The documentary Blackfish really paints the horrific backstory on the killer whales. But it also shows how SeaWorld refuses to take blame and will place it on the trainers when in reality they wouldn't be in that situation if they hadn't been so selfish. Even before Dawn's death, Tilikum had been aggressive towards people and it should have been taken as a sign that people shouldn't interact with him. Wild animals aren't pets nor our entertainment. There is a reason they aren't considered good pets. There is a good reason why we shouldn't physically interact with them. It's not their fault they act out. It's our fault for not respecting them and their wants/needs. Dawn and Tilikum were failed that day. SeaWorld needs to be shut down
Yes! I highly recommend the movie Blackfish if youre an animal lover or advocate. It made orcas my favorite wild animal. They speak about their brains and how they behave and how smart and how sympathetic and empathetic they probably are due to the size of that part of their brain that signal those things. Before recently, there was only one death due to orca in the wild and its considered to be an accident...that the orca mistook it for a seal. But lately they have started killing humans which is very very unfortunate, but they may have actually figured out that humans boats hurt them severely, our fishing nets hurt them and people that steal their babies for a life of misery at seaworld type places. The USA no longer hunts orca babies for entertainment due to breeding in captivity. But other countries DO. And these whales are very smart. Smarter than some humans, and they can speak to eachother so if one tell its pod that humans are dangerous and should be killed then they will start. I hope this isnt the start of that considering how gentle theyve always ALWAYS been to humans. Divers have even reported pods of orcas surrounding them and realizing it was because a shark was approaching and they were protecting the diver from the shark like they would their baby. Theyre such magical animals. Like the elephants of the sea.
That shitty former trainer condemning Dawn for not being able to anticipate the moods and whims of a wild, sentient, and intelligent captive animal and then going on to say her own negligence is what led to her death is so beyond cruel and heartless that I can't even put it into words. But then, to tack on that 'If she were standing here now, she'd tell you that it was her fault.' It doesn't matter what she'd have to say had she not been mauled to death. The fact is, these corporations are at fault for keeping these highly social and remarkably intelligent animals in borderline torturous environments all so they can keep their profit margins as wide as possible because god forbid they reinvest into the animals that are making them millions and at least attempt to make them even slightly comfortable in their concrete bathtubs. And I gotta roll my eyes at Jack Hanna basically saying 'I don't know what happened, I wasn't there, I don't work for them, but I sure as fuck will be inserting myself into this situation that has nothing at all to do with me." Shameless grifter. RIP Dawn and Tillikum
Also captive orcas are PUMPED FULL of metal health drugs all of which have mood changes as a side effect. I was given Xanax and felt pure anger for no reason. Imagine you have a reason to be angry and you get that side effect. And the orca can't talk to the vet and let them know to switch meds.
Ya gotta love people who categorically state they have no real information on something, but they’re still gonna make some inane statement about it. Talking heads, that’s all they are. The media should call them on it.
Anyone who believes SeaWorld actually cares about the animals and is educational is delusional. They're effectively a circus that relies on animal trainers who double as acrobats, and while I'm sure there have been circuses that did treat some or all of their animals well, most didn't/don't. What exactly is anyone learning about these animals by watching them do circus tricks in a tank that's far too small, yet still too big to be filtered properly? And what right does SeaWorld have to claim they care about the animals when the animals live half or less the lifespan they would in the wild? A wild killer whale might live 80+ years. Some live over 100. In captivity they are lucky to reach 40 and usually die of injuries (from other animals attacking or from collision with the tank) or pneumonia, along with a host of other diseases that they often catch from humans or from their tanks not ever really being clean. They frequently have viral skin infections and fungal infections that, much like pneumonia, wouldn't occur in the wild. And even worse, because they're actually all about entertainment, they introduce every single animal to the public as Shamu, even though Shamu died decades ago. But that doesn't matter because Shamu is a brand. That's not even getting into how some of their animals have been acquired. The breeding program and acquisition of more killer whales has been ended, but they're probably still buying and breeding more of the smaller species like pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins. And if they aren't buying them, they're helping other dolphinariums in other countries with even worse care standards to do so. I shouldn't even need to bring up Taiji here. Most of the trainers probably care about the animals, but the people running SeaWorld do not. And the trainers are often misguided enough to, at least initially, think these animals are happy and healthy in the care of the facility. But it's not just the killer whales suffering, it's also every other dolphin and whale species they keep. Dolphins that live 40-60 years in the wild only tend to live 20 in captivity. It's infuriating. People stood up against abuse of animals by circuses, and yet still find it acceptable for dolphinariums to exist.
The documentary Blackfish completely changed my entire view of aquariums. We already know that solitary confinement, which is basically what Tillikum spent his life in, is a very nasty form of torture. Tillikum wasn't frustrated, he was mentally ill and likely had CPTSD. All the orcas in captivity almost certainly have CPTSD, but especially those captured from the wild do.
Tilli was a transient too. They are bigger and eat mammals. Residents are smaller and only eat fish. Also he was being pumped full of mental health drugs like anti depressiants, anti psychotics and bezodiapines. So that's a terrifying combo. Because alot of mental health drugs have mood changes as side effects. I was given Xanax and felt so angry for no reason. Imagine now a massive orca having a rage side effect. Absolutely Terrifying.
@@ArcadeOrcathey’re also intelligent, but not in the same way we are. It’s generally accepted orcas have the mental acuity of something like a human preschooler. I don’t know about you, but being locked in a room with an five and a half ton four year old who has been pumped full of drugs and socially isolated all his life sounds like one of my worst nightmares. Keep in mind, as cid mentioned, the other orcas didn’t like tilikum. This was because he was from a different orca “society” (he was a transient open ocean orca, the rest of their stock were resident east coasts) so he “spoke” a different language to them, he was socially isolated because he couldn’t communicate with his tankmates.
i definitely prefer aquariums that don't have dolphins or whales. i grew up on the monterey bay aquarium, one of the best when it comes to research, preservation and education. i love the otters too, they're such sweethearts
@@l.t.c3847First, Tilly was not "a four year old," killer whales are much smarter than an adult human, let alone a four year old. Second, Tilly came from Iceland, he was not a transient. He came from an Atlantic pod thought to eat both fish and mammals. Sea World did have one transient, and that was Kanduke.
@@thatonelampent5958 ok I misremembered his origin. But like come on dude, we undersell animal intelligence a lot, but orcas are in no way more intelligent than an adult human except in the ways their brains would need to be. Like of course they’re better at special awareness in a 3d environment, they live in water. That’s like claiming chimps are clearly more intelligent than humans because they have a much better short term memory.
I feel so sad for both of them. I know dawn's heart was pure and tili was just emotionally disregulated in a weird environment. Dawn obviously loved and trusted him. Such a tragedy. The whole thing
I agree. If the poor girl was at home making sandwiches or babysitting this would have never happened. She should have been in the house with her burkah or hijab on. So terribly sad to me.
@all4mom-xv1hp what if she drank the Kool aid? Back then, most people genuinely thought that captive whales were happier and healthier because of Seaworld's propaganda. It's not like she was an educated marine biologist.
Yeah. There only two wild orcas currently who have the flopped fin. They are called port side and starboard. Like left and right because one has his dorsal flopped to the left and ones dorsal is flipped to the right.
It is a symptom of the tanks being too small and nutritional deficiencies. Orcas in captivity live about 20-30 years on average, wild one normally make it into their 70s.
I know it's a totally different subject, but I would love Cid to cover "Locks of love". My whole life I thought it was for cancer patients. During covid a friend of mine grew his hair out to 18 inches in 2 years, with the soul purpose of donating it. When the time came he was told his hair would not be donated to a child. It was poor quality because he had a few grey hairs. Then told they NEVER dealt with cancer patients. It is only for children with alopecia. We looked into it. They sell most hair that is donated to wig makers. I never knew.
While kids with alopecia could also get wigs, that's not what people know them for. It such be cancer patients first and never sell the hair for their gain
I think the charity is a great idea, but the way Locks of Love is used to bully kids with long hair makes me mad. I was guilted so many times as a kid for not wanting to give my hair. It is great to give something you want to give, but if you are still using something and getting joy out of something, then you have no obligation to give. Learning they sell the hair given made me feel vindicated in saying no and telling people in my life to mind their business as a kid.
You probably don't want to cover another orca so soon, but I'd love to see you make a video on Keiko. I've always thought he was a tragic story on how captive animals cannot always be released into the wild and how public opinion is not always as nuanced as it should be. (To be clear, I do not think he should have stayed at aquariums or attractions, but also that when he failed to thrive in the wild, an alternative needed to be found for his health and safety. 😢)
If I'm reading this correctly, then that is a terrible point you are making. The problem with Keiko wasn't that he couldn't be released. It was that they took him from the wild in the first place. Public opinion was correct and they had no business catching him in 1979 and taking him from his family. This isn't a matter of “we shouldn't have released him,” it’s a matter of, “don't take him in the first place.” if Keiko was born in captivity then that would be different, but he wasn't.
He survived and thrived for years and was literally dying in captivity as it was. He was underweight, sick, covered in sores, and so much more. Keeping him in captivity would not have prolonged his life, he was dying regardless. And keeping him with humans would just put his life in danger as well, as well as the lives of other humans.
Just a couple of things to mention that weren’t completely clear in the video. 1. The two whales causing issues earlier in the day were Kayla (RIP) and Kalina (RIP), from what I’ve read they didn’t really get along and we’re battling for dominance. Kayla had been moved to Florida from the Texas park fairly recently so the social structure was up in the air. 2. Whilst Tilli did spent a lot of time by himself, post Taima’s death he was often kept with his daughter Malia (who he spent time with as a newborn) and then when she became sexually mature, he would be put with his grandson Trua until his death (Tilli’s death, not Trua. Trua is still alive). This video was really good and well researched. I will say that whilst Seaworld are a terrible corporation and have done a lot of terrible things to their animals, they are much better than some other places that have kept/are keeping orcas such as Loro Parque (killed two orcas by cheaping out on food), Miami Seaquarium (just everything about that place), marine land Canada (same as seaquarium) and mundo marino in Argentina (their lone male orca is starving because they cannot afford to feed him). Honestly, the rabbit hole about orca captivity is deep and very dark.
Just to add a couple of things. After Ikaika was taken back by Seaworld, marine land had 1 orca called Kiska who they kept alone for 12 years, other lone orcas are often kept with dolphins but Kiska was kept absolutely alone. For any animal as social as orcas keep her alone is essentially torture. They have a long history of splitting orca mothers from babies and keeping them in really bad conditions (such as Junior who was kept in a tiny pool in a warehouse for 5 years without any natural light or fresh air. He died of brain damage although the circumstances are not known as to how). Obviously, if they’re doing this to orcas they’re doing it to all their other animals. A quick google search will show you some horrifying pictures of the conditions their animals live in.
Thanks for your insights! Apparently, Kayla and Kalina got on well at first. Then, when Kayla tried to reassert her dominance, Kalina was an easy target because she was a pretty submissive orca in her later years. According to Seaworld's own animal profiles, Tilikum, Takara and even Katina all exhibited aggressive behavior toward Kalina in the years before she died. I'm always wondering what, if any, effect the fight between Kalina and Kayla had on Tilikum that day. Tilikum wasn't in the pool at the time of the fight. In all likelihood, he had spent the earlier part of the day in one of the back pools, either alone or with Taima and Malia. Also, another random thought: remember in Blackfish when Orkid attacked the trainer Tamarie in San Diego? John Hargrove said that what saved Tamarie was that another trainer made Kasatka come into the pool and because Kasatka was the dominant female, Orkid stopped what she was doing and let Tamarie go. I wonder what would have happened if the trainers in Orlando had done the same and moved Katina into the pool where Tilikum and Dawn were. Given how dominant and protective of her trainers Katina was, I like to think that she could have saved Dawn...
