If you think about it, the orcas from SeaWorld have spent their lives within the protective, sterile walls of their enclosures. Decades down the line, when the captive orcas are gone, the sea pens could transition into serving as rehabilitation facilities, Rose says, for injured whales that are rescued out in the wild. Sea pens are a type of octocoral, named for the eight stinging tentacles they use to capture plankton (tiny floating plants and animals) to feed themselves. Such pens would require huge sums of money but aquaria should foot the largest part of the bill. A team of scientists have started building an orca sanctuary, where SeaWorld's killer whales could retire. Sea pens are colonial marine cnidarians belonging to the order Pennatulacea.There are 14 families within the order; 35 extant genera, and it is estimated that of 450 described species, around 200 are valid. Simon, M., Hanson, M.B., Murrey, L., Tougaard, J., and Ugarte, F. 2009. Though arguably “unnatural”, that is the environment their immune systems have adjusted to. These sanctuaries would be sea pens or netted-off bays or coves, in temperate to cold water natural habitat. Tyack, and H. Whitehead (eds.) In this case, his history of care in captivity was too significant to overcome the stressful conditions in the wild. In: J. Mann, R.C. There are considerable downsides to sea pens. Millions of people experience our whales annually and are inspired by them every year when they visit our SeaWorld parks. Image Credit: Doug Perrine/NPL. To understand why these kinds of sea pens are a poor option for these killer whales, it helps to understand the life they lead at SeaWorld. These are the environments that are home for our animals, and the environments that allow us to care for them properly. The sea pen sanctuaries are a concept similar to the land sanctuaries that are home to elephants and chimps, however, a sea pen sanctuary would be a large space in the ocean, most likely in a bay or a cove, that is enclosed by nets. SeaWorld’s statement in its responses to these questions is inconsistent with its … Baird, R.W. Marine Mammal Science 25: 693–705. In most cases, whales and dolphins would have access to acres of deep, natural seawater rather than barren concrete tanks. The cost of paying workers to care for the orcas could cost up to $500,000 a year for each pen. In another bit of pro-captivity spin, SeaWorld mentions the case of Keiko, an orca who was captured as a calf in 1979 and returned to the ocean in the late 1990s after being freed from a Mexican amusement park. Sounds ideal, right? In addition, a number of sea pen facilities are members of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, a professional association of which SeaWorld is a founding member2. Morgan is a female orca who was rescued in the Wadden Sea, off the northwestern coast of the Netherlands in June 2010. No enclosed sea pens exist to hold all 29 of the company’s orcas, either as a group or individually. Keiko, the whale famous for being the inspiration for the film “Free Willy”, was an example of how sea pens can mean certain death. Our oceans today are not entirely clean, and … By the Numbers 1,100. The goodwill created would be immense! Demand sea pens for orcas owned by SeaWorld! Hi, Kelly. It A number of you have asked us about why we won’t consider moving our killer whales to sea pens. Although animal welfare groups have pushed the idea of moving SeaWorld’s orcas to sea pens, it may never happen. 127-153. Though arguably “unnatural”, that is the environment their immune systems have adjusted to. Keiko, the orca from the film Free Willy, was held for more than a decade in artificial seawater of relatively poor quality (he developed a skin condition as a result). They would offer the animals respite from performing and the … SeaWorld also states that “[o]ur facilities are among the largest and most sophisticated in the world and we are committed to nearly doubling their size.” The standards for tank size were established by dolphinariums, including SeaWorld, in consultation with the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service over 30 years ago3, and are only a minute fraction of the whales’ normal range (Baird 2000). Although animal welfare groups have tried to get the orcas moved to sea pens, SeaWorld's killer whales may never make the change. There are considerable downsides to sea pens. He said the Keiko experience showed that sea pens are not a safe environment for orcas. 433 pp. The cost of building such pens could reach $5 million each. Orca Network: Enhancing awareness of the Southern Resident Orca (killer whale) community to foster a stewardship ethic to protect and restore orca habitat. The whales would get healthier, and would act more normal and the public would be better informed about orcas every day. Featured Image Credit: Minette Layne via Wikipedia. Each pen could cost up to $500,000 a year to care for, Rose said. When SeaWorld made the jaw-dropping announcement that they would phase out their orca shows, many people wondered what would happen to the large whales that called the park their home. The cost of building such pens could reach $5 million each, Rose said. Minimum number of square yards for our first seaside sanctuary. No enclosed sea pens exist to hold all 11 killer whales. Sanctuary advocates envision that sea pens could be established in a cove or a bay, with an anchored net closing off the mouth, or perhaps among a group of small islands surrounded by barriers. 