending their time predominantly below the surface and at greater depths. The shallow water columns of captivity force the animals to be exposed. In 1995 the whales were extremely agitated when Hurricane Erin passed over, mostly swimming together. Nyar was a sick calf that required tube feedings and we accomplished that in the medical pool under high winds.

#Irma has been described as #Catastrophic& #Nuclear. Consequently #Blackfish Lolita/Toki has been abandoned by her "owners" -Nowhere 2 run pic.twitter.com/yIqXACKamH
— Voice of the Orcas (@Voice_OT_Orcas) September 8, 2017

In the case of Lolita, her stadium could literally collapse, and she's alone. The Seaquarium was cited in 2003 for a "rusty roof beyond repair" as well as other issues. Unlike the "bunker" of Shamu Stadium in Orlando there's a fair chance that the roof over Lolita could blow off due to high wind velocities from Irma or a future storm. If she was lucky enough not to get hit by collapsing stadium parts, she stands the chance of being sliced by metal from the roof. A second concern is that the storm surge could or could have (we still don't know) undermined the structural elements of her tank including the perimeter glass that holds back the water.

Despite the talk of #Blackfish Lolita being "family" the @MiamiSeaquarium has shown its true colors. She is left alone to ride out #Irma pic.twitter.com/p0AYnJ1ZHM
— Jeffrey Ventre (@jeffrey_ventre) September 9, 2017

If that were to happen, she'd be in dirty foreign-object-filled water trapped in her rusty whale prison with no way to swim to the sea, which is meters away. Electrical pumps may be out of commission due to power outages and Lolita may be forced to live in contaminated water until power is restored.

In the context of the original storm forecast, which predicted a CAT 4 or 5 direct strike on Miami, the Seaquarium's decision to roll the dice with her life is callous, immoral, and unjust. If she's still alive, Lolita must have been terrified. While there may have been a skeleton crew on hand, for the most part her trainers were gone. The park is now dark and closed.

She has no peers like the Orlando captives do. The company executives decided that leaving her exposed to a "catastrophic" hurricane, alone, was better then moving her out of the way. It's unconscionable, especially after the wealth she's created for them. If she survived, more likely since the storm turned West, the public may become physically ill if and when executives return from their silence and say "they had it covered." We haven't heard anything in days...

It's time to prepare, get ready and stay safe! We are closed until further notice. #MiamiSeaquarium #HurricaneIrma pic.twitter.com/7F25OGhqld
— Miami Seaquarium (@MiamiSeaquarium) September 8, 2017

The truth, as seen in their actions, or lack of, is that they left her to possibly die, rolling the dice, saving the expense (she's insured), and also likely not wanting to prove that she could survive a transport. Surviving a transport, which she would, undermines the company's prior claims. Spokespeople for the park tell the public that Lolita can't survive a transport as their justification to reject the idea of a sea sanctuary.

In my opinion, of all the whales in captivity, worldwide, Lolita is the best suited for release. Her teeth are good. Her mother is still alive, as are her family members.

After swimming circles in her illegal tank for over 45 years, retire the girl. Learn from Irma. With any luck she could have another 20 years of life, in the ocean, and with or near her pod in a seaside sanctuary.

Jeffrey Ventre MD DC
Former SeaWorld trainer
Blackfish movie cast member

------------ Below is From Samantha Berg ----------

My biggest fear for Lolita was always that she would die in her tiny illegal sized tank mere yards from the ocean, never having had a chance to be reunited with her mom, Ocean Sun, and the rest of her Pacific Northwest Southern Resident Orca family.

WATCH this powerful short video:

#MiamiSeaquarium should have relocated #Lolita the #Orca& all other marine life before #HurricaneIrma hit #Florida💔🌊🐳 By: @Lady_CheyenneA pic.twitter.com/VOWmXdSCuf
— World Animal News (@WorldAnimalNews) September 11, 2017

Sadly, it appears that in the hours during and after Hurricane Irma, Lolita stands a chance of not only being injured but possibly dying in that woefully inadequate kiddie pool of a tank. Her pain and suffering will be made worse by the fact that she has been utterly abandoned by her owners.

Driving to Key Biscayne in a minute to check on Lolita if I can get pass the storm surge, I may get in trouble for trespassing but fuck it. https://t.co/d9eT68eKVl
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) September 10, 2017

Even in the best case scenario where Lolita is mostly unharmed, she will likely spend a harrowing amount of time being tossed around in a pool with flying projectiles and possible storm surge pouring into her enclosure and she will have absolutely no where to go.

What kind of monster leaves an Orca terrified & alone in the dark with her family 3,300 miles away during a hurricane? #MiamiSeaquarium pic.twitter.com/rfuQqujztg
— Quad Finn (@Quad_Finn) September 10, 2017

Her tank is not deep enough for her to submerge and find refuge from flying debris. And, in an ironic turn of events, she even faces the potential of drowning if the surface of her tank becomes sufficiently blocked by falling detritus. Or maybe the filtration system will fail and she'll have to spend days or weeks floating around in her own excrement. Her tank may over-heat if the power goes out and this could easily lead to a slower death from disease and injury.

None of the options are good.

As bad as I imagined the end of Lolita's life on earth, this is a significantly worse fate - and it would be the final injustice in a long-line of injustices perpetrated against this magnificent animal and her family members.

Even more heart-wrenching is the fact that this could have been avoided. Killer whales can be moved to safety in the event of a natural disaster - and Irma's likely path has been more or less obvious over the past 7-10 days.

Why didn't the Miami SeaQuarium prepare for a hurricane?

Although there are no Seaside Sanctuaries for killer whales yet the Whale Sanctuary project is working on it http://www.whalesanctuaryproject.org/ as is The Orca Network http://www.orcanetwork.org/Main/index.php?categories_file=Lolita)

MSQ could have easily established a training program for Lolita that involved regularly lifting her up on a stretcher to get used to the procedure.

A transport box could be standing by AND if no suitable inland temporary tank could be established, even Seaworld would be a better option for a short-term holding facility to ride out the storm.

Although Shamu stadium in Orlando was built in the mid 1980's - it's still a bunker compared to the death trap where Lolita currently resides.

They've abandoned her but they'll be the first to pay their respect and show sadness when something terrible happens to Lolita, disgusted 💔
— Kyla ♡ (@xkylz) September 10, 2017

And, yes, I'm calling out Seaworld. SeaWorld management should have stepped up to take her once the dire nature of Lolita'a situation became obvious. SeaWorld prides themselves on being a "rescue, rehab and release facility" - I think this situation more than qualifies as a rescue - and they could sort out the logistical and financial issues after the emergency has passed.

Too many variables. They abandoned an aquarium in the gulf once. Dolphins got free and were rounded up after.
— Elizabeth Batt (@thebattwoman) September 8, 2017

After all, Lolita has earned millions of dollars for her captors and owners. She deserves better than to be left alone to fend for herself just because there are some details to sort out.

Lolita's plight couldn't be a better example of why large, social complex, intelligent animals like killer whales don't belong in captivity.

But, honestly, at the moment, I don't care about how Lolita ended up where she is - I just want the Seaquarium to do the right thing - which would be to mobilize every resource at their disposal to relocate Lolita to a safe place.

And if by some miracle Lolita survives the latest undeserved ordeal being thrown her way, I will make it my life's mission to see that she is at least given the chance to return to her family.

Miami SeaQuarium is a disgrace and they should be ashamed of their actions.

Samantha Berg Samantha Berg, M.Ac., Dipl.Ac.

Former SeaWorld Trainer

Blackfish movie cast member

------------------------- City of Miami & APHIS Contact Info --------------------------

Mayor Tomás Regalado

3500 Pan American Drive

Miami, FL 33133

Office 305-250-5300

Fax 305-854-4001

Email: tregalado@miamigov.com

USDA-APHIS Animal Welfare contact info:

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/banner/contactus/SA_Animal_Welfare

PRESS RELEASE: KILLER TOOTH ACHE

Statements compiled & composed by Dr Ingrid Visser

Anyone with a tooth ache knows how painful and distracting that can be. For an orca (killer whale), which has around 48 large teeth, a sore tooth is likely no less painful or debilitating than for a person. A new study, investigating teeth of captive orca, found that every individual studied had damaged teeth.

Dr John Jett, an ex-orca trainer, now professor and first author on the paper says, “We investigated 29 orca owned by one company and held in the USA and Spain. Every whale had some form of damage to its teeth. We found that the more than 65% possessed moderate to extreme tooth wear in their lower jaws, mostly as a result of chewing concrete and steel tank surfaces.”

Drs John Jett & Ingrid Visser

Additionally, the researchers found that more than 61% of the orca have ‘been to the dentist’ to have their teeth drilled. Officially termed a ‘modified pulpotomy’, a hole is drilled into the tooth to extract the soft pulpy tissue inside. But unlike us, the resultant hole is not filled or capped, but rather is left open for the rest of the animal’s life, requiring daily flushing with chemicals to keep the teeth empty of food and bacteria in an attempt to manage ensuing infection.

Dr Loch At the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle

Dr Carolina Loch, a scientist who specializes in the dentition of whales and dolphins and a co-author, explained that once the tooth gets worn to the point where the pulp is exposed, “this opens up a channel for disease and infection, so the staff then drill the teeth.”

Dr Jeffrey Ventre another of the authors, who is also an ex-orca trainer and now a medical doctor stated that he had drilled orca teeth and that "teeth damage is the most tragic consequence of captivity, as it not only causes morbidity and mortality in captive orcas, but often leads to chronic antibiotic therapy compromising the whale's immune system, as we saw recently with the orca known as Kasatka.”

