Can Killer Whales Survive in Captivity?

This transcript is automatically generated

So tell me about -- death of two certain moral.

It's a book that traces over twenty years of fighting over this issue of keeping killer whales in captivity.

And it follows the story of doctor -- me rose from the humane society.

She's one of the world's leading experts on wild killer whales and now she's been working to fight against keeping to a -- in captivity.

And it follows the stories of four former traders who worked at SeaWorld in Orlando.

Including with this -- Telecom who's now been responsible for the deaths.

Of three people including of course Don -- show in February 2010.

Which is basically what got me started researching this issue.

And has changed the landscape entirely in the in the -- today.

How to -- direction in the form of pressure.

Well enough fish they're actually -- dolphins there and they're mammals and the IRS slams into fresh violence but -- never meant customers forum well that's true and well she was working with Telecom after one of the performances -- more -- -- of oil blame Telekom.

Telecom yes and it means.

Friend actually.

In native American language.

He's a 121000 pound bull and she was in very shallow water with him on a -- -- an American language.

Don't ask me to tell you which one I think all in Europe when -- auction auction.

It's in the book.

And -- they the whale grabbed her and pulled her into the water.

Into deeper water and dragged her down to the bottom and rammed her several times.

At some point she passed away during that incident but he wouldn't let her ago.

And it took over forty minutes to corral him into a medical pool where they could raise the false bottom up and they literally had to pry deeper.

-- just now you're -- of fortune.

President Mitterrand and no they don't eat people -- really not interest in people sorry interest just to an average of certain about solemn.

Probably.

The main show in the main pool that they had to be canceled right in the middle the show because some of the other killer whales were acting up.

-- was in the back -- by himself and he apparently was getting very distressed.

Because he knew something was going on in the from pool.

He was also in very poor health he is still in their report healthy was on daily medications I believe.

He was receiving daily injections.

At that time so when you're sick and -- tired and somebody's forcing you to do something you -- don't wanna do.

Sometimes you get cranky and when you -- -- 121000 pounds we -- the bad things can happen so they have the ability to.

Form is constant thoughts and and expresses kinds of abortions -- sort of -- he was acting out in some way he he snapped now I don't know if it was premeditated we will never know what was going on inside his mind.

But when you think about this animal -- supposed to swim up to a hundred miles a day in the open -- that has very strong bonds with their family most meals.

Stay with their mother for life if you -- believe that they are extremely intelligent they're they're fascinating animals and to take a creature like that.

And lock it up in what is basically swimming pool I mean if you like me never being able to leave the studio again for the rest of my life.

I would go crazy.

-- What -- your nose and supporting new book call upon though brought -- David Schultz incidentally are don't ever curving.

Road to groundbreaking book.

Social establishing more dream -- assault.

And autism and evidence so far more shares are great books are meant that it.

-- their march toward course we're talking about.

Gold doesn't -- world.

And about what -- on air.

-- got a bunch of fat -- it made.

-- -- in euros down there.

-- -- know mustard in the hot dogs on -- whatever.

Whether fat usually fat kids.

-- -- -- boss and his killer whales and older brother and the attraction of onward to other capture and his killer whales.

And dead and -- in -- -- -- can tell.

But jurors that roller here production killer whales but look -- -- able to Maryland's I have basically.

They are a big -- -- there are huge attraction.

C world apparently once estimated at 70% of all their revenue comes from these specific animals.

They're spectacular but I got to tell you Don I have seen them in the wild and I have seen them at sea world there's absolutely no comparison later today I'm flying out to Washington State.

Bunch of people from the -- are getting together on San Juan island and from the house where we're staying.

The whales come by 23 times today they they -- around in the kelp they have far and they date.

Spy hop out of the water it's a spectacular.

Entertaining.

Very educational show.

And it's free and don't have to pay 85 bucks here in the -- world.

Call him.

And -- and what else -- we learn from.

Well we've heard revisit -- another bit of -- royals and there -- -- killing people.

What's been done about Ireland well the US government stepped in -- slaps you -- with a very severe violation and a fine.

SeaWorld took -- to court and -- they lost -- defined violation was reduced.