2009). SeaWorld’s statement in its responses to these questions is inconsistent with its acceptance of the sea pen facilities of professional associates. The notorious sea pens that housed 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales who had been captured for sale to marine parks in China are now closed.Read more. © 2021 Awesome Ocean. A team of scientists have started building an orca sanctuary, where SeaWorld’s killer whales could retire. He said the Keiko experience showed that sea pens are not a safe environment for orcas. SeaWorld summarily dismisses the possibility of sea pen sanctuaries with the argument that “[u]ncontrollable exposure to pollution, ocean debris and life-threatening pathogens in ocean waters are just a few of the factors that make sea pens an unhealthy living environment for any of our animals.”. She lived several months at the Dolfinarium Harderwijk in the Netherlands. And here’s their Miracle® 360° Wild-Love Orca Sippy Cup for youngsters. A lasting goal would be open sea pens where orcas and other whales and dolphins would retire. He also proposed that SeaWorld San Diego allow its orcas to be returned to the wild, if possible, or retired to large sea pens or an ocean sanctuary where they would not have to perform in shows. Featured Image Credit: Minette Layne via Wikipedia Why won’t SeaWorld consider moving its killer whales to sea pens. In some populations, children stay with their mothers for life. Connor, P.L. Would they be released into the wild? If rapidly transferred to coastal waters, they are exposed to poor water quality and significant pollutants. Eighty percent of our killer whales were born in human care. We’ve double checked and the QA feature was functioning properly during the shareholder meeting — in fact others were able to submit questions. About sea pens Orca Network Sea pens would work. He was kept in an ocean enclosure and eventually died from exposure to pathogens. Here, an art installation protesting the captured orcas. Sea pens have a cosmopolitan distribution, being found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide, as well as from the intertidal to depths of more than 6100m. 2000. Cetacean Societies, University of Chicago Press: Chicago. They created so much noise and vibration that it likely unsettled the killer whale. Many claim them to be the magic solution to end captivity for cetaceans currently living in human care. Viruses, pathogenic bacteria and fungi, and parasites. There are considerable downsides to sea pens. Our oceans today are not entirely clean, and the netting won’t keep out any trash that happens to float by. Some might be able to be released into open oceans, with a care and feeding station available should they wish to return to it. They created so much noise and vibration that it likely unsettled the killer whale. Dold, SeaWorld’s chief veterinarian, said sea pens can also expose whales to viruses from fish in the pens. It will also foster even more opportunities for the meaningful science that will help their counterparts in the wild – not to mention what we think is going to be a one-of-a-kind guest experience. Rose noted that the U.S. Navy's Marine Mammal Program keeps its trained dolphins in sea pens just down the coast from SeaWorld San Diego. Although animal rights critics make false allegations, there is no science to support their claims. There are no sea pens that can hold all 11 orcas. They might also create more of a tourist attraction than animals in concrete tanks. If you think about it, the orcas from SeaWorld have spent their lives within the protective, sterile walls of their enclosures. Uncontrollable exposure to pollution, ocean debris and life-threatening pathogens in ocean waters are just a few of the factors that make sea pens an unhealthy living environment for any of our animals.”. Simmons said storms and strong currents in Iceland damaged Keiko’s sea pen. You might have heard about oceanic sea pens as the superior alternative to housing marine mammals within marine parks. Eleven killer whales (also known as orcas) and 87 belugas languish in several rectangular sea pens in Srednyaya Bay in Russia’s Far East. Question still remain about how to go about freeing the 11 orcas and 87 beluga whales in inadequate and crowded sea pens. pp. This new environment, which will dramatically increase the existing size and provide more natural elements and experiences – is being built to create even greater options in their care and enrichment. According to Ingrid Visser, an orca expert who has been a leading voice in the Free Morgan movement, the ideal set-up would involve a sea pen in a harbor or bay protected from harsh weather, as well as a floating sea pen that could be used in the open ocean to create a different environment. First, and most important, our killer whales are thriving right where they are and millions of people get to see them and be inspired by them every year. By Lindsay Edgar. These enclosures are built on the fringes of marine habitats and are designed to give the animal inside a gradual adjustment to a natural setting. In addition, a number of sea pen facilities are members of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, a professional association of which SeaWorld is a founding member2. Stø Harbour and surrounds. The fact that a portion of the captive population was born in tanks is irrelevant; housing whales in sea pens is not the same as releasing them to the wild. 314,600. She was found in an unhealthy