New study on the consequences of captivity to oral health of Orcas: collab USA/NZ https://t.co/JLNk4qKkv7… @otago #dentistry #research pic.twitter.com/gGsGnmEQDP
— Carolina Loch (@LochCarolina) October 9, 2017

Loch added that “A drilled tooth is severely weakened and if any other trauma occurs, fractures will happen. We have documented more than 60% of the second and third teeth of the lower jaws were broken and this high number is likely linked to the drilling.” During his time as a trainer, Ventre said that he had witnessed "whales breaking their teeth on steel gates while jaw popping. Small tooth fragments were then collected below the gate while diving the pool."

Heather Murphy, Jordan Waltz, Kyra Laughlin & Ken Balcomb at Superpod 3

Jordan Waltz, an investigative researcher and co-author noted that “the damage to the teeth of these animals is so severe that most individuals can be identified by the specific fractures and tooth wear alone, much like forensic pathologists use for identification of
humans post-mortem.”

Captive #Blackfish TEETH
Honored 2 contribute 2 this peer reviewed article with JJ @OrcaIngrid @LochCarolina& JW > https://t.co/AiMCiDcpcb pic.twitter.com/2o0mhxrWfW
— Jeffrey Ventre (@jeffrey_ventre) October 12, 2017

Ventre noted that “The obligatory daily teeth irrigations render the compromised orcas poor candidates for full release”, should companies ever make the transition to look at rehabilitation for their captives.

Dr Ingrid Visser with Samantha Berg at Superpod 2

Dr Ingrid Visser, a scientist who has studied orca in the wild for more than three decades and has long been advocating for an end to orca captivity, stated that “We know that confining them in tanks is bad for the animals and this research now gives us some hard numbers to illustrate just how their health and welfare is compromised. Given how big the root of an orca’s tooth is and that orca have a nervous system similar to ours, these injuries must be extremely painful.”

She is a co-author for this study and noted that compared to free-ranging orca, “the teeth of captive orca are incredibly compromised and you just don’t see this type or level of damage in the wild.”

Drs Ventre & Jett August 2017, Image Mariah Kirby

Loch pointed out that “dentists have long said that oral health is a measure of general health as our mouths are the gateway to our body”, and she believes that this is likely the same for orca. Jett concluded “We have documented that tooth damage starts at a very early age in captivity and that all the orca in the study have issues with their teeth. Teeth are incredibly important to the overall health of an animal, and the results of our study should raise serious concerns for the health and welfare of captive orca.”

Author contact details, Study Highlights and Citation details are given below.

_________________________________________________________

The authors can be contacted on: (J. Jett) jjett@stetson.edu; (J. Ventre) jmventre@gmail.com; (C. Loch) carolina.loch@otago.ac.nz, (I. Visser) ingrid@orca.org.nz;

Study Highlights:

1) Using high-resolution photographs, individual teeth in the mandible and maxilla of captive orca were scored for coronal wear, wear at or below the gum line, fractures, bore holes and missing.

2) Dental damage was commonly observed across all captive whale cohorts, with damage beginning early in a whale’s captive life.

3) Forty five percent of whales exhibited “moderate” mean mandibular coronal wear, and an additional 24% exhibited “major” to “extreme” wear.

4) More than 61% of mandibular teeth 2 and 3, and 47% of mandibular tooth 4, exhibited evidence of having undergone the ‘modified pulpotomy’ procedure.

5) Conspecific aggression and oral stereotypies such as biting on hard tank surfaces likely contributed to the tooth pathology observed.

Study Citation details: http://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0003996917303138

John Jett, Ingrid N. Visser, Jeffrey Ventre, Jordan Waltz, Carolina Loch, Tooth Damage in Captive Orcas (Orcinus orca), Archives of Oral Biology, Available online 29 September 2017, ISSN 0003-9969, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archoralbio.2017.09.031.

Malia is a female hybrid killer whale born at SeaWorld of Florida on 12 March 2007. Her mother was Taima, a half-transient & half N. Atlantic mix & her father was Tilikum, a wild-captured Icelandic male.

Aside: Contrary to conservation claims by the industry, hybrid orcas, bred exclusively for shows, have no conservation value. They could, however, live more meaningful lives if given access to wild fish & kelp, the tides, ocean sounds, a lot more space, & medical care in an open ocean sea pen. More on that, here.

As posted on Instagram:

Recent photographs show that Malia's skin appears diseased, likely a phototoxic reaction, at least in part, due to medication. One image, not available to publish, shows a large area of sloughed off skin encompassing most of her (white) ventral surface. Note that phototoxic reactions are typically "dose dependent." This suggests that whatever Malia is being treated for has developed some resistance & thus the medication dosage has been sufficiently increased to produce visible skin lesions.

Here's a peer-reviewed article from "Pediatric Dermatology" on dose dependent skin reactions in humans.

The "Heart Sign": An Early Indicator of Dose-Dependent Doxycycline-Induced Phototoxicity.

Phototoxicity tends to attack areas that lack pigmentation, the "white skin" of a killer whale, or areas without hair in other mammals like humans. For more on that see the Merck Veterinary Manual piece at the end of this.

A drug induced photosensitivity reaction

From our direct experiences & morning med sessions with Malia's parents & grandparents, Taima, Tilikum, Gudrun, & Kanduke, all deceased, we confirm that captive killer whales are medicated regularly, usually for stubborn infections including from broken & bored out teeth, and also for stress ulcers. Antibiotics & Tagamet were the main drugs we dished out regularly at SeaWorld of Orlando. Sometimes medications like Valium are used to calm the whales. And corticosteroids are used to treat breathing problems, inflammatory conditions & to increase a whale's appetite after they've "slowed down" or stopped eating.

In a recent conversation with John Hargrove, former SW trainer at the Texas & California parks, he recalled administering Dexamethasone to whales. Indications for it and side effects can be found here. Like antibiotics, corticosteroids can suppress the immune system in mammals. That is why they are used in human recipients of organ transplants, so the body is less likely to reject a donor organ (i.e. the immune response is lowered).

Article & List of Sun-Sensitive Drugs (Photosensitivity to Drugs)

Malia's teeth, seen in the image below, are worn & drilled out with bore holes. There's a high probability she is on antibiotics, chronically, because of poor oral health& complications from it. Open bore holes, a pathway for bacteria to enter the bloodstream, can lead to pulmonary infections, endocarditis and kidney disease. While SeaWorld typically reports that their whales die from pneumonia, we suspect most of these pulmonary infections are secondary infections from poor dentition including broken teeth & weak immunity.

Click the image to expand

Of most concern is that Malia's skin lesions resemble ones that appeared on Kasatka who recently died. This suggests Malia is being given similar medications as Kasatka was and at sufficient dosage to trigger photosensitivity.

The matriarch was euthanized at SeaWorld of California on 15 August 2017 after a long battle with "pneumonia." A lawsuit seeks to discover more medical details surrounding her condition & the circumstances leading to her death. Unlike children who can stay inside or wear a hat after being prescribed Tetracycline, for example, the whales at SeaWorld have nowhere to run from UV exposure, especially in Orlando & San Diego.

Times of San Diego article: SeaWorld Hiding Orca Necropsies, Including San Diego’s Kasatka, Federal Lawsuit Claims

Photo of Kasatka from Elizabeth, months prior to her death (SeaWorld of California)

Kasatka, seen with skin lesions above & below, is famously known for thrashing SeaWorld trainer Ken Peters in 2006 as well as her role in the #Blackfish documentary.

Left, note the more advanced cutaneous lesions as she neared death, appearing similar to an end-stage AIDs patient. One unconfirmed report is that SeaWorld stopped the phototoxic drug in Kasatka's case and her skin began to improve, but without the medication, she crashed.

In memoriam, the unedited uncut version of Kasatka with trainer Ken Peters during a live public performance, courtesy of "Death at SeaWorld" author David Kirby:

So, is Malia dying?

The lesions tell us only that she is medicated and make it difficult to answer that question. We don't know what she is being treated for nor the current state of her immune system. For SeaWorld to use a drug that causes striking visual changes (i.e. "bad PR") one can presume that Malia is being treated for something fairly serious. Regarding immunity, she is younger than Kasatka was and stronger. We also know that degraded skin, like broken teeth, offers pathways for more aggressive pathogens to enter her body. Thus a phototoxic lesion can become a host for a secondary bacterial or fungal infection, and the cycle continues leading to more or different meds.

What could SeaWorld do?

An open "science-based" company, as SeaWorld likes to imagine & portray itself would share data, talk to outside researchers & discuss what Malia is being treated for and what drugs the animal care staff are using to combat her illness. They would publish research on it; perhaps a peer-reviewed journal article regarding phototoxicty in captive killer whales. I suspect we'll never get that information, related:

Dolphins, Captivity, and SeaWorld: The Misuse of Science

Thomas I. White 8 March 2017

SeaWorld is actively battling attempts from attorneys to see its orca medical records in the context of a current class action lawsuit & Federal investigation. For more on the teeth damage captive orcas sustain, John Jett, Ingrid Visser, et al:

Tooth Damage in Captive Orcas, Archives of Oral Biology, Jett, Visser, Ventre, Waltz, Loch 2017

So, what can we deduce from the limited information we have?

