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Support!!!free all Orcas!!!

Support provided by Yaroslav on Dec 13th, 2012.

I have a special reason for admiring these wonderful animals.

Eight of us on a sailing boat under power had been to Sark on a foggy and windless but lovely sunny day. We were now heading back to Guernsey (this is UK Channel Islands). We couldn't see land, and this was pre satnav, so were navigating by what is known as 'dead reckoning, in other words you know where you start from, how fast you're are moving and what tidal currents will be doing to you at that time of day. On the basis of this, you then work out a compass heading and follow it. In our case we were planning on going to the South of Herm by initially heading South West, and at a predetermined time would (knowing the distance we had travelled) then turn North West to Guernsey.

That was the plan.

So we're tootling along on this lovely sunny and warm day.

And three Orcas surface from behind and to the right of us, cool, too slow to get cameras. They dive under our bow and carry on at 45 degrees forward and left of our course.

A few minutes and - unbelievably - another three do exactly the same. Wow.

Now, when a few minutes on another three do the same thing, I as skipper, and good friend who is also a good navigator look at each other. Give helm to someone else, and we dive downstairs to the chart table. Check depth, way too shallow, tell helm to steer due South. Fire up the radio direction finder and start to plot our position from bearings obtained.

Jeez, we had been about to plough into rocks to the East of Herm!

So how on Earth did we get it so wrong? That's when I twigged that the stereo we'd brought up on deck at lunch was under the steering compass. Moving it had the compass now not pointing South but Southwest, 45 degrees you'll note has been mentioned by me earlier.

We truly believe, and I will to the day I die, that the Orcas were warning us.

Real shame that they didn't come back for a 'told you so' they have had as much suitable food that we had on board.

Fellow navigators, I take my hat off to them whenever I tell this..

Posted by John Cook on Oct 30th, 2012.

mi name katyjo im 7 i love whales thay shoud all be in the wild i wil nefer stop trying to have places like seaworld shut down

Posted by katyjo newell on Aug 9th, 2012.

While my thought are with Dawn Brancheau's family and those trainers or fans have been attacked I also recognise that places like SeaWorld are a big part of the problem, to breed and rehabilitate any wild animal is one thing but to use and abuse these animals for the sake of entertainment and corporate greed is another and that is what is happening to orcas like Tilikum, Lolita and many others. There is absolutely NO reason why these animals should EVER be living in tanks or pools in a marine park, there is NO reason why any human finds it necessary to pay money to sit in a stadium and watch these animals suffer for the sake of entertainment. Orcas and other marine animals belong in the ocean where they can live the life they were born to live NOT live a small tank or pool at a marine park with almost every aspect of their life including mating and reproduction being controlled by human trainers some of who are young, inexperienced and/or uneducated. My question to those who work at places like SeaWorld including the trainers and fans is how would YOU like it if I was to capture youfrom your home, rip you away from your family, place you in a confined space , "train" you up to entertain and control almost every aspect of your life? I bet most of these people don't even think or care about that and if people did a bit more thinking and placed themselves in the position of Tilikum or Lolita they might actually realise what they are participating in is unnecessary and wrong!!

Posted by Selena L'Estrange on Jul 28th, 2012.

It is sicken me to see these animals in display for people's pleasure; they don't belong in a fishbowl they should be out in the sea!!!!! I was researching the killings that have happen over the years and it surprise me that these people still have these animals performing after such a horrifying advents and still keeping these beautiful animals from the habited. All for money

There should be some law against this,

This one comes from ally on Jul 8th, 2012.

Hi my name is Marian and I saw the whales in the wild two years ago and took a few pictures of them I love the whales very much I did a painting of a whale jumping out of the water I think the whales are very neat and very majestic I got the picture of the whale from a calender I don't like whales in captivity period they should be free

Support provided by Marian Vanderhouwen on Jun 30th, 2012.