It's not just killer whales. People focus on how bad it is for them because it's so obvious when you see the size of the animal and the size of the tank. But how about the pilot whales, the false killer whales, the belugas? It's obviously bad for them, too. Less obvious, but no less terrible, is how the smaller dolphins are treated. And not only are they living in too small of a tank and living about half as long as they would in the wild (just like killer whales live about half their wild lifespan when in captivity), not only are they being made to perform like circus animals, but they're also put into direct interactive contact with humans. You know, the same way certain diseases like pneumonia have become prevalent with killer whales. Many smaller dolphins also die of pneumonia thanks to exposure, poor living conditions, stress/low immunity, etc. There's no ethical way to keep any of these animals in captivity. The tanks are too small for them, but also too large to be kept properly clean even if they *appear* clean to visitors. They lack sufficient mental stimulation and physical exercise. They are stressed from the noise of the crowds and other activities such as construction (some dolphins have been killed by proximity to construction). And one thing that is true for both killer whales and bottlenose dolphins is that it's recently been determined that there are multiple species of them. There's not just one overarching killer whale (this is why I don't call them orcas, because there is only one species that is correctly named "orca," which would be Orcinus orca); the Southern residents are their own species, and the offshore ones that live nearby are also a species. Scientists are fairly certain there are at least two more species living in the Antarctic, based on their phenotypical differences. As for bottlenose dolphins, there are two definitive species known, though there is another that's been proposed and there could be four or more due to how widespread bottlenose dolphins are. Much like killer whales, they're widespread, but different populations have different habitats, behaviors, and vocalizations. And why do I bring this up? Because SeaWorld, in their great wisdom, saw fit to mingle animals that were from completely different populations--and thus, completely different species--and interbreed them. Then they're shocked when for some unknown reason transient killer whales and resident killer whales from opposite sides of the world don't get along with one another, because aren't they the same animal? And animals don't need to communicate, right? I could go on, but please, if you're gonna get upset about killer whales, get upset about all the captive cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises). There's no way we can presently provide them with a suitable environment in captivity short of possibly creating a massive sea pen that would allow them to interact with other members of their species outside of it and hunt fish inside of it. That wouldn't be conducive to having an audience, thus it wouldn't bring in money to SeaWorld, thus they won't do it.
I cannot fathom why Sea World would continue to use an animal that had already killed two people and furthermore, I cannot fathom how anyone would willingly get into a tank with an animal that had killed two people!! Please don’t take my comment as blaming Tilikum; he’s an animal caged in a completely unnatural environment that is, on its face, cruel and inhumane. He’s a killer whale, not a monster with malicious intentions. I can’t imagine how hard his life was at that place.
@@basementdwellercosplay dawn chose a profession that is literally animal abuse. No she did not deserve this! But she was not innocent. Please watch blackfish. The trainers knew. And still chose this.
@@KimVerhaaffI have watched blackfish, I still think dawn won't have wanted to work with a orca that had killed people. SeaWorld is still the only ones at fault to me based on the evidence I've seen
Cid, I was so happy to see this coverage. As a dog and horse trainer I had so many unanswered questions. You answered them all. Long story short is that animals don't take shit forever. I feel the same way about Tillikum as I do about the elephants that suddenly snap.
Agreed. One of the saddest stories I've ever heard was about Mary the elephant. I hope Cid covers her story one day, but I wouldn't blame him if he didn't. It's quite morbid.
Hers a bit of important information. Tilli was a transient orca. Usually they prefer the residental orcas. Transients tend to be larger and eat mammals while residents only eat fish. Also sea world pumps the orca full of anti depressants, anti psychotics and bezodiapines. All of which have side effects like anger and mood changes.
I would actually like him to do a story on the horse that were being killed and meat stolen. Not by the owners. People were sneaking on to property and doing this to people's pets. There were a good bit of them in Florida (of course) it was horrific.
Truly a tragic story. I can't tolerate companies victim blaming people whom are hurt or killed. It is super scummy for the victims family. Avoiding a lawsuit at any cost to someones reputation. Terrible
Reading the autopsy report for Dawn is gruesome. A part of her scalp arrived seperate from the body. He scalped her whole damn head. Tili was an angry & trauamatised whale, it's very tragic he took Dawn's life but really I blame Seaworld. They knew Tili would kill again.
So sad! I cannot believe that Dawn was blamed for her death. Though, I cannot fathom how you can love animals and work in a place like this. It would kill me having to see this cruelty every day.
@@itsamagicalliopleurodon It's not a swimming pool it's 7 million gallons 🩵. How do they have little enrichment when they're accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, and IMATA?
@@kaleb7636do you know anything about Orcas? In the wild, they swim up to 100 miles a day. You could be put in a small room to live out the rest of your life. If your basic needs were met, you'd physically live too, no doubt. It's still no life.
Phased out?? Okay, how do you want us to fund the conservation of the Hawai'ian tree snails, white-bellied frogs, desertas wolf spiders, and other critically endangered animals without zoos? They would all be extinct if their conservation relied on tax dollars or charity.
Cid yet again an amazing animal based video. I really love this format for your channel. I love hearing and learning about this sort of thing from you. I also love how objective and unbiased. Keep making videos My frriend. I hope you get to 50000 subscribers, you deserve it
Orcas are incredible animals, but as intelligent and emotional as they are it’s easy to forget that they are also 4 ton predators. They should never be kept in captivity in the first place, and it’s even crazier to use them for entertainment purposes. It’s giving Jurassic Park vibes honestly.
it's ironic isn't it? people were terrified of the velociraptors in JP, not realizing orcas are basically the same and can snap at any moment. Yet we keep imprisoning them in small tanks
The reason the sheriff said that is because he most likely was paid off by Sea World. And by blaming the victim SeaWorld won't have to pay out anything. It was her fault after all, she fell in. That's exactly how they're framing this.
Look into Lolita aka tokatee. She was 47. She was kept in a tank where her tail dragged on the bottom. So sad. She should have been released into a sea pen for retirement unfortunately so many idiots where against her having freedom because she wouldn't survive. But imo even if she did pass she was 20+ years older than any orca in captivity. Majority of orcas don't make it past 15/20. So if she did pass away at least she would've been free. When I heard the news that she passed away still in captivity I cried. Finally when progress was made to get her to a sea pen. She died. I absolutely can not stand or understand why anybody wanted to keep her in prison. So selfish.
Her necropsy came back that she was having heart and kidney failure. She was sent to the university of Georgia for her necropsy and they absolutely destroyed her body. So disrespectful. They cremated her remains and sent them to the Lummi nation where they had a private ceremony and spread her ashes. I never met Toki but I hope she knows how much I love her. She survived for so long of just sear will power.
The saddest thing is they've been able to successfully find toki's biological family and her mother is still a live and they had every hope for a successful release
They took large, intelligent predators and put them in what is essentially a fishbowl, let hundreds if not thousands (idk what SeaWorld attendance is like) gawk at them daily, and expected that the whales wouldn't end up traumatized and act out. The things humans do to animals is horrific. Tilikum had already killed two people at this point. No one should have been anywhere near him. IMO both SeaWorld and Sealand of the Pacific (tho it closed down after Tilikum and other whales killed trainer Keltie Byrne) are to blame for Dawn Brancheau's death.
😢 you've got that right. A betta fish is even in a better position when it's in at least 5 l of water To the orcas these tanks are like a small little dresser drawer top fishbowl😢.
All of seaworld's behavior is so disgusting. Doing everything they can to keep one of their cash revenues open but not all of their staff members safe. I wish the animals that could be kept in captivity and used for entertainment were more regulated, as some animals really shouldn't be- and some facilities really shouldn't be able to house them. Going back to your Seaquest video, I was beyond angry with how they could keep buying endangered animals just to kill them not long after. I am currently studying environmental science, and hope to eventually make a change to help protect these creatures
I love Orcas and have dedicated a lot of time researching them. I really love the animal videos youve been doing and appreciate the research and care you take when discussing these topics. Another intresting orca to look into is Lolita/ Toki from the Miami Seaquarium. She just passed earlier this year and her story is incredibly heartbreaking. Her release has been a controversial topic for years and just as it seemed like she was getting close to it She passed.
I've heard the story several times before, but I had no idea the reason why she was growing her hair was for charity. It's so tragic and it wasn't her fault.
this was amazing to watch, despite how dark the subject matter is. I did a speech about this back in the day when a college class required one and so many of the things you brought up were the same points i made. i tried to give understanding to tillie while still expressing how tragic the loss of trainers lives was and you did it incredibly.
I was in the park that day when it happened. We were on a school trip and I was eating lunch with some classmates when the announcement came that everyone had to leave the park. I was confused as I had been to SeaWorld in the past and I knew the park didn’t shut down until 8-9pm. When I went home that evening is when I found out what happened and I never went back to the park since.
I really like the direction your channel is going, giving a voice to animals that cannot speak on their own, and bringing to light things that I never would've heard of otherwise (the animal shelter sending rodents to a reptile food supplier). I feel like since the corruption of animal planet (yeah a corporation is probably always corrupt but I think we can all agree they used to be better) I haven't seen much talk about animal rights besides tiger king and blackfish and you are way more down to earth and caring than the big budget sensationalism that seems to have corneeed the market
Can you please cover elephants? How many elephants in the US and how many have killed people? Last I heard it's the vast majority of elephants in captivity.
Elephants are truely terrifying and are not something to take lightly. They are smart and have the physical power to kill you with full intent. I remember hearing years ago many were released to a sanctuary
Cid, I came back to recommend the book The Astonishing Elephant by Shana Alexander. She has a lot of science and statistics in the book that would blow your mind. Records of the accidents etc
I live in the Midwest and not long ago I saw some elephants on fairgrounds with a circus and was appalled, I thought it had been made illegal to have elephants in circuses and I felt so awful for them 😞 That’s not where they belong
Cid, I absolutely LOVE the new topics your covering on your channel. I have been a subscriber for a while now, but these new topics are so informative!! Thank you for bringing awareness ❤
@@apolloflukess The documentary held a lot of truth in it. SeaWorld tried to shift the blame of Dawns death on Dawn herself and tried cover up Tilikum's violent behavior. He had killed someone already, and yet they allowed people to get that close to him? Heck, it's shameful that they even bred him. In what breeding program would you want to breed an animal with a history of violence?
@@apolloflukess Don’t act like Blackfish is 100% false lol. I hate blackfish, but I also hate SeaWorld. SeaWorld is not the good guy here, they’re a faceless cooperation that exists to make a profit.
The SeaWorld shows just like the alligator shows here in South Florida don't have any educational value. Our position is all it does is teach people to do stupid things with wild and dangerous animals. This video was a good, non-emotional, factual presentation of the animals history. Well done!
Thank you for stating something I've said for years. Not only do dolphinariums like SeaWorld not educate people by making animals perform circus shows, but at times they actively spread misinformation about the animals (i.e. regarding excessive tooth wear in captive animals that doesn't happen to that extent in the majority of wild populations or how uncommon it is for dorsal fins to fall over in the wild) because the truth makes SeaWorld look bad. And because they're a for-profit organization, they don't want customers to view them in a negative light.
No. Accredited Zoos and Aquariums are good and needed. Those accredited are involved in the conservation and in breeding programs to help these endangered animals. Take cheetahs and clouded leopards. They both have terrible breeding numbers because of bad fertility as well as mate aggression. There has been success stories of breeding these animals in real zoos to bring numbers up and add genetic diversity back into low populations.