Malia is being treated with a medication that is causing phototoxic skin lesions which expose her to more dangerous pathogens. The photosensitivity is amplified by a shallow water column, treated-water that doesn't block UV-radiation, and general exposure. In contrast, wild orcas spend 80-90% of their lives submerged and in darker water & with healthier teeth & stronger immunity. Darker, particulate-filled ocean water protects their skin and eyes, unlike captives who have both skin & eye issues.

We also know that over time chronic antibiotic & steroid use & the stress of captivity leads to weakened immunity and sometimes immune systems collapse, as seen with Kasatka & Tilikum.

An AV presentation of Keto & Tilikum express the stress of orca captivity is here:

Historically, at SeaWorld, weakened immunity has been observed & described in several orcas like Kanduke (1990, cause of death St Louis Virus Encephalitis) and Taku (2007, cause of death West Nile virus) who both died from infections that are not typically fatal (in healthy subjects).

Orca captivity and vulnerability to mosquito-transmitted viruses. Jett, Ventre 2012

Over half of SeaWorld's orcas end up dying from infections. This is likely due to compromised immune systems being unable to fight off various pathogens that enter the body via damaged teeth or skin.

Help me identify the Orca? SeaWorld Orlando dec 29 - we can see she is sick... Did you know? @jeffrey_ventre @johnjhargrove @Sam10k Same skin problem as Kasatka? pic.twitter.com/rudRrhHfht
— V Pod Orcas (@VPodOrcas) January 17, 2018

The bottom line is that Malia will live a shortened impoverished life with broken teeth at SeaWorld, being chronically medicated and with no where to run from aggression & small concrete pools that limit exercise & play.

Based on the longevity & survival data we already have, Malia will likely die before the age of 20, or sooner if she loses the battle she is currently fighting. Lastly, if she lives, she stands the chance of being shipped from Orlando to China. SeaWorld's primary stock holder is the Zhonghong Group which has control of the company's board of directors, now. Yoshikazu Maruyama, of Zhonghong is SeaWorld's Chairperson of the Board of the Directors. Yongli Wang, also from Zhonghong, is a "director" on the board.

Some of us suspect that is why SeaWorld is fighting the Florida Orca Protection Act (HB 1305) with such vigor. They may be planning to ship orcas to China.

For more information on phototoxicity and photosensitivity the Merck Veterinary Manual has been copied below.

i haven't seen this picture of #malia's skin posted on twitter yet. this isn't "natural discolouring" that #SeaWorld claims. #boycottseaworld #emptythetanks #blackfish pic.twitter.com/Bvp6DOlhMI
— jaimee 🐬🌍 (@jaimee_hinton) January 24, 2018

______________________________________________________________

Video attributable to the Center for Whale Research

Jeffrey Ventre MD is a board certified medical doctor practicing in Washington state. He is a former SeaWorld trainer, 1987-1995, working at all three animal show areas including two stints at Shamu Stadium. His favorite orca was Taima. In 1995 JV was invited by Dr Astrid Van Ginneken to participate in "Orca Survey," an ongoing photo-identification study of the Southern Resident killer whales. His first encounters with wild whales, June 1996, can be seen here, and combined with captive observations radically altered his perspective on places like SeaWorld, Loro Parque, Marineland & Miami SeaQuarium. Along with John Jett Phd, Carol Ray MA CCC SLP, & Samantha Berg,M.Ac., Dipl.Ac. he is a part of "Voice of the Orcas," a group of former SeaWorld trainers who aim to pull back the curtain on captivity, also along with John Hargrove, author of Beneath the Surface, Dean Gomersall & many other pod members. VOTO hosts regular Superpod Events on San Juan Island that are open to the public. In 2018 the dates are 16-20 July

__________________________________________________________________

Overview of Photosensitization from the Merck Veterinary Manual

By George M. Barrington, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University

Photosensitization occurs when skin (especially areas exposed to light and lacking significant protective hair, wool, or pigmentation (note that it impacts mostly the white areas of the captive orcas) becomes more susceptible to ultraviolet light because of the presence of photodynamic agents. Photosensitization differs from sunburn and photodermatitis, because both of these conditions result in pathologic skin changes without the presence of a photodynamic agent

In photosensitization, unstable, high-energy molecules are formed when photons react with a photodynamic agent. These high-energy molecules initiate reactions with substrate molecules of the skin, causing the release of free radicals that in turn result in increased permeability of outer cell and lysosomal membranes. Damage to outer cell membranes allows for leakage of cellular potassium and cytoplasmic extrusion. Lysosomal membrane damage releases lytic enzymes into the cell. This can lead to skin ulceration, necrosis, and edema. The time interval between exposure to the photodynamic agent and the onset of clinical signs depends on the type of agent, its dose, and the exposure to sunlight.

Photosensitization is typically classified according to the source of the photodynamic agent. These categories include primary (type I) photosensitivity, aberrant endogenous pigment synthesis (type II) photosensitivity, and hepatogenous (secondary, type III) photosensitivity. A fourth category termed idiopathic (type IV) photosensitivity has been described.

A wide range of chemicals, including some that are fungal and bacterial in origin, may act as photosensitizing agents. However, most compounds that are important causes of photosensitivity in veterinary medicine are plant-derived. Photosensitization occurs worldwide and can affect any species but is most commonly seen in cattle, sheep, goats, and horses.

Superpod is a biennial gathering on San Juan Island, Washington, USA, hosted by Voice of the Orcas

#Superpod6 is the sixth incarnation of an event that began in July 2011, organically. It is organized through volunteerism & minimal fund raising. It's an event for learning, sharing, & inspiration. It's open & free to the public and brings together scientists, authors, journalists, former trainers, naturalists, orca advocates and people who want to see killer whales swimming, playing & chasing prey in the ocean. It's fun & the San Juan Islands are stunningly beautiful.

Recent years have seen an increase in the number of transient orcas in the Salish Sea. Whale watch patrons are just as likely to see transient families as they are to see the fish-eating Southern Residents. Humpbacks are increasing in number & frequently seen via boat. Bald eagles, dolphins & stellar sea lions are plentiful.

Whale watching is land-based or via several whale watch companies. Here's a Southern Resident bull orca swimming in front of #Superpod5 attendees at Lime Kiln State Park, with voice over by attendee Brian Goodwin, who traveled from Florida:

#Superpod6 happens Mon-Fri July 16th - 20th, 2018

July 19th will mark the five-year-anniversary of #Blackfish opening at theaters in New York, Los Angeles and Hollywood. Appropriately, this year's theme is The Blackfish Effect. That said, topics will be far-ranging, including on current events, state of the Southern Resident orcas, shake-ups at SeaWorld, wild and captive orca research, the Russia-China-SeaWorld connection, Morgan, Lolita, Corky updates, salmon restoration, the lower Snake River dams, scholar advocacy, short films and more. Our venue is the San Juan Community theater, seen in the drone video here:

Join @Voice_OT_Orcas at#Superpod6 for the #Blackfish Effect. This #drone video shows the town, venue & has some key details pic.twitter.com/geOuMoO10F
— Voice of the Okras (@Voice_OT_Okras) March 6, 2018

At the theater, over two dozen experts & advocates will take the stage for Ted Talks Style presentations including short films on Granny& Moby Doll. The theater will also house booths and interactive information tables. Meet folks from the Center for Whale Research and conservation groups that will be on island for the event. The official #Superpod6 T-Shirt, designed by artist Kaarina Makowski, is below with her comments. Guess who the whales are on the official logo?

THE SCHEDULE OUTLINE:

16 July Monday: FLEX time. Arrival day. Explore the island, social events

17 July Block ONE: Tues 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm: Meet & Greet at Friday's Crab House

17 July Block TWO: Tues 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm or later - Welcoming at the San Juan Theater

18 July Block THREE: Wed 8:30 to 12:30 pm - presentations / films

18 July Block FOUR: Wed 2:pm to 6:00 pm - presentations / films

19 July Block FIVE: Thurs 8:30 pm to 12:30 pm - presentations / films

19 July Block SIX: Thurs 2:00 pm until 6:00 pm or as late as needed / films

20 July Friday: FLEX time. Whale Watching, social events, island exploration

PARTIAL SPEAKER LIST :

NOTE: This list is a working list in no particular order. Most on this list will be presenting or involved in scholar advocacy. We will update the list with more details, add-ons or cancellations

Christine Caruso - Introduce her documentary on Corky with film clips

Colleen Weiler, WDC Fellow, Rekos Fellowship for Orca Conservation

Margaux Dodds - Marine Connection (UK) - Introduce Whale Bowl Documentary

Carly Ferguson, Ontario Captive Animal Watch - Update on Kiska / status of Bill S-203

David Neiwert - Journalist, Author Of Orcas & Men

Kim Ventre - Mistress of Ceremonies

Dr Kathryn Comer - Portland State University, Blackfish impacts

Dr Lori Marino - Neuroscientist, Scholar advocacy & Whale Sanctuary Project

Dr Ingrid Visser - New Zealand orca researcher, multiple topics

Dean Gomersall - Blackfish cast member

Murial Arnal - French Decree banning breeding of cetaceans

Pedro Bicchieri - Book Author, The Blackfish Effect

Dr Naomi Rose - Blackfish Effect, policy expert

Rachel Carbury - Empty the Tanks Worldwide organizer

Mark Leiren-Young / Rayne Benu - Films: Moby Doll & The Hundred Year Old Whale

Suzanne Mager - Sound Action Org - protecting juvenile salmon

Jim Waddell - Dewatering the 4 Lower Snake Dams

Caitlny Blair - Western WA University "Students for Salish Sea"

Meegan Corcoran - US Navy Sonar - legal update

Ella Van Cleave - Scholar Advocate

Mariah Kirby - Scholar Advocate

Skye Schwartz - Scholar Advocate

Carol Ray - VOTO

Howard Garrett - Orca Network

Captain Jeff Friedman - Northwest orca -salmon connection

Simon Hunt - His work with the UK Parliament on animal justice issues

Michael Mountain - Whale Sanctuary Project

John Hargrove - Author of Beneath the Surface

Haze Sommer - social media guru

Ken Balcomb - PI for Center for Whale Research

Dr Deborah Giles - Orca scat study

Dr John Jett - VOTO - Tooth Damage in Captive O Orca

Kaarina Mackowski - official SP6 artist / videographer

Dr Jeffrey Ventre - VOTO

More to come...

