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I would argue that the accessibility of seeing these magnificent creatures in a SeaWorld or equivalent has done a lot to help the environment by educating peopl

I would argue that the accessibility of seeing these magnificent creatures in a SeaWorld or equivalent has done a lot to help the environment by educating people and making them familiar with something precious. Children who visit zoos and aquariums cherish the animal kingdom and grow up supporting environmental protections. Yes it is terrible for the affected orcas given how social they are - but I am not sure I agree the whole practice is a net negative.

bmitc 6y ago
I would ask that you read the following articles and still see if you feel the same way. The southern resident orcas were decimated by the attack and capture of many orcas in the 70s, and the effects are still present today. Lolita, the last remaining orca from that capture is still alive, trapped in a concrete prison barely the size of a public pool. She’s been alone in that tank for decades. Her last tank partner committed suicide by repeatedly ramming his head into the side of the tank, causing a brain hemorrhage. You seem to be advocating that torture of the few could help the many, but that has not been the case. The southern resident orcas, those that primarily seeded entertainment orcas in the U.S., are potentially nearing extinction. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/the-orca-and-the-orca-catcher-how-a-generation-of-killer-whales-was-taken-from-puget-sound/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/the-or... http://www.orcanetwork.org/Main/index.php?categories_file=Lolitas%20Capture http://www.orcanetwork.org/Main/index.php?categories_file=Lo... https://www.king5.com/mobile/article/news/local/orca-capture-1971-remembered/281-332930840 https://www.king5.com/mobile/article/news/local/orca-capture...
- throwawaysea 6y ago
  SRKs are a special case but their recent low figures and troubles with calves seem mostly unrelated to those past captures and more related to issues like the lack of food, the use of sonar (nearby naval bases), boat noise, runoff from Seattle, and other issues (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_resident_killer_whales https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_resident_killer_wha...). I get that the past captures reduced their numbers, which increases the risk of this community of whales disappearing, but it seems the lack of subsequent growth/recovery is due to other factors. Orcas as a whole (the species not specific pods) aren’t marked as endangered and number in the tens of thousands. The SRKs are endangered and that’s terrible but I would say the overall orca species and even other marine life benefit from greater awareness and consideration from people having been able to appreciate them directly in places like SeaWorld.
  - bmitc 6y ago
    Orcas are matriarchal, have extremely close family units, and rely on the leadership of older orcas. Killing or capturing orcas that would now be older orcas, particularly females, has had huge effects on the southern resident population.

bmitc 6y ago

I would ask that you read the following articles and still see if you feel the same way. The southern resident orcas were decimated by the attack and capture of many orcas in the 70s, and the effects are still present today. Lolita, the last remaining orca from that capture is still alive, trapped in a concrete prison barely the size of a public pool. She’s been alone in that tank for decades. Her last tank partner committed suicide by repeatedly ramming his head into the side of the tank, causing a brain hemorrhage. You seem to be advocating that torture of the few could help the many, but that has not been the case. The southern resident orcas, those that primarily seeded entertainment orcas in the U.S., are potentially nearing extinction. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/the-orca-and-the-orca-catcher-how-a-generation-of-killer-whales-was-taken-from-puget-sound/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/the-or... http://www.orcanetwork.org/Main/index.php?categories_file=Lolitas%20Capture http://www.orcanetwork.org/Main/index.php?categories_file=Lo... https://www.king5.com/mobile/article/news/local/orca-capture-1971-remembered/281-332930840 https://www.king5.com/mobile/article/news/local/orca-capture...

throwawaysea 6y ago
SRKs are a special case but their recent low figures and troubles with calves seem mostly unrelated to those past captures and more related to issues like the lack of food, the use of sonar (nearby naval bases), boat noise, runoff from Seattle, and other issues (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_resident_killer_whales https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_resident_killer_wha...). I get that the past captures reduced their numbers, which increases the risk of this community of whales disappearing, but it seems the lack of subsequent growth/recovery is due to other factors. Orcas as a whole (the species not specific pods) aren’t marked as endangered and number in the tens of thousands. The SRKs are endangered and that’s terrible but I would say the overall orca species and even other marine life benefit from greater awareness and consideration from people having been able to appreciate them directly in places like SeaWorld.
- bmitc 6y ago
  Orcas are matriarchal, have extremely close family units, and rely on the leadership of older orcas. Killing or capturing orcas that would now be older orcas, particularly females, has had huge effects on the southern resident population.