Zoos aren't the problem my guy, aquariums that have orcas and dolphins and animals that literally have shown to be bad in captivity (especially with how small seaworld's "exhibits" are) are. We need zoos to conserve animals, not to mention that animals in zoos usually aren't kept in small cages/boxes anymore (thank god) bc it's inhumane. There's a lot of animals we wouldn't have anymore without zoos helping, some bc they're extinct in the wild for example. The problem is seaworld are too stubborn and stupid to see that.
@klltx2001 yup! The aquarium I use to live by had/still has dolphins, but they no longer do shows (haven't for a REAL long time) and they said when they stopped doing shows that they'd stop bringing in new ones/breeding them. But they held onto the few that they had/may still have
@@klltx2001 This is why I like the Aquarium of the Pacific , it doesn't have any whales or dolphins. But it also provides all animals with great maintenance and a good habitat. It also has more than just marine life there as well.
OMG THIS IS MY JAM. Tilli was a transient orca. While generally they used residents. The main difference Is residents only eat fish. Transients eat mammals as well. Orcas are my fav animal.. The orcas in the straight of Gibraltar have been attacking certain types of boats. As I am aware there was a few incidents during covid between poachers and orcas. Like they threw dynamite and harpooned them. Orcas are SOOOO amazing. Each pod / family group speaks a unique language. Thats why when SeaWorld grabs random orcas from random pods they can get frustrated with each other. It'd be like if a few people from a few different countries where put in a bathroom and told to live with each other. The language barrier would start to get very frustrating. The oldest orca was granny the orca and she lived to 108ish. Here's a cool orca story, in the Australia area around the early 1900s there was a group of orcas who worked with local whailers. They'd swim to the shore and alert the whailers. The whailers would follow the orcas and hunt together! Super cool when animals and humans work together like that.
All dolphins are interesting creatures, and most of them have similar pod/region-specific dialects. There have been multiple wild bottlenose dolphin populations that actively work with fishermen to herd fish into their nets. They continue to do this behavior to this day, and it benefits both the dolphins and the humans. What's interesting to me about killer whales is that we've long assumed there's only one species, but apparently the residents and offshores/transients are separate species, per a recent DNA study. And there are probably 2-3 more species in the Antarctic waters that haven't been confirmed yet, and maybe even more that we've seen all along and assumed to be all the same species. They all have some general similarities, but the species do have distinct appearances if you know what to look for. Most scientists now believe the rudder-attacking killer whales are playing because they figured out they can manipulate the boats, but there have been some who think it's because one of the older females was hit by a boat and has been teaching younger killer whales to attack them.
miami seaquarium, loro parque and marineland canada make seaworld look like paradise compared to them. yes, seaworld has had its own controversies but it doesn't come close to the blatant neglect and abuse from those facilities.
@@ArcadeOrca i agree. i do not support orcas in captivity, ESPECIALLY wild caught. however there is still no sea pen sanctuary for the ones in captivity now to go to. many were born in captivity and are hybrids of ecotypes that would never meet and/or inbred. the ones that were born in the wild have now been in captivity so long, it would be very difficult to rewild them and the chances of success would be low. just look at what happened to keiko. while it's nice he could roam free and experience the ocean again for the last few years of his life, he still never integrated with wild orcas and craved human interaction and sadly died of pneumonia. i'm just saying that right now, i would consider seaworld to be the best when it comes to orca care and they are AZA accredited, they have to meet strict guidelines for enrichment, health, diet, etc and have rescued and released thousands of marine animals. unfortunately they cancelled the blue world project and i hate how dated the tanks are. i wish it was at least something more like the tank at chimelong spaceship which is currently the world's largest orca tank and also has the world's biggest wave machine. their orcas seem to enjoy it from the videos i've seen. it makes me think about how the orcas in seaworld would love something like that and it makes me sad :( blue world was actually planned to be bigger than chimelong's tank too, and much more natural looking. don't worry, i DEFINITELY don't like chimelong, i just think the tank is interesting lol. and i'm also glad that seaworld stopped breeding orcas, but i'm immensely disappointed they cancelled blue world because of the breeding ban. that's ridiculous. you could still reuse it for other animals after all of the orcas eventually pass. i think we need to give the orcas remaining in captivity the best lives possible until a sea pen sanctuary is built but honestly i don't know if that will ever happen.
Another fantastic video, Cid. I had always heard that the incident was caused by Dawn’s ponytail, but that had never added up. If the ponytail was such a hazard, why was it allowed in the first place? Seaworld absolutely failed Tilikum and Dawn. Heartbreaking.
Cid, your videos are very well-made and you are charismatic and passionate enough to carry this channel far. But could you please list your sources more clearly? Especially after the James Somerton case, I think everyone should be wary of video essays, and it would definitely put my mind at ease to know where you found this information.
I gave too much of a soft spot for animal abuse so i cant really watch your recent videos but I'm really happy that you are sharing there stories eventho i cant watch them i fully support your vids
Rip tokatee 😭 she was so close to freedom. But because those pro captivity people she passed away in prison.. even if she would've died in the sea pen at least she would've died free.
My husband actually works with Mayor Cava for Parks and Open Spaces in Dade County and what the FDA (Federal Department of Agriculture) AND Cava found out last year re: the treatment of the animals at Seaquarium was absolutely abhorrent! Bottle nose dolphins were only getting 40% of their daily diet. Tortoises were getting 20%. It used to be something of note in it’s heyday (I wouldn’t know, I’ve always thought it wrong to pay for ‘animal entertainment’; I stayed behind in the late 80’s in school when I refused to go on a class trip to the Seaquarium). It needs to be torn down; it’s tacky, dated, and doesn’t align with ANYONE locally (it’s 305’s ‘dirty little secret’). Unlike the beach, KB is another island that retains some of its original charm and history; but is now being filled to the brim with trash. Love & Light from Miami Shores🦚 Stay safe mates✌🏼🌎 Have a care for one another🫧🌲🖤 *Heard about the horrible heat situation over there, hope you’re doing well in that heatwave that the whole world has been hearing about!
I’ve always loved aquatic animals but I’ve always wanted the best for them. If an animal is in captivity they need to be in a proper environment with their needs met and then some. My heart always breaks for orcas because they should never be in captivity, an Orca actually passed away from Miami Fl named Lolita and her case breaks my heart in half. The case of Dawn and Tilikum does as well. None of these animals deserve to be in captivity and especially neglected. I appreciate you creating such wonderful videos spreading awareness and shedding light on these problems. The more we talk about it the more we can change. I hope to see the day when Sea world shuts down.
Yeah, I already know he was not trying to kill dawn. It was just plain but playing for them is deadly for us That's also why he just stared at her dead body and didn't want to give her up. You have to remember it's like dawn was his family. Anybody that got into that pool with him would be like family Seeing as he's rejected by every other orca. He just is acting normal but that's kind of too much for people
See I disagree with this. Orcas, much like dolphins, are smart enough to abuse weaknesses. They’re smart enough to know when to back off. Hell, Orcas are one of the very few species where SERIAL KILLERS have been observed. Look up “port and starboard orcas” they’re a duo that flip sharks onto their backs, putting them in a meditative state, and eat them alive. They’ve also been known to slap other animals out of the water while alive simply for the fun of it.
I mean, he'd killed two other people before this, so I have my doubts. I'm not blaming him, whales aren't made to be kept in captivity, but I definitely feel like he had buried hatred toward humans that came out every ten or so years.
Nah I think you're not giving him the proper credit. They are extremely intelligent. He was a transient orca being pumped full of mental health drugs. That have mood changes as side effects. Put yourself in his situation. The trainers aren't their friends. They are prison gaurds.
Thank you for your content! I found your channel when I was going through a severe peak in my anxiety, you brought me so much comfort ❤ (and still do!)
i love seeing videos on these kinds of situations, i think its really important to educate others. many people have no idea how awful the conditions these animals are kept in are and its great to see it discussed. but i wish youd mention blackfish in the description, and anything else you used as sources, so people can see more after watching your video.
i love your channel so much. you have such a big heart and you always deliver your praise and concerns in a very entertaining and informative way. you have never missed !
Honestly hearing that guy speak for the dead really puts into perspective they close ranks like the cops to cover their asses and not have the company take fault for the employees being in danger for profit. More people should be upset and angry at what a company will let slide for profit. Sea world and alot of other things today wouldn't be hurting other people and animals if we as a society could value the dollars made a little less.
I love this thank you so much for uploading so many people cover this topic knowing very little about Dawn or the orcas she worked with it’s nice to see a video from someone who has done their research great video 😃
The sad thing is the only way you're most likely going to get them to stop the attack. You're going to need to throw something into the water that can produce noise to make them retreat or just use an explosive one just big enough to scare
Yeah the only way to force an orca off of something, prey or toy, will probably panic the animal and potentially make the situation all the more dangerous.
on a positive note, it's important to remember not all aquariums and zoos are like this! i love my local aquarium, which doesn't have any whales or dolphins, and focuses a lot on conservation. seaworld is a profit-focused company existing for entertainment. but there are good places out there that really want to educate people and take care of endangered animals.
@@anonymousanonymous870 of course! that's why conservation efforts are focused on rescuing animals whose homes have been destroyed, rebuilding and protecting their natural habitats, and taking them from people who buy them as "exotic pets". :)
Not all aquariums and zoos are bad, but every single dolphinarium is. Dolphins, whales, and porpoises should not be in captivity, because there is no existing facility that has appropriate conditions to maintain their health and happiness. Even if we could build such a facility, it wouldn't be an income-producing system because ideally, since we're talking about appropriate conditions for the animals' health and happiness, you would discourage crowds. Crowds are noisy, and these animals are sound-sensitive. You'd also have to come up with an innovative new means of keeping the water clean, because even if it looks clean, the animals at SeaWorld are swimming in their own waste. Or you'd just have to use a massive sea pen, with separate pens for each species and gender. Again, this is not conducive to making an income. You'll notice a trend here that I'm mentioning income. That's because that's all SeaWorld is about. It's a stationary circus, focused on sea animals, that is much more about entertainment than it is education. Being as it is about entertainment, it's also about getting money from the people being entertained. As long as money is coming in, and they can afford to replace their animals, dolphinariums don't care that the animals are miserable. I'm not against captive animals in general, but any animal that has its lifespan halved (or worse) by the best conditions we can provide for it in captivity, should not be kept in captivity. And most whales, dolphins, and porpoises can't survive at all in captivity, while those that do tend to live half their natural lifespan that they'd have in the wild. Compare that to most captive animals that are provided appropriate habitats and enrichment. For instance, wolves and lions live double if not triple the lifespan in captivity that they would live in the wild. We can provide excellent conditions for their health and enrichment. But even though we've studied bottlenose dolphins for years now, most captive ones don't reach anywhere near their wild lifespan of about 40 years, and for killer whales, males in the wild live about 60 years, females live about 80... and captive ones tend to live 30-40, if they're lucky.
I find it extremely distasteful how Sea World hid the incident reports of previous employees who’ve died handling this orca, and then proceeded to be likened as if that’s comparable to stepping on a bug or something…I also find it ignorant how Dawn’s case was surmised to her not knowing what she was doing, when it was clear as day she took so much pride handling the animals, and learning about them. She genuinely cared! It’s bull 💩 how careless the staff were for both the ones who’ve died, and the orca being exploited for profit. The audacity and greed to even have money signs flashing in their eyes; profiting off someone’s death as well as undermining everything Dawn ardently strived for is disgusting! I never liked Jack Hanna. I found him uneducated at times and downright hypocritical to animal welfare. He was an “advocate” for profits, not conservation. He’s deadass a walking PETA sign but less annoying. Would it be fair to blame him having dementia on his wife? Kinda just like…ya know, Sea World and him blaming an animal who doesn’t cope well in a small ass swimming pool, who’s meant to be wild unless you’re making efforts to mend one who’s sick, who’s just there for money and entertainment purposes, who clearly had signs of MAJOR stress prior to Dawn’s death, who also caused prior trainer fatalities at the park; hidden away and kept hush hush, on Dawn? It seems logical, and fair.