NOTE to presenters. Contact one of us at VOTO if you don't see your name here!

#Superpod1: On Legacy with David Kirby, Samantha Berg, Jeffrey Ventre, Michelle Duncan, Todd Bricker

SeaWorld's most valuable matriarch suffers gaping laceration at the base of her dorsal fin

Thanks to Heather Murphy @oceanadvocatefl for obtaining the first outside photographs of Katina, a key which broke the story; one that SeaWorld had been hiding for two weeks. Per SeaWorld's announcement, below, Katina was injured on 17 March, but the secretive captivity-corp only put out a response when Heather's images caught the attention of both mainstream & social media

------------------------------ SeaWorld's Vague Response below ---------------------------

NOTE: SeaWorld uses a deceptive camera angle to minimize the perceived damage to Katina's dorsal fin

__________________________________

Background: Captured near Iceland in 1978 at the age of two, Katina is arguably SeaWorld's most valuable killer whale. Not only has she provided matriarchal leadership and stability at the Orlando park for decades, she's trained dozens of young trainers and has been a prolific mother. In SeaWorld terms, she has produced many "assets" over the years, and has doubled the typical lifespan of a captive at SeaWorld.

"KAT" is known as The Cadillac to those who've worked with her due to her steady personality & ability to consistently deliver "hot dog" segments for crowds at Shamu Stadium. Waterwork was banished at SeaWorld, per Judge Ken Welsch's ruling, here, after the tragic death of Dawn Brancheau in 2010. Note the (lesser) degree of dorsal fin collapse from 1995.

A top mom, KAT was the first female killer whale to successfully give birth in captivity; in part due to larger pool sizes constructed in the mid 1980's. These bigger pools gave calves enough room to nurse. KAT's first "Baby Shamu" was Kalina, half Icelandic and half Southern Resident, like her father, Winston.

Photos: Orca whale at SeaWorld Orlando suffers split to her dorsal fin https://t.co/darvrqX1yE pic.twitter.com/ExOYUEtdSq
— News 6 WKMG (@news6wkmg) April 1, 2018

Note that Winston impregnated KAT in San Diego when she was only 7 years old. A pregnant Katina was stretchered & transported to Orlando, where she gave birth to Kalina on 9/26/1985 at the age of 9

Katina is also known for having a son, Taku, whom would later impregnate her, producing the inbred whale, Nalani, who was born 9/18/2006. For this, Taku was shipped to Texas, where he would die a year later from neuroinvasive West Nile Virus transmitted by a mosquito.

Orca (Orcinus orca) captivity and vulnerability to mosquito-transmittedviruses, Jett, Ventre, 2012

Nice reporting from @BriannaVolz about #Blackfish Katina's injurieshttps://t.co/VKhm5MldWZ
— Ocean Advocate News (@oceanadvocatefl) April 1, 2018

As you can see, Katina has had a tragic life at SeaWorld over the past 40 years, outliving 3 of her offspring Taku, Kalina & Unna, where her circular swimming pattern and time at the surface have both contributed to her collapsed dorsal fin.

That fin, now badly damaged, may have to be partially amputated, depending on how much blood flow can be preserved above the lesion. We will be looking for evidence of tissue necrosis over the next several weeks.

Photo of Katina's dorsal fin injury by Heather Murphy

Former SeaWorld Killer Whale Trainers Chime in via Social Media

Katina has been on antibiotics her entire captive life because of broken teeth and other captivity-related problems. Antibiotic resistance may make this injury difficult to treat once infection begins. https://t.co/vG1jGSfn75
— John Jett (@John_Jett_Phd) April 1, 2018

My belief is that the fin was lying between the bars in her cell, possibly at a gate or other structure. She forcibly rotated counter-clockwise (against the bend) & tore the base of the dorsal fin right at the spot where you'd think it would tear
— Jeffrey Ventre (@jeffrey_ventre) March 31, 2018

This horrific gash in Katina’s dorsal is too deep for the tissue to reconnect. It can also become infected which can cause her to lose her dorsal which would kill her. This to me looks absolutely like she hit the glass. You have to know how the pools & gates have corners
— John Hargrove (@johnjhargrove) April 1, 2018

This injury is not closing up. The best we can hope for is that it scars down and becomes stable. And also that she can fight off infection(s). Depending on blood flow, she may or may not develop tissue necrosis in her dorsal fin https://t.co/H9eny6sJsC
— Voice of the Orcas (@Voice_OT_Orcas) April 1, 2018

What can we determine from SeaWorld's Public Relations Response?

With the recent change in leadership, from former CEO Joel Manby, to current CEO John Reilly, we now know that the misinformation campaign at SeaWorld will continue. Reilly, a long time insider, seems to be turning back the hands of time. This translates into less transparency & more misinformation. As pointed out already, the company has been hiding this injury from the public for two full weeks; only fessing up after Healther Murphy published her own photographs.

Katina, one of the orcas held at SeaWorld Orlando sustains serious injury. SeaWorld in their blog commented that the injury is due to 'interactions' with the other orcas. Images: SeaWorld/Ocean Advocate News pic.twitter.com/et1VoiFpW7
— Marine Connection (@MC_org) April 1, 2018

SeaWorld's actual response to this injury, here, is both vague and delusional. This injury is a DIRECT CONSEQUENCE of captivity itself, for two reasons. 1) In the open ocean whales that are being chased or displaced can simply get out of the way 2) It was the concrete & steel enclosure at Shamu Stadium that caused the laceration itself, whether it was bars on a gate or her impacting the glass, as former trainer John Hargrove has postulated.

SeaWorld's delusional corporate response

Seaworld has elected to ignore reality entirely, hoping no one notices.
— Delphinidae.info (@d_delphinidae) April 1, 2018

Author: Jeffrey Ventre MD is a medical doctor practicing in Washington state. He's a former SeaWorld trainer, 1987-1995, & Blackfish cast member

With the passing of another Southern Resident Orca, J50, & the ongoing lack of urgency shown by Washington State Leaders Governor Jay Inslee, & Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray...

Theworld watches as a corrupted political system, one that places monied interests over science & reason, leads to the functional extinction of Washington's most iconic species, the Killer Whale, aka #Blackfish. These leaders, if they had the political will, could compel the Army Corps of Engineering's Commander to breach the deadbeat (money losing, salmon killing) dams on the lower Snake River, using Alternative 4 from the 2002 Environmental Impact Study (EIS), opening up hundreds of miles of currently inaccessible habitat. Instead, they all seem to agree that shooting sea lions is a good idea, with Senator Cantwell co sponsoring the law that allows for it.

LSRD need 140 linear miles to produce 950MW of entirely surplus power perfectly inverse to seasonal demand & sold at a loss (even after 30% rate increase) by a sclerotic federal bureaucracy $17B in debt & burning $900M cash reserves in <10yrs. If that's lifeblood, we're comatose https://t.co/OkG4tfB8Rn
— Columbia Rediviva (@C_Rediviva) August 31, 2018

Each dam plus it's hot slack-water reservoir has > 10% mortality for migrating smolts. If you have 4 dams on the Snake & 4 more on the Columbia River, that's a total of 8 dams that a salmon above Lower Granite dam, near Pullman, WA, has to navigate on its way to the ocean, and another 8 to get back home to spawn! Those are impossible odds.

Historically So. Resident killer whales obtained up to 50% of their diet from Snake River Chinook salmon, spending nearly a quarter of their lives at the mouth of the Columbia River waiting. Based on a 2016 NOAA study, which analyzed orca scat for salmon DNA - these whales now derive 0% of their nutrition from the Snake River fish & are forced to look elsewhere. With Chinook runs dwindling everywhere in the NE Pacific, you can understand why these whales are starving. By the way, both culturally & physiologically (with unique teeth & gastric fluids) it is not possible for So Residents to "switch prey" like some suggest. They are fishermen with 8 million years of evolution on us.

Why on Earth does Governor Inslee have a Koch-Funded climate denying "think tank" participating with his salmon recovery task force? Why is dam breaching not a priority at these meetings? In all likelihood because the task force is basically a ruse, a show; to create the impression that he is taking affirmative action & being inclusive. Spoiler: Salmon need riverine habitat, not beach clean ups or other marginal efforts. There's plenty of climate-change resistant habitat that would be opened up by decommissioning the lower Snake River dams. If you want a quick course on these arguments, watch this video with Jim Waddell, RET Army Corps of Engineers:

Good news: If breaching happens, it's a win for everyone, including the Governor, the Senators, the salmon, steelhead, orcas, the tribes, trees & even the GOP. Why? Because these dams are MONEY LOSERS producing 100% surplus energy. Bonneville Power is selling it mostly to California for a loss while having to raise your rates. (Translation: You're rate payer bill is LESS if the Snake River is restored to it's natural course!).