i think killer whales should be back in the wild instead of captivity, they should be brought into captivity because ****ing idiots want money, thats stupied really stupied because their taken killer whales from their own home to sell them to make a parks happy no thats ****ing wrong... killer whales should be in the wild not for stupied ass people to take them from their own home to sell them...if i was whale id kill someone for taken me from my home seriously...people can get a job not take animals and sell them, they got no ****ing life if they take killer whales or dolphins from the wild to make them do tricks, they do ****ing tricks on their own in the wild and most of the killer whales die in captivity and trainers die while training them, well thats what they get for taken wild orca killer whales and sell them in a small tank in captivity

im a BIG FAN OF FREE WILLY AND KEIKO WAS MY FAVORITE WHALE EVER AND KILLER WHALES ARE MY
FAVORITE IN GENERAL. IF KEIKO WASNT TAKEN AWAY FROM HIS FAMILY AND THE WILD OCEAN HE WOULD STILL BE ALIVE. SO I WANT TO HELP MAKE THE KILLER WHALES THAT ARE IN CAPTIVITY BACK IN THE WILD WHERE THEY ****ING BELONG!

Support provided by alex on Jun 20th, 2012.

he is being kept to breed and make seaworld a coulpe more millions of dollars before this depression and stress of being in such a tiny enclosure kills him. Its not that he is too big they won't get into the water with him You can safely be in water with wild orcas much larger and they don't care much, the only reason they don't get into th water with Tilly is because the years of captivity have taken it's toll and he is now mentally unstable. Can you really blame him?

This message was contributed by Sandy on Jun 9th, 2012.

Hi my name is Marian Vanderhouwen and I'm interested in the orca whales to I did a painting of one jumping out of the water I saw them both in the wild and in captivity I don't like whales in captivity period
I've even adopted a whale her name is Misty I was talking to an activist a long time ago I do think that the whales should be kept in the ocean free and not in captivity

Posted by marian vanderhouwen on Jun 5th, 2012.

People admire SeaWorld for the rescue/aid work that they do.

I think the cetaceans that are trapped in the entertainment business deserve a rescue.

Look at the parks from the perspective of Google maps and notice how small the enclosures really are. Zoom in. You'll see a spot of blue water surrounded by an ocean of land.

The Orcas are living in a 'teacup' compared to the natural ocean environment. And they're not living there temporarily for a day or a week----but for a lifetime.

Please don't buy a ticket to a park that holds whales or dolphins in captivity.

Spread the word.

This one comes from Rob on May 9th, 2012.

It's not only the whles,orca's,dolphins..but other animals too.
I had enough of these kind of business that exploitation is used in the name of education.
When orca Morgan was rescued by dolfinarium Harderwijk..I heard so many lies they tell our children and say they wanted the best for her.
In the meantime ..they allowed after 5 weeks people who would pay to see her,the list goes on and on.
But at the end they did not only broke their promise to release her..but did everything to block her way to Freedom.
This is not education/research it is selling life,animal trade.
To our government have to say this You are responsible You let this happen!
I'm so ashamed of being Dutch and do not want to be a part of your system anymore
Enough = Enough You broke the law !!

This message was contributed by Ester Jansen on Apr 28th, 2012.

I think that it's rather cruel, for these animals to be kept captive in aquariums, and be exploited like they are lesser than us. Animal rights, is something that a lot of people don't recognize, that they SHOULD. Today, I am presenting my speech to my class about animal cruelty, one animal in particular, is the blue whale. I watched your video on your adventure with whale-watching in Sooke, B.C., and I was smiling ear to ear the whole time! But it makes me really sad, to think that these beautiful creatures may not be here much longer, if we don't make a change.

Posted by Lauren B. on Mar 28th, 2012.

As for me probably being the biggest whale lover in the world, and for having the nickname " whale freak" when I discovered exactly what happens at marine parks you can tell I was heartbroken. I cry whenever I see a captive whale struggling or I even get sooooooo angry when I see kids being taught that this is okay when they visit marine parks. As for right now I am trying to come up with a way to atop this or to even raise money to try to set some of these whales free ( mind you I'm 11 years old). Again, I am heartbroken. Please try to help a whales everywhere by adopting or donateing.

Posted by Jesica ( whalefreak) on Mar 24th, 2012.

Stop torturing animals! They haven't done anything wrong to us! leave them alone, they're beautiful, amazing creatures who just want to live in peace with us!

This message was contributed by Cansu Koroglu on Mar 13th, 2012.