condition, severely underweight and malnourished. Since the announcement, animal welfare groups have drawn up several proposals that the captive whales be released with the help of sea pens. Unfortunately, the conversation too often leaves out the smallest details that are the largest problems. We did answer a question on sea pens today and a similar one asked by PETA at last year’s meeting. The risk of exposing orcas who have been maintained for years in relatively sterile conditions is real; however, the location of any sea pen sanctuary would be selected taking water quality into careful account (see, e.g., entry under CONSERVATION). (It really won’t spill!) SeaWorld and the US Navy collaborate with and support each other. Number of square yards of space in a large display tank at a typical high-end marine park. No enclosed sea pens exist to hold all 11 whales, either as a group or individually. Russian conservationists have worked to release the orcas and beluga whales in Russia's "Whale Prison", as well as blocking new captures for the captivity trade. This sea pen facility for bottlenose dolphins is situated in San Diego Harbor. There are many other reasons why sea pens are a poor choice for our whales, including exposure to pollution, ocean debris and life-threatening pathogens like morbillivirus. (including Morgan and Lolita) por: Antonia A; destinatário: Joel Manby, CEO of SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment ; Orcas are highly social animals who live in stable social groups ranging from two to 15 individuals. A sea pen’s barrier is made of strong netting which allows the marine water and small native species to flow freely through it. Our facilities are among the largest and most sophisticated in the world and we are committed to nearly doubling their size. “More than 80 percent of our whales were born in our care, and sea pens would be a poor choice for them,” CEO Joel Manby told shareholders on Wednesday at SeaWorld’s annual meeting. Simmons said storms and strong currents in Iceland damaged Keiko’s sea pen. After first being transferred to a natural seawater facility and held there for two years, during which his skin condition cleared, he was subsequently placed in a sea pen in a bay in Iceland and later Norway, without any significant challenges to his immune system over a period of more than five years (Simon et al. The killer whale. While they might seem like a reasonable choice for introducing animals to the world outside their enclosures, sea pens are not all they’re cracked up to be. This sea pen facility for bottlenose dolphins is situated in San Diego Harbor. All Rights Reserved. SeaWorld has said no to giving up its orcas. Her caretakers were concerned that she wasn’t ready, but she was spotted five days later about 60 miles away, swimming with a group of dolphins that were identified as her original pod. Proposed site for Morgan's rehabilitation and release. The following is a transcript from SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby’s response to a similar question during the June 2015 stockholders’ meeting: “First, and most importantly, our killer whales are healthy, well cared for and thriving in our care. Our facilities are among the largest and most sophisticated in the world, and in California we will soon begin construction on our new killer whale habitat. 1 http://www.public.navy.mil/spawar/Pacific/71500/Pages/default.aspx, 3 http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/downloads/Animal%20Care%20Blue%20Book%20-%202013%20-%20FINAL.pdf, “SeaWorld prevented PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) from submitting this question on my behalf at their shareholders meeting today… Please, tell us, when will SeaWorld allow the animals it holds captive to return to their home – the ocean – by retiring them to a seaside sanctuary?”. 3,000+ Number of captive whales and dolphins at entertainment facilities around the world. The basic unit of a sea pen, like other corals, is a polyp, which consists of a sac-like body cavity enclosed by a mouth and surrounded by a ring of tentacles. From captivity to the wild and back: An attempt to release Keiko the killer whale. SeaWorld and the US Navy collaborate with and support each other. If rapidly transferred to coastal waters, they are exposed to poor water quality and significant pollutants. So sea pens can be a healthy alternative to keeping captive orca whales and dolphins alive and healthy, far more so than the constraining and sterile environments provided by small concrete tanks. These sea pens would help the orcas return to some semblance of “natural life” while still receiving the human care they need as they live out the rest of their life. The environments offered by tanks are barren of stimuli. This will be the first permanent sanctuary for dolphins and killer whales. SeaWorld’s park in San Diego is only a few miles from a substantial sea pen facility, housing dozens of bottlenose dolphins, operated and maintained by the US Navy Marine Mammal Program1. A female orca breaches in the Pacific Northwest. If killer whales held by SeaWorld and other marine parks were released, where would they go? More than 80 percent of our whales were born in our care and sea pens would be a poor choice for them. Morgan’s potential sea pen pictured below. The contrast between those in sea pens with remaining captives would be obvious, hastening the removal … However, every plan has its flaws.
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