A few weeks before this happened, they did a major safety drill ie. a drill for this exact situation. It completely failed. People were disorganized, nets were all tangled etc.
I would not be afraid to swim with a wild orca, but would be absolutely terrified of swimming with a captive one. These animals have been driven completely insane, are perpetually drugged, anxious, stressed and bored out of their minds, and likely to snap... several times a day. They are given Xanax to curb behaviors like repeatedly banging their heads against the sides of their tanks, and endless pacing. The isolation tank they kept him in after the incident was not even as deep as he was long... all he could do was bob around while the sun slowly baked him.
Great video!! I always love seeing you cover these cases, as sad and fucked as they are, I trust you to give me accurate info and portray the abuse for what it is. If you plan to cover more orca cases in the future I would love to see a video about Tokitae, she was named Tokitae by The Lummi Nation, who see the orcas as kin but was named Lolita by the park. She was the longest living orca in captivity and she died this year before she could be freed.
So sad. Tilikums story breaks my heart. 💔 The poor guy clearly snapped by all the stress and abuse in his past . And all this for what? A living sperm bank?
Didn't help that he was being pumped full of mental health meds and anti anxiety meds. Those meds have horrible side effects like modd changes. So imagine you already are upset and have those side effects. Tragic.
THANK YOU for covering this topic… !!!! (I am extra interested (almost obsessed) with this topic, & the topic of captive Orcas in general!! Dawn was in my sorority Alpha Delta Pi…. so it felt really personal to me. (For whatever reason, it is difficult to find DETAILS about killer whale attacks & incidents…. I am very interested in them!!!) Just an interesting note, but CHINA has TONS of captive Orcas… in tiny little tanks…)🤨
If you love orcas I'm generally I have a story I think you'll love. There's a documentary here on UA-cam. Wild orcas worked with whailers to hunt together in the early 1900s in the Australia area. I watched that documentary in awe. Orcas are amazing!
I adore Orcas, and also fear them more than practically any other animal besides chimps. To love is to understand, and to respect. The employees at sea world can claim they love their animals, but they dont. Many of those trainers are selfishly attached to the idea of a relationship with these animals, while said animal has no choice in the matter. Its foolish.
As a child, I went to Sea World and, as a teenager, went whale watching in the ocean. I can tell you seeing them out in the water of the ocean is incredible. Way better than seeing the animals swimming around in the equivalent of a kiddy pool. I had the opportunity to see the wild whales breaching not artificially told to do this, and it is something I will never forget. They are incredible animals and don't deserve to be put in parks and forced to do silly little shows for human entertainment. Mind you, the whale watching was also much cheaper, being about 25 dollars for 6 hours out on the ocean where the sea world is around 60 dollars to enter the park. Also, the boat had free coffee and cookies. I know which I would go see again. Sea World should be shut down for animal cruelty.
As a Floridian, and some who visited the park a couple days ago and when I was a child I will say; I feel SeaWorld has really tried to turn things around. The Orcas seem to be in good health other than the bent fins and of course being in captivity, they seem to really be taking care of all of their animals, and of course trying to install new rides for the inevitable day that their last Orca passes. I will say it’s also a shame. I got to watch the show in 5th grade, and seeing the trainers swim and perform with the animals was amazing. It was so majestic. It’s sad that many people will never experience it, but even more said that many trainers have lost their life. While watching the show the other day, I leaned over to my boyfriend and mentioned that I wish there was a way right before the Orcas passed that they could be released into the ocean to experience what freedom feels like before they die 😢
Another great piece Cid. I burnt my hand on a curling iron while listening to your video, so if I get scars I will have a connection/reminder to this exact video lol. I love orcas and I’m glad sea world is suffering the consequences. I believe they are no longer able to breed the orcas they have in captivity as well
The reason tillikum was "dangerous" was, he was mistreated his entire life. I saw blackfish, i dont think i ever cried as much as i did when i watched that. If anyone in the comments thinks people "save" these animals. Watch it... than reply
Orcas are probably the second most intelligent species on the planet. They also live in family groups and have a huge need for community. That's 2 things that make us very, very similar, and because of that you can ask... How would you feel being ripped away from your family? Being trapped in a tiny, lonely prison? Forced to perform for screaming masses? Would you do tricks since it's the only fun you get to have? The only community? And yet, wouldn't the whole thing drive you insane? Dealing with the same torture day after day, year after year. With no way to escape? Could you survive that? While I'm sure some of those whales love their people, since they are the only family they have, guaranteed every one of them is unhinged. We can't really predict their behavior because they are all experiencing massive issues. Just like people would under the same conditions. We cannot keep anything that intelligent locked up and not have consequences. We're lucky they don't have hands. That they have no means to hurt most people. Because honestly, we kinda deserve it. Orcas need to be phased out of all aquariums and never be placed in them again. Edit: my trash spelling
Can you cover Lolita, Nami, and Hugo? As well as Alexis Martinez who was killed by Keto at Loro Parque? Also Ken Peters who was almost drowned by Kasatka?
Flatly, they shouldn’t have the whales at all. These are not animals that can live comfortably in captivity. Marine mammals are incredibly intelligent, have their own languages and need massive spaces to roam happily in order to get the level of activity they need to stave off obesity and muscular loss. There’s lots of animals that do very well in proper human care and husbandry as pets or education attractions, orcas are among the last animals on the planet that could be put on that list.
They shouldn't have killer whales, but they also shouldn't have any other species of dolphin, nor porpoises, nor beluga whales. People tend to focus on how bad it is for the killer whales because it seems so obvious that, for instance, the tanks are too small. However, captivity is just as bad for the smaller species--and some of those species, such as pilot whales, aren't even much smaller than killer whales. None of them should be kept at dolphinariums.
Thank you for covering this! I watched blackfish years ago and have always been fascinated by killer whales. What a sad situation for someone that truly loved and cared about these animals.
Another un-fun fact abt this situation is that Dawn was also scalped by Tilikum, Its sad that you mentioned that she was growing out her hair to donate :( i never knew that before when i’d seen Blackfish.
Tilikum was one of my favorites, not because of his performances, but because of the hell he had to live with. I felt a deep sympathy for him, and all the other orca and cetaceans kept in abusement parks. When I heard he'd died I cried for hours, it was so unfair that he had such a horrible life. Taken from his pod at a very young age, forced to perform constantly, kept with orca that weren't from his area and therefore couldn't communicate with him and in fact often bullied him as he grew up, used by SeaWorld as a breeding machine...just so much torture and mental anguish. The amount of animals that die in SeaWorlds care is ridiculous, most dying way way before their natural time. We know now that orca, and cetaceans in general, are incredibly intelligent, close knit family groups that depend on each other. He was severed from that and I fully believe he went insane because of it. I don't blame him at all for the injuries and deaths attributed to him, humans forced him into that mindset, he didn't just one day decide to maim or kill. I am sorry that Dawn died, she seemed to be an animal lover, but I have a hard time with this because anyone that works with SeaWorlds animals and doesn't see the abuse and call it out is suspect to me. But he's not the only ones going insane in captivity, we have reports of Russian and Asian orca that are attacking trainers...I fear its only a matter of time before another incident like Tilikums happens again. And Jack Hanna...I used to have a lot of respect for the man when I was younger, but the more I see and hear of him the more I realize he's just a money and attention seeking, arrogant shill. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for the zoos that do their best to reconstruct habitats to be as natural as they can be and love that reputable zoos do their best to keep their animals entertained and healthy, both in body and mind, and that they seek to help the depopulation crisis in a lot of species. I think that most ADA zoos need to be applauded for their efforts in animal preservation. So I get why he'd want to defend them. But places like SeaWorld are NOT zoos. They are amusement parks that abuse the animals under their care for money. The fact he defended SeaWorld by saying they brought Tilikum there for a life is sickening.
Thank you SO much for this video!! I am a fan of "Beneath the surface" and John Hargrove. This book made me cry. And now all is almost forgotten and people are brainwashed from Seaworld. All they do is throw dirt on John H. DISGUSTING And Seaworld has many new aquarium 's in China and Japan and they are worse than in the US. Lolita was the last "coinsidence" where an orca died before coming into a sanctuary. Best whishes from Austria 🙋❣️🇦🇹🐎
I find the whole story difficult. Dawn was 39 at the time of her death. She had been working with the orcas for some time and should have been mature enough to realize what SeaWorld and she herself were doing to the orcas. Yet she still participated in the shows.
Hey! Idk if youve ever covered this, but i suggest checking out a documentary called the cove. Its rather dark, but i think its something that really, really isnt well known at *all*. Everyone always talks about orcas, which is fine, but nobody ever really mentions the dolphin culling that occurs in taiji.
The documentary Blackfish really paints the horrific backstory on the killer whales. But it also shows how SeaWorld refuses to take blame and will place it on the trainers when in reality they wouldn't be in that situation if they hadn't been so selfish.
Even before Dawn's death, Tilikum had been aggressive towards people and it should have been taken as a sign that people shouldn't interact with him.
Wild animals aren't pets nor our entertainment. There is a reason they aren't considered good pets. There is a good reason why we shouldn't physically interact with them.
It's not their fault they act out. It's our fault for not respecting them and their wants/needs.
Dawn and Tilikum were failed that day. SeaWorld needs to be shut down
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Very well said!!!
agreed! I watched blackfish years ago, and it was so sad.
Yes! I highly recommend the movie Blackfish if youre an animal lover or advocate. It made orcas my favorite wild animal. They speak about their brains and how they behave and how smart and how sympathetic and empathetic they probably are due to the size of that part of their brain that signal those things. Before recently, there was only one death due to orca in the wild and its considered to be an accident...that the orca mistook it for a seal. But lately they have started killing humans which is very very unfortunate, but they may have actually figured out that humans boats hurt them severely, our fishing nets hurt them and people that steal their babies for a life of misery at seaworld type places. The USA no longer hunts orca babies for entertainment due to breeding in captivity. But other countries DO. And these whales are very smart. Smarter than some humans, and they can speak to eachother so if one tell its pod that humans are dangerous and should be killed then they will start. I hope this isnt the start of that considering how gentle theyve always ALWAYS been to humans. Divers have even reported pods of orcas surrounding them and realizing it was because a shark was approaching and they were protecting the diver from the shark like they would their baby. Theyre such magical animals. Like the elephants of the sea.
I'll second that.
That shitty former trainer condemning Dawn for not being able to anticipate the moods and whims of a wild, sentient, and intelligent captive animal and then going on to say her own negligence is what led to her death is so beyond cruel and heartless that I can't even put it into words.
But then, to tack on that 'If she were standing here now, she'd tell you that it was her fault.'
It doesn't matter what she'd have to say had she not been mauled to death. The fact is, these corporations are at fault for keeping these highly social and remarkably intelligent animals in borderline torturous environments all so they can keep their profit margins as wide as possible because god forbid they reinvest into the animals that are making them millions and at least attempt to make them even slightly comfortable in their concrete bathtubs.
And I gotta roll my eyes at Jack Hanna basically saying 'I don't know what happened, I wasn't there, I don't work for them, but I sure as fuck will be inserting myself into this situation that has nothing at all to do with me." Shameless grifter.
RIP Dawn and Tillikum
Also captive orcas are PUMPED FULL of metal health drugs all of which have mood changes as a side effect.
I was given Xanax and felt pure anger for no reason. Imagine you have a reason to be angry and you get that side effect. And the orca can't talk to the vet and let them know to switch meds.
Ya gotta love people who categorically state they have no real information on something, but they’re still gonna make some inane statement about it. Talking heads, that’s all they are. The media should call them on it.
Hear hear!! Well said.
