Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Sad face

I hadn't heard about what happened at SeaWorld 2 weeks ago, but Cammy just posted about it. I can't believe that A, it actually happened, and B, I didn't hear about it.

The whale show is, without a doubt, my favorite part of SeaWorld. Every time Jon and I have gone to the park, we've done both the daytime show and the nighttime show. Seeing the big "Shamu" (actually named Tillikum) at the very end was the part that took my breath away. He is massive! I always wondered why he wasn't featured more, and why no trainers ever went in the tank with him (like they do with the smaller orcas). Now I know.


I took this in August 2008.

If you didn't hear about it, read this.

5 comments:

Melis said...

I think it's a bummer, but the "Free Willy" part of me kinda thinks, "Well maybe - JUST MAYBE - they shouldn't be holding these animals captive and exploiting them." You know? I mean, I enjoy the show too, but I just look at his floppy fins and dulled teeth and feel bad that such a magnificent creature is confined to a tank. It's just a sad situation all the way around.

Donna said...

They're very intelligent and highly social creatures and I think they have plenty of stimulation at Sea World. From what I heard, Tillikum was probably playing with the trainer and didn't intend to cause her to drown. Obviously they can't release him back into the ocean so I hope he can continue to perform (because I think he probably likes it) without putting trainers at risk. He's such a magnificant creature!

He's very valuable because of his success in siring calves. No need to remove whales from the wild if we have a successful breeding program.

Donna
Our Blog: Double Happiness!

Unknown said...

Thanks for stopping by, Donna! I love new visitors.

Regarding the SeaWorld tragedy, I have to reserve judgment; I just don't know enough about the situation. Part of me agrees with Melis - the floppy fins are devastating to an animal so magnificent. However, part of me just shrugs and says, it's entertainment. Plenty of other animals are held in captivity at zoos, and the same can be said of some child actors and models, just to entertain the masses.

Melis said...

Oh yeah, I'm not saying I'm anti-Shamu or anything here... I'm just taking it with a raised eyebrow like, "Meh, kinda doesn't shock me"... the sad part is anyone vilifying the animal. And as to child actors and models... I also shrug my shoulders and wonder "what is this doing to them?"... it's just like everything: it comes at a price and I can't be too surprised when things go awry. Poor whale. Poor trainer. Poor Sea World - I loved going there and getting free beer.

Manicured Teacher said...

Still can't blieve it girl! :(