Save the whales! , why should they be kept in tanks and be stressed , unhappy and sick for peoples own sick amusement and money making schemes wouldnt people rather see whales happy in there own envronment where there not causing any harm to them or stress , i wish there was something i could do about it if anyone knows anyway i can help please let me know.

This message was contributed by Kayleigh on Feb 23rd, 2012.

FREE MORGAN THE ORCA BACK TO HER FAMILY IN THE WILD!!

Posted by Jesica (NO ONE LOVES WHALES MORE THAN ME!) on Feb 10th, 2012.

PLEASE HELP MORGAN THE ORCA GET BACK TO THE WILD!!

This message was contributed by Jesica (no one loves whales more than me!)_ on Feb 8th, 2012.

leave wild animals where they belong in the wild take sea world -to court now also the ones who give permission to bring them in

Posted by john mazy on Feb 5th, 2012.

Free the whales!!!!! Its not only the orcas that are held in captivity its also Beluga whales too!!!! But this has to end, they deserve to be free in the wild. Even if they are rescued once they are healthy enough to take care of themselves they should return to their family's in the wild, not perform tricks for our own amusement!!!! If you feel the same don't buy tickets to parks that have captive whales!!!!!

Support provided by Jesica on Jan 3rd, 2012.

To all the people out there that think whales should be kept in captivity I think you don't know how to reason . An animal that large or any animal should not be kept in a tank its cruel to the animal and very heart-breaking to us that love the whales. Why not go see them in the ocean enjoying themselves then instead of being in a tank. Let us educate the people about keeping the oceans clean so the animals in the ocean can live their lives. Let us stop bringing them to us for our own enjoyment because it is very selfish . I hope the whales in captivity now are the last because this is wrong some of the whales only live two days then die. Many people believe that keikos rehabilitation was a fail but I do not I think it was . It's a start now that they know the mistake they made why not try for the others.

This message was contributed by Whale Lover ! on Sep 25th, 2011.

I think that it's the worst thing any human can possibly do to another living and breathing mammal. I would do anything to free these poor innocent animals. They deserve to be with their families just like we do. This is ruining them, keeping them in an aquarium. You cannot compare that to an ocean where they are free to swim for miles and miles. They are so smart and they know what they want and it's to get out of that little pool. I will help by putting my word out there every chance I get. Lets make a change and free the beautiful killer whales!!!

This one comes from Alexa on Sep 23rd, 2011.

I did not understand the importance of freedom to a whale until I read this website and watched the national geography. I hope humans can free the whales and do not catch them and take advantage of them to making money. I will never go to the seaworld to watch the performance again and I will try my best to tell everyone around me to not to do so. Hope the Sea World and the Japanese people can stop hurting the whales.

This one comes from Charlotte on Aug 29th, 2011.

SeaWorld should have humans riding Great Whites. If a trainer is killed... no big deal right?. Just give the safety procedures a once over, tell the public it was an isolated incident and keep making that cold hard cash!

This message was contributed by M on Jul 30th, 2011.

Hello Sydney...not sure if you really read any of the information shared on the comments. What many of us want is to stop reproduction in captivity. The whales that are already in captivity should be the last. We all know that letting them go isn't logical, especially those with their teeth drilled. This is a very important website so I don't understand why you hate it.

This message was contributed by Shannon Ludlow on Mar 18th, 2011.

Hello,

I've got a question: What happened actually to the whales which are held in captivity in Japan. There are a lot of aquariums in Japan.


Best regards from Germany

Support provided by Petra on Mar 18th, 2011.

i hate this website!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i mean none of those whales will know how to surive anymore! stop bugging seaworld and other aquriums! whats your plan is to dump the whale into the ocean and want it to know what its doing! look at kekio it had to come to people after being realsed! freeing him was not the smartest ideia if you ask me!

This message was contributed by sydney on Mar 6th, 2011.

I've recently learned about the routine dental work done to a majority of captive orcas. Because of this drilling, the whales would most likely not fare well in the ocean. Lolita lives in the San Diego Sea World and she was born in the wild, has all her teeth, and her pod is still alive. She is a perfect candidate to be released. If there is anything that I would want most, it would be to stop ALL breeding done in captivity. Let these gorgeous orcas retire as the LAST captive whales in the world and stop this madness! I want future breeding to be illegal; no whale should suffer a life in a small H20 bowl.