Anyone who believes SeaWorld actually cares about the animals and is educational is delusional. They're effectively a circus that relies on animal trainers who double as acrobats, and while I'm sure there have been circuses that did treat some or all of their animals well, most didn't/don't. What exactly is anyone learning about these animals by watching them do circus tricks in a tank that's far too small, yet still too big to be filtered properly? And what right does SeaWorld have to claim they care about the animals when the animals live half or less the lifespan they would in the wild? A wild killer whale might live 80+ years. Some live over 100. In captivity they are lucky to reach 40 and usually die of injuries (from other animals attacking or from collision with the tank) or pneumonia, along with a host of other diseases that they often catch from humans or from their tanks not ever really being clean. They frequently have viral skin infections and fungal infections that, much like pneumonia, wouldn't occur in the wild.
And even worse, because they're actually all about entertainment, they introduce every single animal to the public as Shamu, even though Shamu died decades ago. But that doesn't matter because Shamu is a brand.
That's not even getting into how some of their animals have been acquired. The breeding program and acquisition of more killer whales has been ended, but they're probably still buying and breeding more of the smaller species like pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins. And if they aren't buying them, they're helping other dolphinariums in other countries with even worse care standards to do so. I shouldn't even need to bring up Taiji here.
Most of the trainers probably care about the animals, but the people running SeaWorld do not. And the trainers are often misguided enough to, at least initially, think these animals are happy and healthy in the care of the facility. But it's not just the killer whales suffering, it's also every other dolphin and whale species they keep. Dolphins that live 40-60 years in the wild only tend to live 20 in captivity. It's infuriating. People stood up against abuse of animals by circuses, and yet still find it acceptable for dolphinariums to exist.
The documentary Blackfish completely changed my entire view of aquariums. We already know that solitary confinement, which is basically what Tillikum spent his life in, is a very nasty form of torture. Tillikum wasn't frustrated, he was mentally ill and likely had CPTSD. All the orcas in captivity almost certainly have CPTSD, but especially those captured from the wild do.
Tilli was a transient too. They are bigger and eat mammals. Residents are smaller and only eat fish. Also he was being pumped full of mental health drugs like anti depressiants, anti psychotics and bezodiapines. So that's a terrifying combo. Because alot of mental health drugs have mood changes as side effects. I was given Xanax and felt so angry for no reason. Imagine now a massive orca having a rage side effect. Absolutely Terrifying.
@@ArcadeOrcathey’re also intelligent, but not in the same way we are. It’s generally accepted orcas have the mental acuity of something like a human preschooler.
I don’t know about you, but being locked in a room with an five and a half ton four year old who has been pumped full of drugs and socially isolated all his life sounds like one of my worst nightmares.
Keep in mind, as cid mentioned, the other orcas didn’t like tilikum. This was because he was from a different orca “society” (he was a transient open ocean orca, the rest of their stock were resident east coasts) so he “spoke” a different language to them, he was socially isolated because he couldn’t communicate with his tankmates.
i definitely prefer aquariums that don't have dolphins or whales. i grew up on the monterey bay aquarium, one of the best when it comes to research, preservation and education. i love the otters too, they're such sweethearts
@@l.t.c3847First, Tilly was not "a four year old," killer whales are much smarter than an adult human, let alone a four year old. Second, Tilly came from Iceland, he was not a transient. He came from an Atlantic pod thought to eat both fish and mammals. Sea World did have one transient, and that was Kanduke.
@@thatonelampent5958 ok I misremembered his origin.
But like come on dude, we undersell animal intelligence a lot, but orcas are in no way more intelligent than an adult human except in the ways their brains would need to be. Like of course they’re better at special awareness in a 3d environment, they live in water. That’s like claiming chimps are clearly more intelligent than humans because they have a much better short term memory.
I feel so sad for both of them. I know dawn's heart was pure and tili was just emotionally disregulated in a weird environment. Dawn obviously loved and trusted him. Such a tragedy. The whole thing
How do you know "her heart was pure"? You people kill me! She willingly and happily participated in torturing this poor imprisoned animal.
@@all4mom-xv1hp Thank you.
I agree. If the poor girl was at home making sandwiches or babysitting this would have never happened. She should have been in the house with her burkah or hijab on. So terribly sad to me.
All people who are willing to work there are FAR from 'pure of heart'. Go back to your jebediah farm.
@all4mom-xv1hp what if she drank the Kool aid? Back then, most people genuinely thought that captive whales were happier and healthier because of Seaworld's propaganda. It's not like she was an educated marine biologist.
The bent dorsal fins always make me so upset 😢 what they did to these animals was beyond cruel
Yeah. There only two wild orcas currently who have the flopped fin. They are called port side and starboard. Like left and right because one has his dorsal flopped to the left and ones dorsal is flipped to the right.
@@ArcadeOrca Are they the famous shark eaters?
I got to see orcas in the ocean. Their tall fins were amazing to me who had only ever seen them collapsed.
It is a symptom of the tanks being too small and nutritional deficiencies. Orcas in captivity live about 20-30 years on average, wild one normally make it into their 70s.
@@ArcadeOrca Port and Starboard aren’t the only wild orcas that have dorsal collapse.
I know it's a totally different subject, but I would love Cid to cover "Locks of love". My whole life I thought it was for cancer patients. During covid a friend of mine grew his hair out to 18 inches in 2 years, with the soul purpose of donating it. When the time came he was told his hair would not be donated to a child. It was poor quality because he had a few grey hairs. Then told they NEVER dealt with cancer patients. It is only for children with alopecia. We looked into it. They sell most hair that is donated to wig makers. I never knew.
I’d love to see that too!
I was coming to say this. Here is his next company to cover: locks of love.
While kids with alopecia could also get wigs, that's not what people know them for. It such be cancer patients first and never sell the hair for their gain
Damn I donated my hair there.. Kids with alopecia deserve wigs too of course but kids with cancer should be prioritized
I think the charity is a great idea, but the way Locks of Love is used to bully kids with long hair makes me mad. I was guilted so many times as a kid for not wanting to give my hair. It is great to give something you want to give, but if you are still using something and getting joy out of something, then you have no obligation to give. Learning they sell the hair given made me feel vindicated in saying no and telling people in my life to mind their business as a kid.
You probably don't want to cover another orca so soon, but I'd love to see you make a video on Keiko. I've always thought he was a tragic story on how captive animals cannot always be released into the wild and how public opinion is not always as nuanced as it should be. (To be clear, I do not think he should have stayed at aquariums or attractions, but also that when he failed to thrive in the wild, an alternative needed to be found for his health and safety. 😢)
If I'm reading this correctly, then that is a terrible point you are making. The problem with Keiko wasn't that he couldn't be released. It was that they took him from the wild in the first place. Public opinion was correct and they had no business catching him in 1979 and taking him from his family. This isn't a matter of “we shouldn't have released him,” it’s a matter of, “don't take him in the first place.”
if Keiko was born in captivity then that would be different, but he wasn't.
He survived and thrived for years and was literally dying in captivity as it was. He was underweight, sick, covered in sores, and so much more. Keeping him in captivity would not have prolonged his life, he was dying regardless.
And keeping him with humans would just put his life in danger as well, as well as the lives of other humans.
@@huntsman9316right???? He was dying in captivity, too.
@@incineroar9933 ikr!? this dude acting like humans saved him from the wild. Like what🤦♀️
some real 'how dare you say we piss on the poor' replies in here LOL.
Just a couple of things to mention that weren’t completely clear in the video.
1. The two whales causing issues earlier in the day were Kayla (RIP) and Kalina (RIP), from what I’ve read they didn’t really get along and we’re battling for dominance. Kayla had been moved to Florida from the Texas park fairly recently so the social structure was up in the air.
2. Whilst Tilli did spent a lot of time by himself, post Taima’s death he was often kept with his daughter Malia (who he spent time with as a newborn) and then when she became sexually mature, he would be put with his grandson Trua until his death (Tilli’s death, not Trua. Trua is still alive).
This video was really good and well researched. I will say that whilst Seaworld are a terrible corporation and have done a lot of terrible things to their animals, they are much better than some other places that have kept/are keeping orcas such as Loro Parque (killed two orcas by cheaping out on food), Miami Seaquarium (just everything about that place), marine land Canada (same as seaquarium) and mundo marino in Argentina (their lone male orca is starving because they cannot afford to feed him). Honestly, the rabbit hole about orca captivity is deep and very dark.
Wait what did marine land Canada do?
Just to add a couple of things. After Ikaika was taken back by Seaworld, marine land had 1 orca called Kiska who they kept alone for 12 years, other lone orcas are often kept with dolphins but Kiska was kept absolutely alone. For any animal as social as orcas keep her alone is essentially torture. They have a long history of splitting orca mothers from babies and keeping them in really bad conditions (such as Junior who was kept in a tiny pool in a warehouse for 5 years without any natural light or fresh air. He died of brain damage although the circumstances are not known as to how). Obviously, if they’re doing this to orcas they’re doing it to all their other animals. A quick google search will show you some horrifying pictures of the conditions their animals live in.
Thanks for your insights! Apparently, Kayla and Kalina got on well at first. Then, when Kayla tried to reassert her dominance, Kalina was an easy target because she was a pretty submissive orca in her later years. According to Seaworld's own animal profiles, Tilikum, Takara and even Katina all exhibited aggressive behavior toward Kalina in the years before she died. I'm always wondering what, if any, effect the fight between Kalina and Kayla had on Tilikum that day. Tilikum wasn't in the pool at the time of the fight. In all likelihood, he had spent the earlier part of the day in one of the back pools, either alone or with Taima and Malia. Also, another random thought: remember in Blackfish when Orkid attacked the trainer Tamarie in San Diego? John Hargrove said that what saved Tamarie was that another trainer made Kasatka come into the pool and because Kasatka was the dominant female, Orkid stopped what she was doing and let Tamarie go. I wonder what would have happened if the trainers in Orlando had done the same and moved Katina into the pool where Tilikum and Dawn were. Given how dominant and protective of her trainers Katina was, I like to think that she could have saved Dawn...
@@mb19992 I think it might have caused him to leave dawn, but orkid was trained to have people in the water with her, Tilikum was not.
It's not just killer whales. People focus on how bad it is for them because it's so obvious when you see the size of the animal and the size of the tank. But how about the pilot whales, the false killer whales, the belugas? It's obviously bad for them, too. Less obvious, but no less terrible, is how the smaller dolphins are treated. And not only are they living in too small of a tank and living about half as long as they would in the wild (just like killer whales live about half their wild lifespan when in captivity), not only are they being made to perform like circus animals, but they're also put into direct interactive contact with humans.
You know, the same way certain diseases like pneumonia have become prevalent with killer whales. Many smaller dolphins also die of pneumonia thanks to exposure, poor living conditions, stress/low immunity, etc. There's no ethical way to keep any of these animals in captivity. The tanks are too small for them, but also too large to be kept properly clean even if they *appear* clean to visitors. They lack sufficient mental stimulation and physical exercise. They are stressed from the noise of the crowds and other activities such as construction (some dolphins have been killed by proximity to construction).
And one thing that is true for both killer whales and bottlenose dolphins is that it's recently been determined that there are multiple species of them. There's not just one overarching killer whale (this is why I don't call them orcas, because there is only one species that is correctly named "orca," which would be Orcinus orca); the Southern residents are their own species, and the offshore ones that live nearby are also a species. Scientists are fairly certain there are at least two more species living in the Antarctic, based on their phenotypical differences. As for bottlenose dolphins, there are two definitive species known, though there is another that's been proposed and there could be four or more due to how widespread bottlenose dolphins are. Much like killer whales, they're widespread, but different populations have different habitats, behaviors, and vocalizations. And why do I bring this up? Because SeaWorld, in their great wisdom, saw fit to mingle animals that were from completely different populations--and thus, completely different species--and interbreed them. Then they're shocked when for some unknown reason transient killer whales and resident killer whales from opposite sides of the world don't get along with one another, because aren't they the same animal? And animals don't need to communicate, right?
