theorcas

[theorcas]

I think I heard something about sea world not being able to breed either??? I'm not sure how accurate it was though. but god I hope they cant

That all comes from the proposal for their Blue World project aka bigger orca tanks. 

Basically, SeaWorld in San Diego applied to be able to build the tanks and the powers that be came back and said they could build the new tanks but if they build them they’re not allowed to breed anymore or transfer whales in/out of the park.

So to my knowledge SeaWorld are fighting it to have the no breeding condition removed and that says a lot about how shitty they are and how little they actually care.

BUT it also wont affect orlando or san antonio unless they put in proposals and have similar conditions added. 

[theorcas]

Wild orca, Norway // Jan 2016

[theorcas]

So I heard that the SeaWorld in California is gonna close once all their whales die, is that true?

I don’t /think/ I heard that specifically - I know that if legislation bans them from breeding they’re eventually going to run out of whales at some point but I haven’t heard anything saying they’ll close - any followers wanna help out?

[theorcas]

Your blog is so cool! Thanks for the information!🐳

Aw, thanks! :)

[theorcas]

I just wanna say you are awesome for doing all you can to end the captivity of whales and dolphins. We gotta stick together and make our voices as loud as we can. Keep it up, fellow anti cap!

Thanks, friend! :)

[theorcas]

Hey! Are you studying marine biology or anything along those lines? Just curious :)

Unfortunately not haha. I considered it a few years ago, but science is just not something that I’m cut out for. Instead I’m a graphic designer and just an avid whale fan! 

[theorcas]

Oh man. I was afraid of this :/ This just makes me really sad. He never would have died by FLOOD in the ocean. I’m scared he’s only going to be the first.

Rest in Peace Valentin.

[theorcas]

are there any pregnant captive orcas currently? Amaya was the last one born in captivity right?

Right now, I don’t believe so (to the best of my knowledge), there have been rumours here and there due to people seeing whales have ultrasounds but ultrasounds could mean a variety of things. I don’t believe anything has been confirmed and I don’t like to make assumptions. 

And yeah, you’re right about Amaya :)

[theorcas]

Ricky Gervais laying it straight

[theorcas]

you are the best page ever. I love how much you care for orcas and dolphins. I really hope one day they will all be freed from captivity <3

aw thanks :) i hope so too anon :)

[theorcas]

aaaaaaaaaaaanyways how cute is j50 am i right?????

[theorcas]

Okay friends lets do a run down on the Harry Styles captivity debate timeline because apparently people know nothing, Jon Snow.

In June 2012, 18 year old Harry Styles and some of his tour band visited the Georgia Aquarium and went behind the scenes of their dolphin program. @GeorgiaAquarium: @OneDirection’s Harry Styles and musicians took a break from their sold out U.S. tour to visit @GeorgiaAquarium! 

During a behind-the-scenes tour, they saw whale sharks and manta rays up close. Styles also paid special attention to an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin named Shaka; he touched her, fed her fish and signalled her to do a jump with the assistance of a trainer. [x]

Around the same time, Bandmates Louis and Liam visited MSQ and SeaWorld Orlando respectively. Both engaged in swim with programs. Both reported that they’d enjoyed their time at the facilities. Their stance on this at the present time is unknown.

In September 2012, Harry apparently watched The Cove, tweeting about it. “Just watched 'The Cove' and it's one of the best and worst films I've ever seen. Unbelievable. Watch it and see what you think..”

I personally [theorcas, OP] have memory of the then 19 year old Harry tweeting something about watching Blackfish somewhere between 2012 and 2014, however I cannot find any screencaps of this mention and nothing is showing up in his twitter feed. Could possibly have been around October 2013 as this tweet from Zach Braff might suggest: ZachBraff: Young girls who started following me because me and @Harry_Styles are BFF's, please watch the documentary "BlackFish." (Harry wants you to.)

I personally don’t know why the tweet has disappeared/been removed but I do remember something about it existing around that time.

In October 2014 Harry (now 20) met with Ric and Lincoln O’Barry of The Dolphin Project. Ric has been fighting dolphin captivity for the past 40 years and has been on both sides of the fence when it comes to captivity. He is recognised as one of the leaders in the debate against cetacean captivity and is the man behind The Cove, of which Harry tweeted about in 2012. Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project have a heavy focus on the fate of dolphins in Japan, Indonesia, the Solomon Islands and also in captivity around the world.

HarryStyles: Just had lunch with @LincolnOBarry @RichardOBarry and @CalAurand Check out @Dolphin_Project and see if you support them like I do.

I feel like the wording of this tweet is an interesting way of putting things. Check them out and see if you support them. There is some level of agency given to the readers there. 

Shortly after (still October 2014) Harry wore a Dolphin Project t-shirt on stage at One Direction’s MIAMI show. Harry Wore What: "Harry wore a $28 @Dolphin_Project "Men's Dolphin Project Logo Tee" tonight in Miami - 10/5/14. 

