Born to be Wild

I turned the TV on the other night and caught the tail end of the documentary Blackfish.   If you are not familiar with the movie, like I was, Blackfish is a 2013 documentary film about Tilikum, an orca featured at SeaWorld, and the controversy over captive killer whales.   

Tilikum was captured when he was only 2 years old near Iceland. At the time he was about 13 feet long.  He was the largest orca in captivity, weighing 12,500 pounds and over 22 feet in length,at one point.  Tilikum had been in another park prior to SeaWorld.  Tilikum was involved in three deaths, including that of Dawn Brancheau in 2010. Tilikum died last 6 January 2017 of a bacterial lung infection.  

I watched a couple other more YouTube videos on orcas.  I think they are beautiful creatures.

Among the things I learned as I watched the videos include the health and wealth aspects.

• An orca in the wild would have a dorsal fin that are straight and strong.  The dorsal fin of orcas in captivity are collapsed and flaccid.  The strength of the dorsal fin is a 'use it or lose it' thing.  Since captured orcas are confined to a finite space, they are unable to swim very far. 
• Apparently, most of the whales that are captured are female, making Tilikum a valuable asset.  He not only provided income to SeaWorld as one of their main attraction, but he was also a source of income as a sperm donor.  Over 50% of the orcas in captivity have been sired by Tilikum.

I must admit, I have enjoyed many of my visits to zoos and animal parks. I have always known that these animals were smart. I have been amazed at the sight of magnificent creatures I would not otherwise have been able to see up close.  Watching the Blackfish documentary just reminded me that there are always two sides to a coin.

Here is a video of Tilikum's performance at SeaWorld.

This one is a video of one version of Tilikum's life.