MORE at DamSense website here& at DamStupid Website here

They are "run of river" dams with NO FLOOD CONTROL. And lastly they are easy to breach with earthen berms. Thus when you consider the facts (not the propaganda):

The decision to breach is a NO-BRAINER

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A message from chief scientist at the Center for Whale Research in Washington state, Ken Balcomb, followed by Twitter's reaction to J-50's demise:

"She's dead." Hear Ken Balcomb break the news to me that he's making his official determination: J50, aka Scarlet, is gone. He tells me this is what extinction looks like as the population is whittled down to 74 whales. #Q13FOX

Full story: https://t.co/SLyGuleQ09 pic.twitter.com/BHIyoZWPKq
— Simone Del Rosario (@SimoneReports) September 14, 2018

The crime here is that both the problem (Chinook runs decimated by dams on the Snake River) and solution (dam removal) have been well understood for years, yet nothing has been done. Humans have actively chosen this outcome. Sad editorial.
— John Jett (@John_Jett_Phd) September 14, 2018

Heartbreaking. Malnourished 3-year old orca J50 'Scarlet' has died: https://t.co/MsMHiXEPAT

There are now only 74 southern resident orcas left.

We must do more to protect this iconic species. 400 #tarsands tankers won't help#ActOnClimate #cdnpoli #bcpoli #NoTMX #StopKM pic.twitter.com/rQHJiFxdSl
— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) September 14, 2018

BREAKING: Scientists have declared J50 dead as of 5 p.m. https://t.co/KnjvX6elxv
— CBC British Columbia (@cbcnewsbc) September 14, 2018

BREAKING: Lead researcher says ailing orca J50 is likely dead as NOAA ramps up search (via @LyndaVMapes) https://t.co/8a83PrYsJM
— The Seattle Times (@seattletimes) September 13, 2018

My first obituary for a whale but this is a season of firsts in this sad summer for the southern resident population of killer whales, now down to only 74 with the death declared today of J50. https://t.co/nXvIak6BLf
— Lynda V. Mapes (@LyndaVMapes) September 14, 2018

Arguably attributable 2 political inaction by @GovInslee& the Senators who R giving disproportionate influence 2 monied voices instead of Science RE Lower Snake dams

J50 declared dead after search; So residents down to 74 #Blackfish https://t.co/DUg2ot6wSw via @seattletimes pic.twitter.com/DelVI5sJJg
— Jeffrey Ventre (@jeffrey_ventre) September 14, 2018

Scarlet’s birth helped heal my heart after the loss of Rhapsody & her calf. Now it’s broken again. We have failed her. May we not fail her family & her pod. #J50 #FreeTheSnake
— Andrea Wilson ❄️🌊 (@andrea_pugmama) September 14, 2018

If this does not instantly compel you to take real and effective action then nothing will. And this will be your legacy. @GovInslee @JustinTrudeau #FREETHESNAKE https://t.co/gl4Tnw34EE #J50
— Holly Marie Combs (@H_Combs) September 14, 2018

Bittersweet moment as all three pods of the Southern Resident community are on the Lime Kiln hydrophone right now. https://t.co/03g6IdkeqF
— Orca Conservancy (@OrcaConservancy) September 14, 2018

We are saddened to report that J50 is missing and now presumed dead.
The Center for Whale Research has had a vessel on the water looking for J50 for the past three days. We have seen all the other members of her family (i.e., J16s) during these outings.https://t.co/0jhbXDZBko pic.twitter.com/BMh7I6Xtg3
— Whale Research (@CWROrcas) September 14, 2018

Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research has been studying the Southern Resident orcas since 1976. He is the foremost expert on their behavior. This afternoon, he said of Scarlet/J-50: "I think she is gone." The search for her continues, but with dwindling hope.
— Whale_Sanctuary (@Whale_Sanctuary) September 13, 2018

Rest In Peace you sweet little girl. #J50❤️
“She was known for her spectacular breeches, as many as 40 in a row, sometimes with her body in an arch.” https://t.co/0qlNuTQMLQ
— AnimalRescueCrusade (@ARCrusade) September 14, 2018

On the death of J50. “We're watching a population marching toward extinction,” Balcomb said. “Unless we do something about salmon recovery, we're just not going to have these whales in the future.” https://t.co/Bizcql0qQc
— Salish ORCA - Guardian of the Sea (@OrcaSalish) September 14, 2018

"She was a spunky whale with an independent streak, spending time off on her own from her family. She also glided along in the slipstream of her mother, J16.
Known for a belly flop achieved by launching her body out of the water, she had a really sweet personality."

- D. Giles
— Diane Fraleigh (@Casey_Pup) September 14, 2018

The pre 2009 wholesale market prices are gone and never coming back, courtesy of major solar power installations. And BPA? They have zero understanding that solving their problem is as simple as three words.

Breach the LSRD.
— Rocky Mountain Econometrics (@R_M_Econ) September 9, 2018

The Corps and BPA will tell you that Snake Rive Salmon are doing well. Starving Orca know other wise.

Heartache in the San Juan Islands: Locals grieve as resident orcas face extinction https://t.co/8Zy1DPYbRP
— Rocky Mountain Econometrics (@R_M_Econ) September 14, 2018

All 3 Southern Resident Pods met today in what appeared to be a grieving ceremony for J50, Scarlett, who is presumed dead STARVED TO DEATH due to lack of CHINOOK salmon. We MUST breach the dams NOW, with no more time to waste. @RepJayapal @JayInslee @PattyMurray @MariaCantwell
— Shana Kelly (@rethinkcaptive) September 13, 2018

If the efforts don’t involve Dewatering the lower Snake Dams, today’s sadness will continue. Clean ups & other strategies have marginal impacts. Salmon need habitat. Quickest way is Dewatering the lower Snake Dams - https://t.co/7tqmkgGIDM https://t.co/OG5Ug4KHfF
— Jeffrey Ventre (@jeffrey_ventre) September 14, 2018

From the Center for Whale Research:
J50 is missing and now presumed dead.
With the loss of J50, the total number of Southern Resident killer whales now totals 74 whales.
Her last known sighting was Friday, September 7 by our colleagues at... https://t.co/fdO1H9moSZ
— orcanetwork (@orcanetwork) September 14, 2018

A group of whale watchers saw a rare moment when three Southern Resident orca pods came together Thursday near Victoria, B.C. An expert with the Orca Network wonders if the gathering was connected to the apparent loss of J50. https://t.co/t0nSXsONfb pic.twitter.com/esyiMu6wLz
— KING 5 News (@KING5Seattle) September 14, 2018

Ailing whale J50 declared dead by scientists: https://t.co/XCYn2rysFb pic.twitter.com/yJYTglQSxv
— The Weather Network (@weathernetwork) September 14, 2018

Rest in peace little one, Scarlet J50 was announced missing and presumed dead yesterday by the Center for Whale Research. Photo is Scarlet's sister Alki J36 and little brother Sonic J52 who passed away this time last year at only two years old ;( - https://t.co/DgUlVS68ir
— aquagreen (@aquagreen) September 14, 2018

#Srkw #jpod #J50 #RIP https://t.co/vOg8xX8DzC
— Jemma Lee (@LivingSmallCA) September 14, 2018

Tragic & heartbreaking news continues to pervade the Southern Resident Killer Whale population & negative environmental human impact is directly responsible! “J50 (Scarlet) is missing and… https://t.co/FSJ0c9Y6Mv
— Andy B Casagrande IV (@ABC4EXPLORE) September 14, 2018

J50's presumed death is another blow to endangered orca whale population - The Washington Post https://t.co/n1srzqMfNQ
— TheRightBlue (@therightblue) September 14, 2018

We are witnessing slow motion extinction says researcher. Orca whale J50 is dead. https://t.co/rksxLw0Kvq #Orcas #J50 #whales
— Jane Goodall 🇨🇦 (@JaneGoodallCAN) September 14, 2018

Loro Parque, Canary Islands:

The new baby killer whale, Ula, recently celebrated with fanfare at the Loro Parque theme park, is battling an infection or trauma & may be fighting for her life. The calf is under a sun protection tent, with apparent phototoxic skin lesions, a misshappen head, & a diseased left pectoral fin. She's currently getting bottle fed with evidence of her mother Morgan pushing into the steel gate separating them.

The tiny calf, born with what appears to be a congenitally disfigured head (or a never-before-seen variant) has contracted a pathogen or suffered an injury which may be life-threatening. We don't know for sure. Photographs of the ventral surface of her tail show extensive needle-stick marks, for age, suggesting frequent blood draws and/or the administration of IV antibiotics.

When only days old she was separated from Morgan and has recently been photographed by visitors to the Spanish theme park, Loro Parque (LP), where she was born. Note, unless otherwise noted, the images & the video below were supplied by activists who requested to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation from LP. The captions in this video came with it. Please watch:

Dozens of images have been reviewed by experts who suggest, along with the abnormality of her melon, the infant may be in a declining state of health based on the diseased appearance of her left pectoral fin & areas of the body

Dr. Naomi Rose, Marine Mammal Scientist for the Animal Welfare Institute told VOTO:

"Various photos suggest the calf has a flattened profile at the front of her head, where it should be rounded with the melon. This could be because of the angle of the photos, but given the number of them, some of them from Loro Parque, it’s hard not to wonder if something is wrong there. While we cannot confirm there is a deformity, the management of the park should be transparent, given the public concern, and offer evidence that all is well with the calf. Not just statements at face value, but medical records and even an independent assessment.”