Most recently, Harry Styles has asked fans at One Direction’s July 2015 SAN DIEGO show not to go to SeaWorld. “Does anybody here like dolphins?” the 21-year-old singer asked fans at the One Direction concert in San Diego last night. “Don’t go to SeaWorld!” 

~

So what does all this mean, exactly? Harry Styles has been involved in the dolphin captivity debate longer than me, and I’ve been here a good while. Longer than a lot of people in this debate on this website. Harry Styles has been around it long enough to have had access to many sources of information on the topic, and is in a position to gain first hand access. Harry styles has visited one of SeaWorld’s closest business partners and gone behind the scenes at their facility without a previous bias. Harry Styles has heard from both sides of the story. Harry Styles has been working with Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project, who’s primary focus is NOT SeaWorld. Harry Styles is allowed to have an opinion. Especially an educated one.

So basically Harry Styles knows about Dolphins and people claiming he’s in it for a quick cash/fame grab after the most recent public statement do not know much about Harry Styles.

[theorcas]

Rest in Peace AB45 Oliver Twist

I have some sad news to share. I just got done talking to Dan Olsen, one of the orca researchers, and I learned that AB45 Oliver Twist has been missing for at least two years and is presumed dead. He told me that Oliver Twist had not been seen in 2013 or 2014, nor has he been seen this year.

I had the pleasure of getting to see Oliver Twist and the rest of AB pod in 2012. He was a very, very large bull, and he was the only calf orphaned in the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil spill that managed to survive. His mother was AB16. 

I am particularly saddened knowing that the last time I saw Oliver Twist was potentially the last time anybody saw him. Here he is pictured with newborn AB76 Gage. This is the only photo I managed to take of Oliver Twist that day, and for all I know, this very well could be one of the very last photos of him.

Oliver Twist was 21-22 years old. He may not have made to the average age for an Alaskan resident male orca (31), but it’s amazing he survived at all considering orphaned calves have a slim change of survival. 

Goodbye, Oliver Twist. You will missed dearly.

(This is my photo; please do not use without permission)

[theorcas]

Holy shit, I think J50 is trying to sprout wings and fly away!!

Photos by Nature’s Keeper Photography

[theorcas]

(x)(x)

[theorcas]

Keto being forced to undergo a stressful and unnecessary endoscopy procedure

In 2006 Keto was, along with three other juvenile orcas belonging to Seaworld, shipped to the Spanish zoo Loro Parque on a breeding loan. 

A brand new stadium with three pools were build for the orcas to live in. Seaworld instructed Loro Parque in what paint to use on the pools, but Loro Parque decided they’d rather save some money and instead went on to buy a cheaper brand of paint which they painted the pools with. Seaworld had warned them that the orcas will chew off and eat the cheap paint and sure enough, that is just what Keto and the three other orcas did.

The paint is extremely toxic and it could kill Keto and the other orcas if they had ingested it. To find out if they had the orcas had to undergo endoscopy procedures where they have a tube with a camera inserted through their throat into their stomach to see the stomach contents. 

As the gifs clearly show Keto did not care for the procedure. Keto has been beached and is completely out of the water. Not only is his own weight crushing his organs, he has several trainers weight added to that as they desperately try to keep him under control. Keto does not understand what this procedure is or why it’s being done to him. He reacts with panic and tries to shake the trainers off in an attempt to stop the situation. The trainers has to use extreme force and desperate means to get this procedure done and this increases Keto’s levels of stress and panic that he’s already feeling.

Here’s why I call this procedure unnecessary: Had Loro Parque simply followed instructions on what paint to use Keto would’ve been spared this horrific ordeal and trauma. But money was more important to Loro Parque than Keto’s wellbeing ever was.  But Keto isn’t owned by Loro Parque, he is owned by Seaworld. One would think that after this disaster and blatant disregard of Keto’s safety and health Seaworld would’ve taken him and their three other orcas away from Loro Parque and brought them back home to Seaworld. But Seaworld didn’t because just like Loro Parque they too care more about the money they’re making on this deal than they do about Keto. 

To this day Keto still remains at Loro Parque where he and the other, now 5, orcas are exposed to ignorance and inexperience from the staff hired to care for them. Out of the currently hired orca trainers at Loro Parque only one of them has had previous experience in working with captive orcas. 

Alexis Martinez, the trainer lying across Keto’s back in the first gif, was later killed by Keto on Christmas eve in 2009.  Seaworld has never publically commented on the killing of Alexis by one of their orcas, nor have they ever expressed regret that yet another human being was killed as a direct result of orca captivity. 

Seaworld does NOT care.  

[theorcas]

Wow!

Check out this amazing photo of a male orca breaching in Kodiak Island, taken by Doug Impegliazzo!