Support provided by Shannon Ludlow on Feb 21st, 2011.

I am the voice of the captive whale, no song will I sing. You have enslaved me in your marine parks, in the name of entertainment. Hear my silent scream.. Please join me on twitter or facebook @ thesadwhale to show your support against marine mammals in captivity

Support provided by Nancy on Jan 30th, 2011.

Some people here have said that keeping these beings in tiny tanks (no tank could be large enough for creatures like these) makes people want to save the whales. I don't believe this. Does watching a tiger leap through a flaming hoop or a bear riding a bicycle or an elephant doing a handstand in a circus make you want to save their natural habitat? Or does it just teach people that wild animals can be made into pets and playthings? Why is it any different when gigantic whales are forced to live (only a portion of their natural lifespan) in a tank and perform tricks? They want to be free and happy as much as you do, so let them stay free. If you want your children and grandchildren to enjoy the sight of a whale, then why not let them see the whales where they belong...in the wild? Wanting these creatures to live short, substandard lives just so that you can look at them is selfish.

Support provided by Adrielle on Jan 19th, 2011.

I fully support this initiative, but I also think that whales can be harvested like any other animal - for food or other products. Wild animals does not belong in zoos or aquariums or any other man-made installation. If you really want to see them, go where they are - they should not come to you.

This one comes from BlingYou on Jan 8th, 2011.

If you want to see whales, go on a whale watching expedition; don't support cruelty. You don't have to hurt an animal to be cruel to it.

Support provided by Emma B. on Jan 7th, 2011.

No one KNOWS how whales who've been born in captivity would fare if they were released because NONE of the aquariums do any actual research on rehabilitation!

By "anonymous"s reasoning, if we found a child kept in a cage, we should just leave it there because it wouldn't know how to live outside of that. Whales, just like humans, have the ability to learn and reason. Keeping them incarcerated keeps them making SeaWorld money, it doesn't help the whales.

This one comes from Sam on Dec 22nd, 2010.

"Send Tilikum Home for the Holidays!" Check out our 'Free Tilikum Christmas Campaign'! www.tilikum.webs.com
Thank you for all you do! Whales are for the oceans!

Support provided by Katie on Dec 7th, 2010.

its too late! once killer whales are born and raised in captivity which 90 percent are, they dont know how survive on their own. sorry! (well not really, i want to be a trainer myself)

This message was contributed by anonymous on Nov 27th, 2010.

ok i know it was very sad to lose Dawn, and even though we have had many sad accidents with these beautiful creatures we sill are not getting the picture!!! ................what did people exspect when you put a very big, intelligent, ocean-ranged predator in a very small tank to entertain for people!!! Sometimes i wonder if those people actually thought about what they were doing. Did they know that there were going to be some fatalities?
keep whales wild!!!!!

Support provided by Lisa on Nov 24th, 2010.

Keeping Orcas & Dolphins in captivity has got to end ! Would it be right to make an Elephant or Lion live in a cage and perform tricks for human enjoyment? No! So why are Orcas still being abused in such a way.
We do not have such places in the UK. Its about time the US followed suit!
Animals do not equal human entertainment !

This message was contributed by Sam on Nov 21st, 2010.

If you're looking for a way to help out one particular orca to help out, check out the site at http://savelolita.org/
They have some pretty specific people that you can email about your concerns for one of the whales currently held in isolation.

Posted by Sarah on Nov 16th, 2010.

An important message! Whales were not meant to live in captivity and should have the freedom of the ocean, where they belong.

Support provided by Terri on Nov 11th, 2010.

For anyone around Washington state looking to see whales in their native habitat you can check out http://thewhaletrail.org/ . You don't even need to leave land to see them!

This message was contributed by Brad on Nov 10th, 2010.

This is such a travesty :( If it was some other species doing this to humans we'd be outraged!

This message was contributed by robert on Nov 9th, 2010.