I could go on, but please, if you're gonna get upset about killer whales, get upset about all the captive cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises). There's no way we can presently provide them with a suitable environment in captivity short of possibly creating a massive sea pen that would allow them to interact with other members of their species outside of it and hunt fish inside of it. That wouldn't be conducive to having an audience, thus it wouldn't bring in money to SeaWorld, thus they won't do it.
I cannot fathom why Sea World would continue to use an animal that had already killed two people and furthermore, I cannot fathom how anyone would willingly get into a tank with an animal that had killed two people!!
Please don’t take my comment as blaming Tilikum; he’s an animal caged in a completely unnatural environment that is, on its face, cruel and inhumane. He’s a killer whale, not a monster with malicious intentions. I can’t imagine how hard his life was at that place.
Because of Tilikum's size he was also used in the breeding program a lot. Like half of the calfs born at SeaWorld are fathered by Tilly.
Money
I think if Dawn had an idea that happened, she won't have gone to work with him. Sea world is only to blame
@@basementdwellercosplay dawn chose a profession that is literally animal abuse. No she did not deserve this! But she was not innocent. Please watch blackfish. The trainers knew. And still chose this.
@@KimVerhaaffI have watched blackfish, I still think dawn won't have wanted to work with a orca that had killed people. SeaWorld is still the only ones at fault to me based on the evidence I've seen
Cid, I was so happy to see this coverage. As a dog and horse trainer I had so many unanswered questions. You answered them all.
Long story short is that animals don't take shit forever. I feel the same way about Tillikum as I do about the elephants that suddenly snap.
Agreed. One of the saddest stories I've ever heard was about Mary the elephant. I hope Cid covers her story one day, but I wouldn't blame him if he didn't. It's quite morbid.
@@jessicar823 I cry every time I see footage of it.
Hers a bit of important information. Tilli was a transient orca. Usually they prefer the residental orcas. Transients tend to be larger and eat mammals while residents only eat fish.
Also sea world pumps the orca full of anti depressants, anti psychotics and bezodiapines. All of which have side effects like anger and mood changes.
I would actually like him to do a story on the horse that were being killed and meat stolen. Not by the owners. People were sneaking on to property and doing this to people's pets. There were a good bit of them in Florida (of course) it was horrific.
Truly a tragic story. I can't tolerate companies victim blaming people whom are hurt or killed. It is super scummy for the victims family. Avoiding a lawsuit at any cost to someones reputation. Terrible
Reading the autopsy report for Dawn is gruesome. A part of her scalp arrived seperate from the body. He scalped her whole damn head. Tili was an angry & trauamatised whale, it's very tragic he took Dawn's life but really I blame Seaworld. They knew Tili would kill again.
So sad! I cannot believe that Dawn was blamed for her death. Though, I cannot fathom how you can love animals and work in a place like this. It would kill me having to see this cruelty every day.
What cruelty?
@@kaleb7636 ...you don't think keeping intelligent animals in a swimming pool with little enrichment is cruel?
@@itsamagicalliopleurodon It's not a swimming pool it's 7 million gallons 🩵. How do they have little enrichment when they're accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, and IMATA?
Ahh yeah, it's just like the ocean then! 🫡
@@kaleb7636do you know anything about Orcas? In the wild, they swim up to 100 miles a day. You could be put in a small room to live out the rest of your life. If your basic needs were met, you'd physically live too, no doubt. It's still no life.
Exited to see you cover this! I’ve looked into it so much, such a horrible situation for every human and animal involved.
I really like how you educate us on the welfare of animals. The more I see that zoos and aquariums would be better phased out eventually
Phased out?? Okay, how do you want us to fund the conservation of the Hawai'ian tree snails, white-bellied frogs, desertas wolf spiders, and other critically endangered animals without zoos? They would all be extinct if their conservation relied on tax dollars or charity.
Some zoos are actually amazing. There’s one in Minnesota called Snake Discovery and they’re incredible
The fact that the former trainers and lawyers proceed to blame Dawn after her death is level of disgusting I can't comprehend.
Cid yet again an amazing animal based video. I really love this format for your channel. I love hearing and learning about this sort of thing from you. I also love how objective and unbiased. Keep making videos My frriend. I hope you get to 50000 subscribers, you deserve it
Orcas are incredible animals, but as intelligent and emotional as they are it’s easy to forget that they are also 4 ton predators. They should never be kept in captivity in the first place, and it’s even crazier to use them for entertainment purposes. It’s giving Jurassic Park vibes honestly.
it's ironic isn't it? people were terrified of the velociraptors in JP, not realizing orcas are basically the same and can snap at any moment. Yet we keep imprisoning them in small tanks
The reason the sheriff said that is because he most likely was paid off by Sea World. And by blaming the victim SeaWorld won't have to pay out anything. It was her fault after all, she fell in. That's exactly how they're framing this.
Look into Lolita aka tokatee. She was 47. She was kept in a tank where her tail dragged on the bottom. So sad. She should have been released into a sea pen for retirement unfortunately so many idiots where against her having freedom because she wouldn't survive. But imo even if she did pass she was 20+ years older than any orca in captivity. Majority of orcas don't make it past 15/20. So if she did pass away at least she would've been free. When I heard the news that she passed away still in captivity I cried. Finally when progress was made to get her to a sea pen. She died. I absolutely can not stand or understand why anybody wanted to keep her in prison. So selfish.
Her necropsy came back that she was having heart and kidney failure. She was sent to the university of Georgia for her necropsy and they absolutely destroyed her body. So disrespectful. They cremated her remains and sent them to the Lummi nation where they had a private ceremony and spread her ashes. I never met Toki but I hope she knows how much I love her. She survived for so long of just sear will power.
The saddest thing is they've been able to successfully find toki's biological family and her mother is still a live and they had every hope for a successful release
They took large, intelligent predators and put them in what is essentially a fishbowl, let hundreds if not thousands (idk what SeaWorld attendance is like) gawk at them daily, and expected that the whales wouldn't end up traumatized and act out. The things humans do to animals is horrific.
Tilikum had already killed two people at this point. No one should have been anywhere near him.
IMO both SeaWorld and Sealand of the Pacific (tho it closed down after Tilikum and other whales killed trainer Keltie Byrne) are to blame for Dawn Brancheau's death.
😢 you've got that right. A betta fish is even in a better position when it's in at least 5 l of water To the orcas these tanks are like a small little dresser drawer top fishbowl😢.
thank you for covering this- truly a heartbreaking story
All of seaworld's behavior is so disgusting. Doing everything they can to keep one of their cash revenues open but not all of their staff members safe. I wish the animals that could be kept in captivity and used for entertainment were more regulated, as some animals really shouldn't be- and some facilities really shouldn't be able to house them.
Going back to your Seaquest video, I was beyond angry with how they could keep buying endangered animals just to kill them not long after. I am currently studying environmental science, and hope to eventually make a change to help protect these creatures
You'd think when the orca dies they'd give them a proper and nice burial but no. They dump the body at the dump.
I love Orcas and have dedicated a lot of time researching them. I really love the animal videos youve been doing and appreciate the research and care you take when discussing these topics. Another intresting orca to look into is Lolita/ Toki from the Miami Seaquarium. She just passed earlier this year and her story is incredibly heartbreaking. Her release has been a controversial topic for years and just as it seemed like she was getting close to it She passed.
I've heard the story several times before, but I had no idea the reason why she was growing her hair was for charity. It's so tragic and it wasn't her fault.
this was amazing to watch, despite how dark the subject matter is. I did a speech about this back in the day when a college class required one and so many of the things you brought up were the same points i made. i tried to give understanding to tillie while still expressing how tragic the loss of trainers lives was and you did it incredibly.
I was in the park that day when it happened. We were on a school trip and I was eating lunch with some classmates when the announcement came that everyone had to leave the park. I was confused as I had been to SeaWorld in the past and I knew the park didn’t shut down until 8-9pm. When I went home that evening is when I found out what happened and I never went back to the park since.
I really like the direction your channel is going, giving a voice to animals that cannot speak on their own, and bringing to light things that I never would've heard of otherwise (the animal shelter sending rodents to a reptile food supplier). I feel like since the corruption of animal planet (yeah a corporation is probably always corrupt but I think we can all agree they used to be better) I haven't seen much talk about animal rights besides tiger king and blackfish and you are way more down to earth and caring than the big budget sensationalism that seems to have corneeed the market
Can you please cover elephants? How many elephants in the US and how many have killed people? Last I heard it's the vast majority of elephants in captivity.
Elephants are truely terrifying and are not something to take lightly. They are smart and have the physical power to kill you with full intent. I remember hearing years ago many were released to a sanctuary
Cid, I came back to recommend the book The Astonishing Elephant by Shana Alexander. She has a lot of science and statistics in the book that would blow your mind. Records of the accidents etc
Caitlin Dougherty did an excellent video on elephants.
ua-cam.com/video/aICeLVxltsw/v-deo.htmlsi=vxVQDU2Ya4lXvJLA
I live in the Midwest and not long ago I saw some elephants on fairgrounds with a circus and was appalled, I thought it had been made illegal to have elephants in circuses and I felt so awful for them 😞 That’s not where they belong
Cid, I absolutely LOVE the new topics your covering on your channel. I have been a subscriber for a while now, but these new topics are so informative!! Thank you for bringing awareness ❤
Disappointing that everyone moved on from this story so quickly after the documentary.
@@apolloflukess The documentary held a lot of truth in it. SeaWorld tried to shift the blame of Dawns death on Dawn herself and tried cover up Tilikum's violent behavior. He had killed someone already, and yet they allowed people to get that close to him? Heck, it's shameful that they even bred him. In what breeding program would you want to breed an animal with a history of violence?
@@apolloflukess Don’t act like Blackfish is 100% false lol. I hate blackfish, but I also hate SeaWorld. SeaWorld is not the good guy here, they’re a faceless cooperation that exists to make a profit.
@apolloflukess lol you're kidding right? Don't tell youre one of those pro captive weirdos.
The SeaWorld shows just like the alligator shows here in South Florida don't have any educational value. Our position is all it does is teach people to do stupid things with wild and dangerous animals. This video was a good, non-emotional, factual presentation of the animals history. Well done!
Thank you for stating something I've said for years. Not only do dolphinariums like SeaWorld not educate people by making animals perform circus shows, but at times they actively spread misinformation about the animals (i.e. regarding excessive tooth wear in captive animals that doesn't happen to that extent in the majority of wild populations or how uncommon it is for dorsal fins to fall over in the wild) because the truth makes SeaWorld look bad. And because they're a for-profit organization, they don't want customers to view them in a negative light.
I love that the moments of silence at the end of these more serious videos are for the subjects now
3:00 Bro seriously pulled a "That was his mistake" like flipping Callaghan from Big Hero 6. 💀
Yayy I’m so happy you posted, you always cover topics so respectfully and in depth!
Tilikum’s story was what made me realize how cruel zoos and aquariums were at age 13 😢
No. Accredited Zoos and Aquariums are good and needed. Those accredited are involved in the conservation and in breeding programs to help these endangered animals.
Take cheetahs and clouded leopards. They both have terrible breeding numbers because of bad fertility as well as mate aggression. There has been success stories of breeding these animals in real zoos to bring numbers up and add genetic diversity back into low populations.
Zoos aren't the problem my guy, aquariums that have orcas and dolphins and animals that literally have shown to be bad in captivity (especially with how small seaworld's "exhibits" are) are. We need zoos to conserve animals, not to mention that animals in zoos usually aren't kept in small cages/boxes anymore (thank god) bc it's inhumane. There's a lot of animals we wouldn't have anymore without zoos helping, some bc they're extinct in the wild for example.
