Experts and critics question intentions of orca in SeaWorld Orlando trainer death

Looks like you learned something on that Discovery Cove visit, Reflux.

It could be argued that most people are enslaved, in one way or another. With that in mind, I don't believe that show animals are any more enslaved than most humans.

I can't even begin to say how FURIOUS I am about all the false facts and misleading information that is being spread about the accident and Tillikum. I am suprised to even read some false information posted here (such as the comment Tillikum killed TWO people at SeaLand in Canada when in fact it was one trainer who was drowned by THREE orcas, not Tillikum alone.)

Even worse, I had to turn on Fox News Channel and sit through a segment on Bill O'Reilly that basically SLAMMED SeaWorld and the President of SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. Geraldo and Bill got many facts completely wrong, stated blatant lies and then proclaimed Jim Atchinson to be a CRACK SMOKER. Bill thinks the whales can just be "picked up and dropped out in the ocean" when the majority of park whales were born in captivity and know nothing but life with humans.

This was a sad accident yes, especially when it appears to have been caused by nothing more than Dawn's long ponytail which she had grown in order to cut off for a cancer fundraising event in a few weeks. To call SeaWorld liable for civil or criminal activity (as FOX News has stated) is complete defamation and false news reporting, something the media seems to embrace in America more than the truth or accurate facts.

Wait, Fox gets the "news" wrong? For real?

You know what aggravates me? The fact that these "Killer Whales" as they are called, aren't even whales. They are Orcas and are a part of the dolphin family.

The Killer Whale name came from these mammals being Whale Killers since in the wild, they hunt and eat whales like the blue whale. For some reason, the name stuck in reverse from whale killers to killer whales.

Ignorant people like Bob Barker and that bitch that runs PETA refer to them as whales when in fact they aren't.

Jeff said:
Wait, Fox gets the "news" wrong? For real?

The killer whales must be Democrat ;)

Chitown said:
Ignorant people like Bob Barker and that bitch that runs PETA refer to them as whales when in fact they aren't.

So is Sea World ignorant for referring to the animals as "killer whales" on its site?

http://www.seaworld.com/sitepage.aspx?PageID=519

I'm not even sure it makes sense to ascribe "intent" to a whale in the same way you might to a human.

We were at SWO yesterday: healthy crowd, though that could be because the largest stadium in the place was still closed. Except for Believe being closed, a few news trucks hanging out, you'd never get the idea that anything happened---I didn't even hear guests talking about it here and there.

Oh, and Manta is the real deal. I enjoyed it quite a bit more than the S:UF layout.

GoBucks89 said:

Chitown said:
Ignorant people like Bob Barker and that bitch that runs PETA refer to them as whales when in fact they aren't.

So is Sea World ignorant for referring to the animals as "killer whales" on its site?

http://www.seaworld.com/sitepage.aspx?PageID=519

Nope.. Killer Whale is its common name.. Orca is also its common name.

Orcinus Orca - is its species name

Orcinus - is its Genus name meaning: of or belonging to the kingdom of the dead

Its like the "star fish". Also commonly called Sea Stars as they arent fish.

In the scientific community both are acceptable. Not sure where Chitown was going, unless they specifically said "whales" only.. Then I agree, thats an incorrect term as thats a specific family that it doesnt belong in.

It's ironic that people advocating for animals against them being made to do "human" things are trying to prove their point by arguing that the animals have a human like thought process and reasoning-- that can be analyzed by humans.

Jeff said:
Wait, Fox gets the "news" wrong? For real?

*GASP* Yes. So much for their "fair and balanced" mantra. I guess that only applies to their "spin."

^No, even their spin displays a significant wobble...I think the term "news" as it applies to Fixed Noise is more of a misnomer than calling orcas "whales". ;)

But, as Brian mentioned, Manta IS the real deal....as I understand, B&M is prepping to build a flyer with a standard vertical loop and no pretzel...I'd LOVE to ride that.