Judge Orders Evidentiary Hearing In SeaWorld Lawsuit: http://www.wesh.com/r/25647960/detail.html

"The lawsuit claims that Simons was assigned to be the liaison between SeaWorld and OSHA for the investigation and was told by SeaWorld to manipulate and withhold documents and make witnesses unavailable.

Simons claims she was later fired for telling investigators too much. SeaWorld said her release was due to poor performance."

Should be interesting to see how this plays out.

This one comes from Wade on Nov 8th, 2010.

I agree... we need to leave the whales alone in their natural surroundings and just let them be. They are not meant to be kept captive. Great website!

Posted by Riah on Nov 8th, 2010.

We always need to strike a balance between education and humane treatment of animals when it comes to aquariums and zoos. I went to SeaWorld in California when I was younger, and their care for these animals is pretty much nonexistent. It's a circus, nothing more. Look! We can train magestic animals to perform on command in exchange for food!

I'm sure all aquariums aren't this bad -- and a few captive whales for science and entertainment is probably a necessary evil. But we shouldn't be blind to the costs to these animals, and just accept their captivity as a source of cheap thrills.

We can do better.

Posted by Justin on Nov 7th, 2010.

Free the Whales! I always felt sorry for tropical fish in their little fish tank.

This message was contributed by Aaron on Nov 5th, 2010.

Whales in captivity for entertainment purposes is such a grotesque industry that puts little value on quality of life. At one point I was able to quiet my inner voice by justifying the need for animals in captivity for educational benefits, but watching the movie The Cove forever changed my opinion on that.

Posted by Allison on Nov 5th, 2010.

I would love to be able to watch whales up close like the experience an aquarium can provide, but if it takes changing their life completely to something less fulfilling then count me out.

This one comes from Matt Hutchings on Nov 5th, 2010.

When I was a young girl, one of my favorite memories was our father taking us to the zoo. My children have grown up doing this as well, and of course our favorite attraction was always the beautiful whales. I would hate to see this taken away from future generations. Perhaps a better campaign would be for better captive homes, more stimulating surroundings and having less shows. I want to be able to take my great-grandchildren to see the beautiful whales.

Posted by Milicynth on Nov 5th, 2010.

I don't think that holding captive-bred whales makes things much better because they were designed to live out in the open. Even resident pods of killer whales engage in considerable activity that involves travel, play and hunting. I bet if we tracked the movements of a single killer whale for one day, it would amount to a lot more cubic meters of water than even the largest orca aquarium.

Posted by Shasta on Nov 5th, 2010.

I agree 100% that healthy whales should be kept in the wild and that we should do everything in our power to protect these amazing animals.

However there are several organizations also doing great work in captivity with orphaned and injured Orcas and dolphins. So hats off to them as well.

This message was contributed by Ray on Nov 5th, 2010.

Save The Whales! I know I'd hate being cooped up in a fish tank.

Support provided by Jesse on Nov 5th, 2010.

I've never been to an aquarium to see this first-hand... I think it's a tragedy to contain any wild animal to such unsuitable living conditions and constant public display.

Support provided by Phil on Nov 5th, 2010.

Great site! Important message. Thanks for spreading the word.

This one comes from Holly on Nov 5th, 2010.

At least we're not still catching whales out of the wild. I think it's better that we're breeding whales in captivity so that no one has to catch them in the ocean and take them from their family.

This one comes from Sue on Nov 5th, 2010.

Words cannot do justice.

This message was contributed by Nick on Nov 4th, 2010.

There is currently a drive to free a young orca which was found alone off the coast of the Netherlands this summer. She was being held in captivity while she became more healthy but is now able to be released. Some groups are currently striving to get this whale released back into the wild, which should be a more common endeavor.
For more information on this initiative, check out this site: http://www.freemorgan.nl/

Posted by Bill on Nov 4th, 2010.