The problem is seaworld are too stubborn and stupid to see that.
@klltx2001 yup! The aquarium I use to live by had/still has dolphins, but they no longer do shows (haven't for a REAL long time) and they said when they stopped doing shows that they'd stop bringing in new ones/breeding them. But they held onto the few that they had/may still have
@@klltx2001 This is why I like the Aquarium of the Pacific , it doesn't have any whales or dolphins. But it also provides all animals with great maintenance and a good habitat. It also has more than just marine life there as well.
@@klltx2001The same goes for the San Diego Zoo , it gives the animals the proper care and space to be maintained.
tilikum the whale and his story has fascinated me for a while. love to see you cover it!
OMG THIS IS MY JAM. Tilli was a transient orca. While generally they used residents. The main difference Is residents only eat fish. Transients eat mammals as well.
Orcas are my fav animal..
The orcas in the straight of Gibraltar have been attacking certain types of boats. As I am aware there was a few incidents during covid between poachers and orcas. Like they threw dynamite and harpooned them.
Orcas are SOOOO amazing. Each pod / family group speaks a unique language. Thats why when SeaWorld grabs random orcas from random pods they can get frustrated with each other. It'd be like if a few people from a few different countries where put in a bathroom and told to live with each other. The language barrier would start to get very frustrating.
The oldest orca was granny the orca and she lived to 108ish.
Here's a cool orca story, in the Australia area around the early 1900s there was a group of orcas who worked with local whailers. They'd swim to the shore and alert the whailers. The whailers would follow the orcas and hunt together! Super cool when animals and humans work together like that.
All dolphins are interesting creatures, and most of them have similar pod/region-specific dialects. There have been multiple wild bottlenose dolphin populations that actively work with fishermen to herd fish into their nets. They continue to do this behavior to this day, and it benefits both the dolphins and the humans.
What's interesting to me about killer whales is that we've long assumed there's only one species, but apparently the residents and offshores/transients are separate species, per a recent DNA study. And there are probably 2-3 more species in the Antarctic waters that haven't been confirmed yet, and maybe even more that we've seen all along and assumed to be all the same species. They all have some general similarities, but the species do have distinct appearances if you know what to look for.
Most scientists now believe the rudder-attacking killer whales are playing because they figured out they can manipulate the boats, but there have been some who think it's because one of the older females was hit by a boat and has been teaching younger killer whales to attack them.
YESS!!! I've been WAITING for you to make a video on SeaWorld!! That places gives me the MEGA ICK to put it lightly 💔
miami seaquarium, loro parque and marineland canada make seaworld look like paradise compared to them. yes, seaworld has had its own controversies but it doesn't come close to the blatant neglect and abuse from those facilities.
@@trashsnail Oh 100% agree! I've read and heard some TERRIBLE shit abt those places
@trashsnail to me they are all apart of the same beast.
@@ArcadeOrca i agree. i do not support orcas in captivity, ESPECIALLY wild caught. however there is still no sea pen sanctuary for the ones in captivity now to go to. many were born in captivity and are hybrids of ecotypes that would never meet and/or inbred. the ones that were born in the wild have now been in captivity so long, it would be very difficult to rewild them and the chances of success would be low.
just look at what happened to keiko. while it's nice he could roam free and experience the ocean again for the last few years of his life, he still never integrated with wild orcas and craved human interaction and sadly died of pneumonia.
i'm just saying that right now, i would consider seaworld to be the best when it comes to orca care and they are AZA accredited, they have to meet strict guidelines for enrichment, health, diet, etc and have rescued and released thousands of marine animals. unfortunately they cancelled the blue world project and i hate how dated the tanks are.
i wish it was at least something more like the tank at chimelong spaceship which is currently the world's largest orca tank and also has the world's biggest wave machine. their orcas seem to enjoy it from the videos i've seen.
it makes me think about how the orcas in seaworld would love something like that and it makes me sad :( blue world was actually planned to be bigger than chimelong's tank too, and much more natural looking.
don't worry, i DEFINITELY don't like chimelong, i just think the tank is interesting lol. and i'm also glad that seaworld stopped breeding orcas, but i'm immensely disappointed they cancelled blue world because of the breeding ban. that's ridiculous. you could still reuse it for other animals after all of the orcas eventually pass. i think we need to give the orcas remaining in captivity the best lives possible until a sea pen sanctuary is built but honestly i don't know if that will ever happen.
Another fantastic video, Cid. I had always heard that the incident was caused by Dawn’s ponytail, but that had never added up. If the ponytail was such a hazard, why was it allowed in the first place? Seaworld absolutely failed Tilikum and Dawn. Heartbreaking.
Yay, thanks for covering this! The effort you put into all your videos truly shows and makes your videos so enjoyable. You're also so handsome! :)
Cid, your videos are very well-made and you are charismatic and passionate enough to carry this channel far. But could you please list your sources more clearly? Especially after the James Somerton case, I think everyone should be wary of video essays, and it would definitely put my mind at ease to know where you found this information.
I’ve already heard this story, but I just really like Cid so I’m here while making some food before gift wrapping ❤️
I gave too much of a soft spot for animal abuse so i cant really watch your recent videos but I'm really happy that you are sharing there stories eventho i cant watch them i fully support your vids
the fact that these animals may have a greater capacity for emotions than humans is incredible to me. They should be treated as equals imo.
Can you talk about the miami seaquarium and the issues with that next?
Rip tokatee 😭 she was so close to freedom. But because those pro captivity people she passed away in prison.. even if she would've died in the sea pen at least she would've died free.
My husband actually works with Mayor Cava for Parks and Open Spaces in Dade County and what the FDA (Federal Department of Agriculture) AND Cava found out last year re: the treatment of the animals at Seaquarium was absolutely abhorrent!
Bottle nose dolphins were only getting 40% of their daily diet.
Tortoises were getting 20%.
It used to be something of note in it’s heyday (I wouldn’t know, I’ve always thought it wrong to pay for ‘animal entertainment’; I stayed behind in the late 80’s in school when I refused to go on a class trip to the Seaquarium).
It needs to be torn down; it’s tacky, dated, and doesn’t align with ANYONE locally (it’s 305’s ‘dirty little secret’).
Unlike the beach, KB is another island that retains some of its original charm and history; but is now being filled to the brim with trash.
Love & Light from Miami Shores🦚
Stay safe mates✌🏼🌎
Have a care for one another🫧🌲🖤
*Heard about the horrible heat situation over there, hope you’re doing well in that heatwave that the whole world has been hearing about!
I’ve always loved aquatic animals but I’ve always wanted the best for them. If an animal is in captivity they need to be in a proper environment with their needs met and then some. My heart always breaks for orcas because they should never be in captivity, an Orca actually passed away from Miami Fl named Lolita and her case breaks my heart in half. The case of Dawn and Tilikum does as well. None of these animals deserve to be in captivity and especially neglected. I appreciate you creating such wonderful videos spreading awareness and shedding light on these problems. The more we talk about it the more we can change. I hope to see the day when Sea world shuts down.
Yeah, I already know he was not trying to kill dawn. It was just plain but playing for them is deadly for us That's also why he just stared at her dead body and didn't want to give her up. You have to remember it's like dawn was his family. Anybody that got into that pool with him would be like family Seeing as he's rejected by every other orca. He just is acting normal but that's kind of too much for people
See I disagree with this. Orcas, much like dolphins, are smart enough to abuse weaknesses. They’re smart enough to know when to back off. Hell, Orcas are one of the very few species where SERIAL KILLERS have been observed. Look up “port and starboard orcas” they’re a duo that flip sharks onto their backs, putting them in a meditative state, and eat them alive. They’ve also been known to slap other animals out of the water while alive simply for the fun of it.
I mean, he'd killed two other people before this, so I have my doubts. I'm not blaming him, whales aren't made to be kept in captivity, but I definitely feel like he had buried hatred toward humans that came out every ten or so years.
Abused animals don't like being forced to play with their abusers.
Nah I think you're not giving him the proper credit. They are extremely intelligent. He was a transient orca being pumped full of mental health drugs. That have mood changes as side effects. Put yourself in his situation. The trainers aren't their friends. They are prison gaurds.
@@incineroar9933 So you're saying Dawn was an abuser?
Thank you for your content!
I found your channel when I was going through a severe peak in my anxiety, you brought me so much comfort ❤ (and still do!)
i love seeing videos on these kinds of situations, i think its really important to educate others. many people have no idea how awful the conditions these animals are kept in are and its great to see it discussed. but i wish youd mention blackfish in the description, and anything else you used as sources, so people can see more after watching your video.
this channel is really good ,very good journalism
Thank you!! :)
dropping everything watch this. you know i’ve been waiting.
I love your videos Cid. Thank you for putting out such compassionate and respectful content! ❤️
i love your channel so much. you have such a big heart and you always deliver your praise and concerns in a very entertaining and informative way. you have never missed !
💜💜💜
Your work is fantastic, I love your consistent run here with animal ethics themed videos. Keep them coming your work is great.
Honestly hearing that guy speak for the dead really puts into perspective they close ranks like the cops to cover their asses and not have the company take fault for the employees being in danger for profit. More people should be upset and angry at what a company will let slide for profit. Sea world and alot of other things today wouldn't be hurting other people and animals if we as a society could value the dollars made a little less.
I’m glad I found a channel that cares about all animals, big and small 🥰
I love this thank you so much for uploading so many people cover this topic knowing very little about Dawn or the orcas she worked with it’s nice to see a video from someone who has done their research great video 😃
The sad thing is the only way you're most likely going to get them to stop the attack. You're going to need to throw something into the water that can produce noise to make them retreat or just use an explosive one just big enough to scare
Yeah the only way to force an orca off of something, prey or toy, will probably panic the animal and potentially make the situation all the more dangerous.
RIP Dawn and Tilikum.
These animals should never be in captivity. It’s just heartbreaking.
True
The documentary blackfish literally broke my heart for those poor animals. They should've never been taken into captivity
Jack Hanna was never a friend of animals, only money. I realized that as a child.
Despite all I already knew about this, I didn't know that Dawn was growing her hair out for Locks of Love. I feel sick.
on a positive note, it's important to remember not all aquariums and zoos are like this! i love my local aquarium, which doesn't have any whales or dolphins, and focuses a lot on conservation. seaworld is a profit-focused company existing for entertainment. but there are good places out there that really want to educate people and take care of endangered animals.
Why using these animals for entertainment is not their natural habitats.
@@anonymousanonymous870 of course! that's why conservation efforts are focused on rescuing animals whose homes have been destroyed, rebuilding and protecting their natural habitats, and taking them from people who buy them as "exotic pets". :)
Not all aquariums and zoos are bad, but every single dolphinarium is. Dolphins, whales, and porpoises should not be in captivity, because there is no existing facility that has appropriate conditions to maintain their health and happiness. Even if we could build such a facility, it wouldn't be an income-producing system because ideally, since we're talking about appropriate conditions for the animals' health and happiness, you would discourage crowds. Crowds are noisy, and these animals are sound-sensitive. You'd also have to come up with an innovative new means of keeping the water clean, because even if it looks clean, the animals at SeaWorld are swimming in their own waste. Or you'd just have to use a massive sea pen, with separate pens for each species and gender. Again, this is not conducive to making an income.
You'll notice a trend here that I'm mentioning income. That's because that's all SeaWorld is about. It's a stationary circus, focused on sea animals, that is much more about entertainment than it is education. Being as it is about entertainment, it's also about getting money from the people being entertained. As long as money is coming in, and they can afford to replace their animals, dolphinariums don't care that the animals are miserable.