On one of these threads, someone mentioned that the 6-ton alpha predator is always going to do what it does best - hunt. Just because Tilly was well-fed doesn't change the instinctual nature of predation....you can see it in your overly-fat housecat (or maybe that's just mine).

Is it amazing to watch a whale kick its dorsal fin and see it explode from the surface of the water and obtain a great height with a trainer standing on its mouth? No question about it.

Do I want to touch a whale or get the chance to feed one even? Absolutely I do!

There is no question in my mind that having a whale perform stunts provides people with pleasure and is a huge attraction or asset to any amusement or theme park. Subsequently, when a veteran trainer has been killed in the event of working with a whale, there is no discrepancies between action or investigation if the issue. The seriousness of the event must not be taken lightly.

What is that even supposed to mean?

The Animal Planet channel is re-running episodes of the Planet Earth series. One episode showed how intelligent orcas are. There was a seal resting on a slab of ice floating off of the shore. Three orcas circled the ice slab, trying to figure out how to catch the seal. All three orcas simultaneously swam at the ice creating a large wave that washed the seal off of the ice slab into the water so that the orcas could enjoy an afternoon seal snack. This shows how intelligent orcas are. They can assess a problem, analyze it, communicate with each other, and come up with a solution. That's better than a lot of people that I know. It was amazing to watch, as long as you're not a seal. These are extremely intelligent, beautiful, and deadly creatures.

One of the dive groups we associate with is planning a trip in the north Atlantic to go diving with orcas on their migration route. I would never go diving with orcas. That's nuts. And this is coming from someone who is considering diving with great white sharks near Guadalupe next fall. Of course, we're going to be in shark cages.

mlnem4s said:

Jeff said:
Wait, Fox gets the "news" wrong? For real?

*GASP* Yes. So much for their "fair and balanced" mantra. I guess that only applies to their "spin."

And you're a total tool if you think you're getting any more accuracy from MSNBC, CNN or any of the other major outlets. "News" media have become businesses who simply identify their constituents and report the news in a way they want to hear to boost readership, viewership, etc.

That's far too sweeping of a generalization. It just ain't true.

I'm a total tool, LOL. Not saying *virtually every news outlet* doesn't have some sort of angle - but Faux News is the propaganda machine of the 21st century.

Fox does what they do because it destroys in the ratings. I don't think it's any more complicated than that. They crush the other news channels in the business of television.

It's not that they're innaccurate with the news, they present it...well, like Gator said...with an angle.

I personally find MSNBC every bit as slanted and annoying as Fox. It's the angle they chose to go with.

I don't see what any of them do as any different than (not to trivialize it) what we do with the podcast - present our opinions alongside the news. It's the only possible way these different news channels can differentiate themselves anymore.

I know I'd rather hear the news from someone who shared my POV then someone who didn't.

They don't crush anyone for having news, they crush for having entertainment. The problem is that far too many people actually believe it's news. I don't want to hear the news from someone who shares my point of view. That would make me one dimensional and not challenge me intellectually in any way.

This is why I put the BBC and al Jazeera in my RSS feeds. In the states, I find that ABC, NBC proper, the NY Times and generally the Washington Post do OK. NBC can get a little flowery at times (must be all of that predator catching), but I wouldn't describe it as slanted.

News is now entertainment (at least in part because there isn't 24/7 of actual news so they have to cover stuff that isn't news). And because of that its big business. So the coverage often times gets skewed to what gets ratings.

I would prefer to get my news from independent sources without bias. But thats pretty much impossible to find at this point. The stigma/taboo of "news" folks injecting their own views into the news, spinning it and sometimes even making it went out the window. Given that, I prefer to get news from different sources to help ferret out the bias.

And what any individual finds unbiased/acceptable will depend on their own views. I know liberals who think MSNBC/New York Times are middle of the road. And conservatives who think the same of FOX.