But what they call the safety abatements are still in place.

OSHA appealed that decision and the commission that oversees the stuff.

Decided not to review the appeal they now have to go to the federal Court of Appeals.

SeaWorld has been busy installing things like -- false bottoms in their pools that can rise -- -- whale goes out of control and grabbed the trainer.

I could actually lift the bottom and try to rescue the -- that way.

But I don't think -- is going to certify that as being as safe as keeping the traders out of the water.

Altogether so that's where the legal battle is now.

Should see will be allowed to put their traders back in the water which they desperately -- to do or should they follow OSHA is mandate and keep them out.

But I have dolphins are turnaround they do -- -- -- show let's assume their deal.

Well.

My research specifically on orcas but from what I learn life for captive dolphins is not very pretty or happy either.

Every species has its own adaptability to captivity some species do better than others I haven't researched other kinds of dolphins in depth I don't wanna go too far into it.

I think if I did I would probably come to the same conclusion.

As I have with killer whales but -- -- are huge and very far ranging and very emotionally touched -- How large -- Well they're the size of school buses basically Telecom is absolutely massive and he's not even the biggest.

In the ocean they get even bigger than that.

So they can weigh up to 151000 pounds or more.

Their roughly fifty.

Adult males roughly 56 times the size of the human being.

And they are extremely powerful and they're extremely cunning.

And intelligent and when they go off behavior there's virtually nothing you can do to get them back under control until they feel like.

So say we -- to a collar collar -- -- lawyer.

-- may read this book what's the message we're gonna down.

The message is that some animals are not suited to captivity and this is one of them they are more like us than we would ever realize they have feelings they have emotions.

And it may be a wonderful show and you may think that your educating your children by bringing them to -- world.

You're not gonna learn very much about killer whales at Shamu stadium.

In fact record people leaving talking about the -- -- Wales will there is no such thing as Shamu whales so -- there education program is not exactly working.

I I think you cannot read this book objectively.

And walk away thinking this is perfectly okay I support this 100%.

And a new poll out by the humane society the wealth often a conservation society.

Showed only one in four Americans actually support this practice and and women in particular are opposed to it too.

To one I think eventually it's time we'll have -- and it's gonna go the way of the dancing bears and other.

Things that we now think -- largest archaic.

Amended killer whales to they have general.

Oh boy there's 42 in captivity all over the -- I think SeaWorld has about half of those at their three different parks.

They also -- five whales that are on loan at laurel park in Spain.

And a trainer was killed -- low Sparky on Christmas Eve two months before -- Rancho was killed.

In Florida.

With C world whales -- -- safety precautions and SeaWorld trainer on the spot in Spain.

After that happened SeaWorld resumed water work right away and two months later -- -- -- So oil and then you said earlier our conversation dark -- -- -- your body as their board doesn't SeaWorld.

Don must not even in the water worth of -- Well have grown the world -- grown dark water she was any shallow alleged by the pool and ironically this SeaWorld considers that.

Dry work so what she was doing was absolutely approved.

Protocol.

And I think that's what the judge thought was so negligence and willful that they allowed a traitor to -- is such a vulnerable position.

With the whale who had already killed two people a common sense would tell yet.

You gotta keep a little bit more distance.

Dawn was extremely.

Talented -- and skilled trader and experience.

She had been in that position dozens and hundreds of times before with Telecom.

And like I said that day he he decided.

Watch Live

Can Killer Whales Survive in Captivity?

Details

Clips

Imus in the Morning

Weekly Jobless Claims Fall to 340,000

Europe Follows Asia Lower Thursday

China’s PMI Falls to 49.6 in May

Bernanke’s Comments Resonate on Global Scale

Zales Crushes Earnings Estimates, Misses on Revenue

Toll Brothers Beats the Street’s Estimates

Target Tops EPS Estimates

Shooter Jennings performs “The Outsider”

TJ Maxx Matches EPS Estimates, Tops Revenue

Saks Matches EPS Estimates

Outlaw Country Lives on Imus in the Morning

European Markets Mixed Tuesday

Transcript

Recommended