I'm not against captive animals in general, but any animal that has its lifespan halved (or worse) by the best conditions we can provide for it in captivity, should not be kept in captivity. And most whales, dolphins, and porpoises can't survive at all in captivity, while those that do tend to live half their natural lifespan that they'd have in the wild. Compare that to most captive animals that are provided appropriate habitats and enrichment. For instance, wolves and lions live double if not triple the lifespan in captivity that they would live in the wild. We can provide excellent conditions for their health and enrichment. But even though we've studied bottlenose dolphins for years now, most captive ones don't reach anywhere near their wild lifespan of about 40 years, and for killer whales, males in the wild live about 60 years, females live about 80... and captive ones tend to live 30-40, if they're lucky.
@@brassbuckles absolutely, that's why i mentioned that mine doesn't have whales or dolphins.
I find it extremely distasteful how Sea World hid the incident reports of previous employees who’ve died handling this orca, and then proceeded to be likened as if that’s comparable to stepping on a bug or something…I also find it ignorant how Dawn’s case was surmised to her not knowing what she was doing, when it was clear as day she took so much pride handling the animals, and learning about them. She genuinely cared!
It’s bull 💩 how careless the staff were for both the ones who’ve died, and the orca being exploited for profit. The audacity and greed to even have money signs flashing in their eyes; profiting off someone’s death as well as undermining everything Dawn ardently strived for is disgusting! I never liked Jack Hanna. I found him uneducated at times and downright hypocritical to animal welfare. He was an “advocate” for profits, not conservation. He’s deadass a walking PETA sign but less annoying.
Would it be fair to blame him having dementia on his wife? Kinda just like…ya know, Sea World and him blaming an animal who doesn’t cope well in a small ass swimming pool, who’s meant to be wild unless you’re making efforts to mend one who’s sick, who’s just there for money and entertainment purposes, who clearly had signs of MAJOR stress prior to Dawn’s death, who also caused prior trainer fatalities at the park; hidden away and kept hush hush, on Dawn?
It seems logical, and fair.
A few weeks before this happened, they did a major safety drill ie. a drill for this exact situation. It completely failed. People were disorganized, nets were all tangled etc.
I really love this unexpected turn in ur channel ! Hope to see more !
I would not be afraid to swim with a wild orca, but would be absolutely terrified of swimming with a captive one. These animals have been driven completely insane, are perpetually drugged, anxious, stressed and bored out of their minds, and likely to snap... several times a day. They are given Xanax to curb behaviors like repeatedly banging their heads against the sides of their tanks, and endless pacing.
The isolation tank they kept him in after the incident was not even as deep as he was long... all he could do was bob around while the sun slowly baked him.
Sea World should be shut the hell down. It wasn’t the trainer’s fault but it certainly wasn’t the animal’s.
Haven’t had the time to sit down and watch this yet but I know by the comments alone it’s about to be another banger as always
cid, youre content is amazing ❤️ please keep doing what you do!
Great video!! I always love seeing you cover these cases, as sad and fucked as they are, I trust you to give me accurate info and portray the abuse for what it is.
If you plan to cover more orca cases in the future I would love to see a video about Tokitae, she was named Tokitae by The Lummi Nation, who see the orcas as kin but was named Lolita by the park. She was the longest living orca in captivity and she died this year before she could be freed.
So sad. Tilikums story breaks my heart. 💔
The poor guy clearly snapped by all the stress and abuse in his past . And all this for what? A living sperm bank?
Didn't help that he was being pumped full of mental health meds and anti anxiety meds. Those meds have horrible side effects like modd changes. So imagine you already are upset and have those side effects. Tragic.
idk how i feel about the background music with this one. good video though, thank you for your retelling.
THANK YOU for covering this topic… !!!! (I am extra interested (almost obsessed) with this topic, & the topic of captive Orcas in general!!
Dawn was in my sorority Alpha Delta Pi…. so it felt really personal to me.
(For whatever reason, it is difficult to find DETAILS about killer whale attacks & incidents…. I am very interested in them!!!)
Just an interesting note, but CHINA has TONS of captive Orcas… in tiny little tanks…)🤨
If you love orcas I'm generally I have a story I think you'll love. There's a documentary here on UA-cam. Wild orcas worked with whailers to hunt together in the early 1900s in the Australia area. I watched that documentary in awe. Orcas are amazing!
I adore Orcas, and also fear them more than practically any other animal besides chimps. To love is to understand, and to respect. The employees at sea world can claim they love their animals, but they dont. Many of those trainers are selfishly attached to the idea of a relationship with these animals, while said animal has no choice in the matter. Its foolish.
Very interesting. Thank you. Cohesive and brings up points I hadnt heard before.
The way that orca's fin was flipped over :( I Hate seaworld so much
Thanks for covering this. So many tragic Orca stories and they’re my absolute favorite animal. Truly a remarkable and misunderstood creature
As a child, I went to Sea World and, as a teenager, went whale watching in the ocean. I can tell you seeing them out in the water of the ocean is incredible. Way better than seeing the animals swimming around in the equivalent of a kiddy pool. I had the opportunity to see the wild whales breaching not artificially told to do this, and it is something I will never forget. They are incredible animals and don't deserve to be put in parks and forced to do silly little shows for human entertainment. Mind you, the whale watching was also much cheaper, being about 25 dollars for 6 hours out on the ocean where the sea world is around 60 dollars to enter the park. Also, the boat had free coffee and cookies. I know which I would go see again. Sea World should be shut down for animal cruelty.
As a Floridian, and some who visited the park a couple days ago and when I was a child I will say; I feel SeaWorld has really tried to turn things around. The Orcas seem to be in good health other than the bent fins and of course being in captivity, they seem to really be taking care of all of their animals, and of course trying to install new rides for the inevitable day that their last Orca passes. I will say it’s also a shame. I got to watch the show in 5th grade, and seeing the trainers swim and perform with the animals was amazing. It was so majestic. It’s sad that many people will never experience it, but even more said that many trainers have lost their life. While watching the show the other day, I leaned over to my boyfriend and mentioned that I wish there was a way right before the Orcas passed that they could be released into the ocean to experience what freedom feels like before they die 😢
ive been hoping for a video from you on this yess!!!
Another great piece Cid. I burnt my hand on a curling iron while listening to your video, so if I get scars I will have a connection/reminder to this exact video lol. I love orcas and I’m glad sea world is suffering the consequences. I believe they are no longer able to breed the orcas they have in captivity as well
The reason tillikum was "dangerous" was, he was mistreated his entire life. I saw blackfish, i dont think i ever cried as much as i did when i watched that. If anyone in the comments thinks people "save" these animals. Watch it... than reply
Orcas are probably the second most intelligent species on the planet. They also live in family groups and have a huge need for community. That's 2 things that make us very, very similar, and because of that you can ask... How would you feel being ripped away from your family? Being trapped in a tiny, lonely prison? Forced to perform for screaming masses? Would you do tricks since it's the only fun you get to have? The only community? And yet, wouldn't the whole thing drive you insane? Dealing with the same torture day after day, year after year. With no way to escape? Could you survive that?
While I'm sure some of those whales love their people, since they are the only family they have, guaranteed every one of them is unhinged. We can't really predict their behavior because they are all experiencing massive issues. Just like people would under the same conditions. We cannot keep anything that intelligent locked up and not have consequences.
We're lucky they don't have hands. That they have no means to hurt most people. Because honestly, we kinda deserve it. Orcas need to be phased out of all aquariums and never be placed in them again.
Edit: my trash spelling
Can you cover Lolita, Nami, and Hugo? As well as Alexis Martinez who was killed by Keto at Loro Parque? Also Ken Peters who was almost drowned by Kasatka?
Running to watch this🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻♀️
This is so informative! Great job, fantastic reporting!🌻🌼🐝 Keep it up 🙌
Seaworld’s history is just so interesting
Flatly, they shouldn’t have the whales at all. These are not animals that can live comfortably in captivity. Marine mammals are incredibly intelligent, have their own languages and need massive spaces to roam happily in order to get the level of activity they need to stave off obesity and muscular loss.
There’s lots of animals that do very well in proper human care and husbandry as pets or education attractions, orcas are among the last animals on the planet that could be put on that list.
They shouldn't have killer whales, but they also shouldn't have any other species of dolphin, nor porpoises, nor beluga whales. People tend to focus on how bad it is for the killer whales because it seems so obvious that, for instance, the tanks are too small. However, captivity is just as bad for the smaller species--and some of those species, such as pilot whales, aren't even much smaller than killer whales. None of them should be kept at dolphinariums.
Thank you for covering this! I watched blackfish years ago and have always been fascinated by killer whales. What a sad situation for someone that truly loved and cared about these animals.
Another un-fun fact abt this situation is that Dawn was also scalped by Tilikum, Its sad that you mentioned that she was growing out her hair to donate :( i never knew that before when i’d seen Blackfish.
You've really gotta feel bad for these animals...whales should really not be kept in captivity, since they are way too complex.
Tilikum was one of my favorites, not because of his performances, but because of the hell he had to live with. I felt a deep sympathy for him, and all the other orca and cetaceans kept in abusement parks. When I heard he'd died I cried for hours, it was so unfair that he had such a horrible life. Taken from his pod at a very young age, forced to perform constantly, kept with orca that weren't from his area and therefore couldn't communicate with him and in fact often bullied him as he grew up, used by SeaWorld as a breeding machine...just so much torture and mental anguish. The amount of animals that die in SeaWorlds care is ridiculous, most dying way way before their natural time. We know now that orca, and cetaceans in general, are incredibly intelligent, close knit family groups that depend on each other. He was severed from that and I fully believe he went insane because of it. I don't blame him at all for the injuries and deaths attributed to him, humans forced him into that mindset, he didn't just one day decide to maim or kill. I am sorry that Dawn died, she seemed to be an animal lover, but I have a hard time with this because anyone that works with SeaWorlds animals and doesn't see the abuse and call it out is suspect to me. But he's not the only ones going insane in captivity, we have reports of Russian and Asian orca that are attacking trainers...I fear its only a matter of time before another incident like Tilikums happens again.
And Jack Hanna...I used to have a lot of respect for the man when I was younger, but the more I see and hear of him the more I realize he's just a money and attention seeking, arrogant shill. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for the zoos that do their best to reconstruct habitats to be as natural as they can be and love that reputable zoos do their best to keep their animals entertained and healthy, both in body and mind, and that they seek to help the depopulation crisis in a lot of species. I think that most ADA zoos need to be applauded for their efforts in animal preservation. So I get why he'd want to defend them. But places like SeaWorld are NOT zoos. They are amusement parks that abuse the animals under their care for money. The fact he defended SeaWorld by saying they brought Tilikum there for a life is sickening.
Thank you SO much for this video!! I am a fan of "Beneath the surface" and John Hargrove. This book made me cry. And now all is almost forgotten and people are brainwashed from Seaworld. All they do is throw dirt on John H. DISGUSTING
And Seaworld has many new aquarium 's in China and Japan and they are worse than in the US. Lolita was the last "coinsidence" where an orca died before coming into a sanctuary. Best whishes from Austria 🙋❣️🇦🇹🐎
Well, new fear of worst way to die. This is such a tragedy, she is free now 😞❤️
I find the whole story difficult. Dawn was 39 at the time of her death. She had been working with the orcas for some time and should have been mature enough to realize what SeaWorld and she herself were doing to the orcas. Yet she still participated in the shows.
Hey! Idk if youve ever covered this, but i suggest checking out a documentary called the cove. Its rather dark, but i think its something that really, really isnt well known at *all*. Everyone always talks about orcas, which is fine, but nobody ever really mentions the dolphin culling that occurs in taiji.
The sheriff interview with Laura Surovik is exceptional. It's on Take Part UA-cam channel.