Maggie, I appreciate your point of view. I actually had a recent conversation with someone to this end after visiting the Berlin Zoo (which is, as far as captive environments go, a pretty well done facility). I do agree that it is important to the human psyche - in that it is necessary for people to feel connected to the causes they intend to honor and that when it comes to animal-based causes that it often takes access to the animal itself in order to garner the necessary emotional and cognitive connection required for a person to really "care" about the plight of a given species. But I do not agree that the current facilities in use that house and "show" these whales (and many other animals for that matter) represent the best possible way of bridging the gap between "free" animals (which by their elusive nature, inaccessible natural habitat, or geographic distance may be intangible for some) and providing a potentially beneficial "access" to these animals that honors the health and well being of these species based on extensive research and input by dedicated organizations. It seems that perhaps the divide between the commercialization of these animals and the movement to set them completely free has drawn a line in the sand that is perhaps detrimental to everyone involved. I feel that dialogue between all interested and invested parties is the best starting point to reach a sustainable "middle ground" that best serves the needs of all of us sharing this earth. Sites like this are a space where these dialogues can begin so thank you for opening such a space up. I appreciate and look forward to the input and involvement of all visitors!

This one comes from islandgirl on Nov 4th, 2010.

Aquariums??? What's for? Just an entertainment for people...that's it......! Whales are intelligent animals....they don't deserve to live in a tank....doesn't matter how big it is, it will be always a tank!
KEEP WHALES WILD!!!!

This message was contributed by Anna on Nov 4th, 2010.

Great site! this is an important message, thank you for your help getting it out there.

Support provided by LV on Nov 4th, 2010.

This is awful - I hate going to aquariums anymore for this very reason - watching these beautiful animals swimming around in little fishbowls. Marineland in Niagara Falls has got to be one of the worst culprits I've ever seen.

This message was contributed by Val on Nov 4th, 2010.

I never understood why we keep whales in aquariums. I had no idea about the incidents with trainers or the conditions that captive whales lived in. They deserve to be in their natural habitat, in the wild.

Support provided by John on Nov 4th, 2010.

Free Willy!

This one comes from Jesse on Nov 4th, 2010.

I think that it's great that aquariums have whale shows or people wouldn't care about ocean conservation! No one cares about animals that you don't get to see for yourself.

Posted by Maggie on Nov 4th, 2010.

It's sad to see whales stuck in captivity. Chlorinated water isn't very good for humans, but how can we expect a whale to live in a pool and be healthy?

Posted by Tyler on Nov 4th, 2010.

Thanks for putting this site together.
I am always floored by the fact that, as a culture, we acknowledge the intelligence of these fellow mammals, yet we see no problem with capturing them and confining them in small spaces with scant attention to their own personal well-being (beyond the care required to preserve them as assets, I mean).

Support provided by Gerry on Nov 3rd, 2010.

I completely agree with Lisa. I have done the whale watching thing and I'll never forget the time that a group of "transient" Orcas (heading from Alaska south apparently) came right past our 20ft zodiac boat of the coast of Sooke, Vancouver Island. One came right up by the boat and its 6ft dorsal fin absolutely dwarfed us. We were advised not to fall out of the boat because these transient whales (as opposed to their fish-eating resident cohorts) enjoy a diet of larger-game mammals. After such a thrill as that, I can't imagine ever enjoying the two-dimensional sanitized whale circus of facilities with captured whales.

Support provided by islandgirl on Nov 3rd, 2010.

It's pretty surprising, knowing all that we do about these animals, that it's still perfectly acceptable to keep them in captivity. Worse still, is the relative lack of biological value they serve in these institutions. Wild animals are best observed in the wild, from a zoological perspective. They are simply contained in aquariums for our 'entertainment' - nothing more, nothing less. We may as well bring back dancing bears, dog-fighting and throwing Christians to lions as let this carry on. Be it beluga whales, orcas or dolphins, this is barbaric and pointless.

This one comes from Jon on Nov 3rd, 2010.

I think that it's reprehensible that whales are being kept in what amounts to a 500 square foot apartment for life. I hope that as we advance as a society, we will realize that it's unnecessarily cruel to confine a wild creature for the purposes of entertainment.

This one comes from Julie M. on Nov 3rd, 2010.

Once you've seen these creatures in the open ocean, swimming and playing with their family groups, you can never go back to enjoying their "performances" in a tiny chlorinated pool. It's hard not to feel like you're watching a prisoner trying to entertain its guards to earn its supper.

So very tragic that so many millions of people world wide think that this is a valid way to contain an intelligent, social creature.

Support provided by Lisa on Nov 1st, 2010.

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