Dr. Ingrid Visser, Marine Biologist with the Orca Research Trust reacted to the images of the calf’s left pectoral fin saying:

"I’ve never seen anything like this in the wild. Not a disfigurement of the melon or pathogen of any body part like this poor calf has. I feel so sorry for both her and her mother, Morgan. It emphasizes to me just how wrong captivity for these animals is at facilities like Loro Parque.”

Dr John Jett, of VOTO, research professor at Stetson University & former SeaWorld killer whale trainer adds:

“The animal’s appearance, her separation from mom, and their bottle-feeding intervention reminds me of Nyar, a baby killer whale that I helped to hand raise at SW of Florida. Nyar was separated from her mother Gudrun not long after she was born. The little whale lacked coordination, which hindered her ability to eat, swim upright, and interact with the other animals. Her difficulties were so severe that she was force-fed, and at times she struggled to get air. Nyar eventually died at 2 years of age, with a necropsy report suggesting that a fungal infection in her brain had killed her. Nyar’s case was heartbreaking to me. Unfortunately, if Ula does survive then her life will be spent in a barren tank performing tricks for frozen fish. Not a good life for an orca. Not a good life for any cetacean."

The calf’s mother, Morgan, has been observed as she floats forlornly outside the barred metal gate, hoping to catch a glimpse of her child. Loro Parque initially stated:

“From the very first moment, Morgan demonstrated to be an exemplary mother attending to her newborn, which is swimming next to its mother”

And then they said:

“the experts are pleased with the strong bond the pair have developed”

Reiterating a few days later:

“the bond between mother and calf continues to grow and Morgan is demonstrating exemplary maternal instincts as she swims alongside her calf at all times they are together"

Despite demonstrating that powerful maternal bond, the LP staff have removed the calf from her mother, first stating that it was because Morgan was not providing enough milk and then that it was in the interest of safety.

Rather than providing supplementary feedings, or temporarily separating them only for feeding times, the facility has placed the newborn in a tiny barren tank, alone.

For more on Phototoxic skin lesions in captive Orcinus orcas go HERE

On the 21st of Jan 2019 the first evidence that Morgan's calf is no-longer-bonded with her was posted on-line by a member of the public. This video shows Morgan being allowed to enter the medical tank and then departing, with the calf ignoring her.

To date, Loro Parque has not made any public mention of the issues concerning either the melon or the compromised left pectoral fin. The sad irony of this lack of transparency is that Loro Parque has repeatedly justified its keeping and breeding of Morgan in the name of “scientific research” and even touted research already being conducted on the young infant regarding echolocation which, by the way, is facilitated by an orca’s melon.

Click to Enlarge this Photograph

As questions continue to be raised whether SeaWorld’s transport of Morgan from the Netherlands to Spain could have resulted in her alleged hearing loss; the question must be asked, could some of the “research” already imposed on this infant by LP and several universities have contributed to her compromised condition as well?

The background story on Morgan is just as appalling. She has been used as a commercial pawn in one of the most highly valued live-animal trades in the world. As Matthew Spiegl, Legal Counsel for Free Morgan Foundation notes, the breeding of the calf’s mother, Morgan, is already the subject of both legal and legislative challenges in the Netherlands and the European Parliament. Questions also persist of the Spanish Government’s complicity in condoning the unauthorized breeding of Morgan.

Spiegl and Dr. Visser have collaborated with Professor Arie Trouwborst, Tilburg Law School, on a new peer-reviewed article about Morgan’s legal rights which has just been published in the Review of European, Comparative and International Environmental Law (RECIEL) on 15 January 2019 https://doi.org/10.1111/reel.12270.

If all of this wasn’t troubling enough, the fact that Morgan, a wild-born orca was cross-bred with a male killer whale on loan to Loro Parque from SeaWorld, has not even been acknowledged, let alone addressed by SeaWorld.

Remember, SeaWorld promised the public to put an end to the breeding of all its captive orcas. That promise, part of an agreement with The Humane Society of The United States (HSUS) took effect on 17 March 2016 and covered all whales including those loaned to LP. It also included wild-born Morgan, who was sent to Loro Parque by the Dutch Government under a permit which limited her use to research, not commercial shows or breeding, both of which Loro Parque has used her for. Morgan and the calf were already expecting to face problems, as Loro Parque claims that Morgan is deaf – which theoretically would limit her ability to communicate effectively with the baby.

Dr. Jeffrey Ventre, medical doctor and former SeaWorld killer whale trainer summarizes the evidence:

"On the video the calf continues to be active. The venipuncture marks suggest an animal that is having frequent blood draws and probably IV antibiotics. This is based on the skin discoloration which I attribute on a more-probable-than-not basis to medical infusions. As someone that works with brain injury patients including malformations, I wonder if this is a congenital deformity of the head, a normal variant, or something not before seen in orcas. If Ula suffers from a congenital brain insult or malformation this would likely be associated with movement disorders (think spastic cerebral palsy), diminished cognition and increased muscle tone. The cratered ulcerated pec looks a lot like a fungal issue, which would explain a lot; the meds, the skin discoloration & the protective tent. I hope Ula survives. In the wild she'd have the full support of a trained mother, midwives, babysitters and brothers to protect her. In this situation I imagine her chances of survival are small."

Tragically, as the current situation unavoidably illustrates, Loro Parque’s insistence on ignoring the SeaWorld/HSUS breeding ban, has now resulted in the birth of this poor calf; essentially a genetically modified orca or ‘GMO’ with tragic and heartbreaking consequences.

_______________________________________

NOTE: This story is still developing & we will provide additional reactions as we hear back from experts who have been asked to comment. We can be reached @Voice_OT_Orcas

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Superpod is a biennial gathering & conference on San Juan Island, Washington, USA, hosted by Voice of the Orcas and in consultation with The Whale Sanctuary Project & The Center for Whale Research. The event occurs from 20 to 24 July & the 2020 theme is Tipping Points

2020 SP7 theme sketch (preview) by artist K. Makowski @d_delphinidae

This year, you'll hear from at least three scientists from the Center for Whale Research, & also from Drs Naomi Rose, Ingrid Visser, & Lori Marino, as well as movie makers, NGO's, a race-car driver, dam experts, a rhetorician, journalists, former trainers & more. There will be between 30-40 presentations over a 3 day period, including a scholar advocacy program organized by Mariah Kirby, an alumnus of the program (now a biology teacher) & Dr Lori Marino

Bigg's (transient) Orcas #Superpod1 Video / Gif via @jeffrey_ventre

Ex Marineland Trainer Phil Demers talks to Dr Ingrid Visser on the deck at Friday's, #Superpod6

Dr Katie Comer, Portland State U, presents her research on The Blackfish Effect, the 2018 Theme of #Superpod6

Attendees gathered on the deck at the Center for Whale Research. Photo via Phantom 2 drone, jmventre pilot

Interested scholars should email Dr Lori Marino or Mariah Kirby for more information. See above

Dr John Jett presents our captive Orca survival paper at #Superpod3. We later found out SeaWorld's mole was in attendance

#Superpod7 is the latest incarnation of an event that began in July 2011, & after an OSHA investigation was triggered into the tragic deaths of two killer whale trainers; one at SeaWorld of Florida & another at Loro Parque

The OSHA investigation & trial formed the backbone of #Blackfish movie& Death at SeaWorld, book. The ex SeaWorld trainers featured in those works became galvanized after a misinformation campaign was waged by the company; SeaWorld publicly attempted to blame the deceased trainers for their own deaths

--------------------------- SeaWorld's Misinformation Campaign was Extensive ------------------

SeaWorld's Expert Witness Jeff Andrews made this statement to the court. For more, see link below

SeaWorld Trainer Death Theory Debunked as a Ponytail Tale by @theorcaproject

Really, SeaWorld Expert Jeff Andrews? by @jeffrey_ventre

Blood in the Water by Tim Zimmermann @Earth_ist

Op-Ed: Documents show SeaWorld waited 27 mins to call 911 after attack by @thebattwoman

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SeaWorld is to face a trial jury in a long-standing lawsuit centring on the #Blackfish documentary. The firm has said that the 2013 film exposing their treatment of captive #orcas had no effect on visitor numbers, but investors believe they were deceived.https://t.co/jak3ES6CMs
— Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) (@whalesorg) January 19, 2020

Click HERE

Thus, #Superpod1 was a reunion of former trainers who once worked together at the Orlando park. The concentration of ex trainers combined with orca scientists & folks familiar with the SeaWorld whale captures attracted journalists & a documentary film crew. Most of Blackfish was filmed at #Superpod1 & #Superpod2. David Kirby collected interviews at SP1 & released Death at SeaWorldat SP2. Film crews have attended all Superpod events, including with Bill Neal, director of Long Gone Wild, who attended SP6 & is expected to return for SP7

#Superpod6 off to a great start. Members of J Pod, including J26 “Mike,” J50 “Scarlet,” and J16 “Slick” greeted us on the west side of San Juan Island today. pic.twitter.com/vIPQKEFStO
— Brad Anthe (@BradAnthe) July 18, 2018

The event has grown each year & continues to be organized by former SeaWorld trainers, marine mammal advocates & experts whose mission is to illuminate three primary topics, unified by an annual theme, in an evidence-based way:

1. Marine Mammal Captivity & the need for an Orca / Whale Sanctuary

2. Scientific updates regarding orcas, especially the So Resident population

3. Salmon Restoration & the need for a free-flowing Snake River

Southern Resident Orcas swimming in front of Lime Kiln Lighthouse, photo J Ventre #Superpod2

Jim Waddell, Ret Army Corps of Engineers, presents on the urgency of breaching the Lower Snake River dams

#Superpod6, Kim Ventre introducing Dr Lori Marino, Pres of Whale Sanctuary Project & our 1st presenter at #Superpod1

Bill Neal, Dir. of Long Gone Wild, updates the audience on captive orcas in China, #Superpod6

Scholar Advocate Ella Van Cleave, Michelle Duncan& Journalist Melissa Cronin, who just saw wild orcas, #Superpod3

Samantha Berg doing a live Barbi Twins Radio Interview over the phone from a rental home at #Superpod4

Ken Balcomb, P.I., CWR lays out census data regarding critically endangered So Resident orca population, #Superpod6

Volunteerism & minimal fund raising keep the event going. There will be opportunities to contribute if you are interested. The venue has changed as the event has grown. It began at private homes, moved to The Grange, The Whale Museum & San Juan Community Theater. This year, we've rented the SJI Yacht Club, on the water in Friday Harbor, WA. Whale trips on the Salish Sea or whale-watching from Lime Kiln have changed lives, and continue to bring magical moments to attendees

Good morning #Superpod6! Please join WDC & the San Juan Island Naturalists at the Westside Preserve today look for whales & other wildlife, & experience the unique island ecosystems. We'll be there from 9-1! pic.twitter.com/TimlTnQGli
— Whale & Dolphin Conservation (@whales_org) July 20, 2018

The San Juan Islands are stunningly beautiful. Many attendees stay the entire week of the event. If you only have 3-4 days, here's a rough outline:

MON: Whale Watching. Event organizers meeting Monday Afternoon Friday Harbor
TUES: Whale Watching in the morning. Lunch at Friday's Crab House
TUES Evening: Gather at San Juan Island Yacht Club for Welcome & Lectures
WED: Lectures All day, social events at night
THURS: Lectures all day, Lime Kiln Lighthouse whale watching
FRI: Good Byes

Dr Naomi Rose of AWI Presenting at #Superpod6, Theme The Blackfish Effect

Film Crew documents an ex trainer seeing WILD orcas for the first time, #Superpod6

Carol Ray (Blackfish) waves to a passing boat from a rental home on the West side of the island, as whales swim by #Superpod4

At #superpod5, @DarrenPCroft Teaches Us About The Evolution of Killer Whale "Menopause" v @jeffrey_ventre #Blackfish https://t.co/mrcYWCUA6D
— Tilikum&Co. (@TilikumCo) June 7, 2017

7 Things I Learned frm #Superpod3 Conference That Anyone Fighting #SeaWorld Shld Knowhttp://t.co/VUWrVHU90u @OneGreenPlanet @Voice_OT_Orcas
— clicks n' whistles (@oceanCRIES) August 25, 2014

If you are an orca lover (aka "dorca"), former animal trainer, naturalist, #Blackfish movie lover, SeaWorld worker, whale biologist, journalist, or just looking for an amazing week of "island time," consider attending #Superpod7. All are welcome. For more information:

Via email: jmventre@gmail.com
Via Twitter: @SuperPod2020, @Voice_OT_Orcas @jeffrey_ventre
Via Facebook: Superpod7

Honoring Ken & Blackfish at Ten

This year, Blackfish movie turns ten. And on 15 December 2022, the world lost Ken Balcomb; renowned scientist, Orca Survey founder, father, brother, sage, dam critic, whale Godfather, friend, environmentalist & mentor

In July, we are gathering to celebrate Ken's life, learn more about the Salish Sea, view the award winning documentary Corky, discuss orcas as non human persons, share the most recent Orcinus orca & dam science, hear about a possible new TV Series based on David Kirby's book, Death at SeaWorld, discuss whale captivity & sanctuaries, tell stories, and commemorate The Blackfish Effect at ten years

#Superpod8 is ON

Superpod is an orca conference & social event on San Juan Island, Washington, USA. The event occurs from 18 to 21 July & the 2023 theme is Honoring Ken & Blackfish at 10. Superpod8 lectures will be filmed, once again, and archived at Kaarina's Delphinidae.info Channel on YouTube

This year, you'll meet and hear scientists from the Center for Whale Research, from Drs Naomi Rose, Deborah Giles, Ingrid Visser, & Lori Marino, as well as movie makers, NGO's, dam experts, a rhetorician, journalists, former trainers & more. There will be over two dozen presentations, land & water based whale watching; and socials in one of the most unique settings in the world; the San Juan Islands, WA, USA

#Superpod8 is the latest incarnation of an event that started in July 2011, & after an OSHA investigation was triggered regarding the tragic deaths of two killer whale trainers; one at SeaWorld of Florida & another at Loro Parque, in the Canary Islands

The OSHA investigation & associated trial formed the backbone of #Blackfish movie & Death at SeaWorld, book. The ex SeaWorld trainers featured in those works became galvanized after a misinformation campaign was waged by the company; SeaWorld publicly attempted to blame the trainers for their own deaths; an example, here

Orca researchers fr around the globe together at #Superpod4. Ken Balcomb & @OrcaIngrid pic.twitter.com/4CAiq70f92
— Kimberly Ventre (@KimberlyVentre) July 23, 2015

Thus, #Superpod1 was a reunion of former trainers who once worked together at the Orlando park. The concentration of ex trainers combined with orca scientists& folks familiar with the SeaWorld whale captures attracted journalists & a documentary film crew. Most of Blackfish was filmed at #Superpod1 & #Superpod2. David Kirby collected interviews at SP1 & released Death at SeaWorld at SP2

Regarding Death at SeaWorld, we plan to hear from Simon Allen, showrunner for the proposed TV series, based on the book. At VOTO, it is our understanding he'll be attending and is making a presentation regarding the project

The event has grown with each incarnation & continues to be organized by former SeaWorld trainers, marine mammal advocates & experts whose mission is to illuminate three primary topics, unified by an annual theme, in an evidence-based way:

1. Marine Mammal Captivity (globally) & the need for an Orca / Whale Sanctuary

2. Scientific updates regarding orcas, especially the So Resident population

3. Salmon Restoration & the need for a free-flowing Snake River

If you plan on attending #Superpod8, you'll need to arrange travel and lodging. While the activities & lectures are free to the public, attendees arrange their own accommodations. Various ways to stay on island include:

1. On a boat

2. Camping at a Park

3. Glamping at Lakedale

4. Air BnB / Vrbo

5. Rent a house or condo

6. Hotel

Most Superpodders get to San Juan Island via Washington State Ferries, which may require a reservation. Kenmore Air has flights as well.

Superpod events occur daily, and include whale watching, presentations & social gatherings. Please arrange your own whale watching excursions. Below is a rough schedule to give an idea of how the week is laid out. Keep in mind that it stays light very late in mid July, until nearly 10 pm

DRAFT / ITINERARY / MORE TO COME

MON: Arrive

TUES: Morning whale watching / Friday's Crab House / Unofficial Welcome

WED: San Juan Community Theater / Official Welcome / San Juan Community Theater

THURS: Theater Presentations / Lunch / Theater Presentations

FRI: Whale watching / Lime Kiln / Final Social

SAT/SUN: Flex Time / Departure

Theater presentations, topics & movie screenings have been loosely discussed and will be announced in detail, soon. Most folks consider seeing live orcas and attending Superpod a pivotal & inspirational life experience. Join US!

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Info: @SuperPodInfo
@jeffrey_ventre
email: jmventre@gmail.com
email: giles7@gmail.com

May 18th

Today is David Kirby's birthday

Sadly & shockingly, David passed on 16 April 2023, in Puebla, Mexico, at age 62. Medical complications, after a fall, lead to a hospitalization from which DK never returned. We are still processing this loss, as we were planning a reunion with David, at #Superpod8, whose book is a big topic at the event

David talks with Amy Goodman, here

David's journalistic accomplishments are distinguished and some can be viewed here. Gabriel Rotello recently wrote of DK's outside interests

Kirby was a passionate cook, gardener, and lover of all things Mexican. He and his partner Carlos Jimeno had recently renovated a villa in Puebla, Mexico, a job he detailed to his many Facebook friends and followers. The couple had previously renovated a former bungalow colony in upstate New York. At his death, he was working on a memoir of his time traveling the world with Elizabeth Tayor for amfAR

#Superpod1

DK was a friend of animals, people & the planet. He launched Death at SeaWorld at #Superpod2& was looking forward to seeing the book's adaptation presented at Superpod8, by Simon Allen, writer & show runner for the TV Mini Series which is in development

Simon says, "We'll be talking about why we optioned the book, our plans for the show, paying tribute to David and giving a short reading from the book in his memory." He also told me, "I was hoping to conclude the presentation... from Chapter 3 of Death at SeaWorld (Capture) which, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful things he wrote, and one of the many reasons why I fell in love with his book."

From C21 Media:

Lorenzo Mieli, CEO of The Apartment, said: “Death at SeaWorld will not only be a searingly relevant prestige television event but also an inspiring rallying call to protect the beauty and wonder of our troubled planet.”

My Last Words with David

We will honor Ken, DK & our Orca Heroes at Superpod8

Travel Logistics & Outline for Superpod8:

The Ferry Landing in Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, WA, USA

Most travelers will be arriving via ferry from Anacortes, on the map, partially, screen right. Note Friday Harbor, the location of Superpod 8. You Are Here marks the location of the Center for Whale Research, and home of Orca Survey [1976 - Present]

Getting on island requires a boat or plane ride. Here is a link to the Washington State Ferry Schedule out of Anacortes. Most will be arriving via this method, including myself, and if you're bringing a car, make a reservation. It's peak season in the Pac-Northwest

While state ferries provide a remarkable & picturesque ride through the islands, arriving via Kenmore Air is supreme; especially if you come in on their Wild Orca DHC-3T deHavilland Otter Seaplane

Kenmore Air seaplane pilots Michael Hays and Anna Gullickson founded Wild Orca in 2014, inspired by their unique view of the Southern Resident killer whales, and were determined to make a difference. They hatched a crazy dream of flying an orca seaplane above this endangered population they were working to protect and hoped to raise greater awareness of their plight by directly engaging with Kenmore Air passengers

ANNA is presenting at SP8. Make sure to ask her about #WildOrcaSeaplane

Michael & Anna with the #WildOrcaSeaplane.

Once on the island, we'll walk, ride, tell stories, watch, spend time at Lime Kiln, & learn from some of the best in the world. The San Juans are a remarkable archipelago

Lime Kiln Lighthouse, Superpod3, Photo JV

SP8 dates are 18-21 July 2023, Tuesday through Friday. The first and last days will feature social events & flex time; closing at Lime Kiln Lighthouse. The middle days will be at the San Juan Community Theater, home of the Friday Harbor Film Festival, & feature presentations via orca experts from the USA, Canada, France, Mexico, UK, New Zealand & Russia

Most attendees will be arriving Tuesday 18 July. Flex time excursions might include hiking, biking, Lime Kiln Lighthouse, San Juan Island National Historical Park, kayaking, Roche Harbor, Snug Harbor, water-or-land-based whale-watching [WW] & more. Last visit, while on island in October 2022, we met Copperfield & Jude, just outside of Friday Harbor. It was amazing to observe what they did with the harbor seal pictured below

JV Oct 2022

Logistically, there are many things to do in the San Juan Islands. Please optimize your flex days so you can attend as many lectures as possible. You don't want to miss those

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Superpod 8 Outline Below

VOTO's Samantha Berg & John Jett, surrounding Orca Hero Elizabeth Batt, The Batt Woman at #Superpod3

DAY ONE: Tuesday 18 July 2023 [FLEX DAY]

0735 [Example] Arrive Friday Harbor via WA State Ferry or Seaplane
0800 [Example] Coffee & Breakfast in Friday Harbor with fellow travelers & attendees
1000 [Example] Whale Watching Excursion

1200 - 1400 LUNCH

1400 - 1630 FIRST SOCIAL EVENT: Deck Party at Friday's Crab House
1830 - 1930 MEETING: Speakers/Organizers Gathering at CWR Outreach Center

1930 - Cocktails, Socials in Friday Harbor

__________________

Corky is one of 2 feature docs that will be screened at Superpod8. Keiko: The Untold Story is the other. Both films will have Q&A's. Of note, Corky recently won the Audience Choice Award at the FH Film Festival. And Holly was instrumental in bringing Superpod8 to Friday Harbor this year

DAY TWO: Wednesday 19 July [THEATER DAY]

Click graphic to Enlarge. Note that lectures are subject to change

BLOCK ONE 0900 TO 1200

1) London Fletcher & Dr Ingrid Visser: Orca interactions with Sunfishes
2) Muriel Anal of One Voice: Tribute to Ken & Update on France
3) Jim Waddell, RET U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lower Snake River Dams
4) Anna Gullickson, Kenmore Air Pilot, WA State Cetacean Captivity Bill HB2888 & more
5) Capt Jeff Friedman: PWWA benefits to education & changing orca habitat

Dr John Jett Presenting the Data from our Survival Paper, link here.

Also an article: The SeaWorld Mole Tried to Catfish Me by Melissa Cronin

BLOCK TWO 1300 TO 1600

1) OFFICIAL WELCOME

2) Dr Kathryn Comer (PSU): Blackfish at Ten, scholarship review

3) Dr Naomi Rose (AWI): The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity, 6th Ed.

4) Simon Allen: Show Runner for proposed "Death at SeaWorld" adaptation

5) Dr Deborah Giles: From Poop to Protection, what scat samples can tell us about the health of the Southern Resident Killer Whales

BLOCK THREE 1600 TO 2000

1) Kelley Balcomb Bartok: Tribute to his Dad, Ken Balcomb

2) Howard Garrett: Tribute to his Brother, Ken Balcomb

3) Michael Reppy: Will describe "Double Bay," a sanctuary for Corky

4) MOVIE: Corky, a documentary by Director Christine Caruso

5) Q&A with Christine, Holly Marie Combs, Kaarina Makowski, & Michael Reppy & Jeffrey Ventre

DAY THREE: Thursday 20 July [THEATER DAY]

BLOCK FOUR 0900 TO 1200

1) Oxana Fedorova: Mission impossible: How we freed 10 orcas and 87 belugas from the Whale Jail

2) Dr Ingrid Visser: More information on the Whale Jail

3) Stephanie Holbert [PhD Cand.]: Contaminants in Chinook Salmon Consumed by Resident Orcas

4) Center for Whale Research: Lecture One

5) Center for Whale Research: Lecture Two

6) Center for Whale Research: Lecture Three

Press Conference: 28 October 2016 Pier 66 Seattle. Story HERE

BLOCK FIVE 1300 TO 1530

1) Margaux Dodds (Marine Connection, Uk): 30 years since the last captive cetacean left UK

2) Lincoln Obary [Remote Link with Indonesia]: Dolphin Project Update

3) Matthew Speigl, Esq & Dr Ingrid Visser: Update on captive orca Morgan
4) Diane Fraleigh (Ontario Captive Animal Watch): Update on Canadian Legislation

5) Peggi Oki: Environmental & fine artist, TEDx public speaker, activist: Art for Tokitae

BLOCK SIX 1630 TO 2000

1) Howard Garrett (CWR): Tokitae plans, updates

2) Dr Lori Marino (Neuroscientist; Whale Sanctuary Project): Update on WSP

3) Charles Vinick (Ex Dir, Whale Sanctuary Project): Friends of Lotita

4) MOVIE: Keiko The Untold Story

5) Q&A with Dr Naomi Rose and Theresa Demarest

6) ANNOUNCEMENTS: Spain 2024? Lime Kiln Lighthouse Friday Sunset

Ella Van Cleave, Michelle Duncan, and Melissa Cronin (journalist)

DAY FOUR: Friday 21 July 2023 [FLEX DAY]

0800 [EXAMPLE] Coffee & Breakfast
0900 [EXAMPLE] Bike Ride to Roche Harbor
1200 [EXAMPLE] Visit Snug Harbor

ISLAND EXPLORING / WHALE WATCHING / SHOPPING

1900 - 2100 LAST OFFICIAL SOCIAL. SUNSET AT LIME KILN. We will honor Ken, David, Elizabeth, Samantha, & our orca heroes with stories, song, drumming & more

2200 - Night Cap in Town

NEW WEBSITE LINK HERE:

https://superpod-event.com/

Many thanks to Kaarina Makowski, artist, archivist, orca expert, & movie editor extraordinaire, for her hard work putting together this new website. It will serve as a "hub for Superpod stuff." Lectures from past Superpod events are there and this years lectures will be accessible later this year. She is also filming the lectures

If you're attending SP8, you'll get to see her remarkable editing work in Corky, our featured film at Superpod8. This film is by Director Christine Caruso, with Holly Marie Combs as the voice over. There will be a Q&A after the film Wednesday night, including Kaarina, Holly, Michael, myself & Christine. Please join us there!

Elizabeth Shares Her SeaWorld Orca Images with the World

Part Two: Elizabeth Shares more Damning SeaWorld Photos & Information

Human & Non-Human Deaths at SeaWorld

Our Comments on the New Orca Encounter at SeaWorld

Dam Expert & DamNation Cast Member Jim Waddell Responds to the Killing Sea Lions to Save Salmon

Kasatka's Impending Death has SeaWorld in Full Scramble Mode

Class Action Lawsuit vs SeaWorld Promises Drama & Discovery

Criminal Investigation by Dept of Justice is a Big Can of Worms for SeaWorld

Famed Ringling Bros. circus closing after more than 100 years

Hurricane Irma and the Tragedy of Lolita

Killer Tooth Ache

Phototoxicity and is the Hybrid SeaWorld Orca Malia Dying?

The "Heart Sign": An Early Indicator of Dose-Dependent Doxycycline-Induced Phototoxicity.

Superpod Six Primer with Schedule Outline

Katina's Gruesome Dorsal Fin Injury is no April Fool's Joke by SeaWorld

Reactions to Orca J-50's Untimely Death

Loro Parque's Baby Orca Ula Possibly In The Fight of Her Life

Superpod Seven: Tipping Points

#Superpod8: Honoring Ken & Blackfish at 10

Honoring Ken & Blackfish at Ten

This year, Blackfish movie turns ten. And on 15 December 2022, the world lost Ken Balcomb; renowned scientist, Orca Survey founder, father, brother, sage, dam critic, whale Godfather, friend, environmentalist & mentor

#Superpod8 is ON

David Kirby & Superpod8 Details

Travel Logistics & Outline for Superpod8: