UPDATED: Now with L121’s eyepatches too!

Calypso and little L121. ♥

According to Russian Orcas, two of the recently captured orcas now belong to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, a new theme park near Hong Kong, China. It is also being reported that the orcas have already arrived in China. 

The new park is set to open before January 31st. From the little information I could find, it appears they will also be housing Chinese white dolphins, belugas, a whale shark (they wish to eventually acquire 10), and pantropical spotted dolphins.

Penn Cove Wild Orca Captures

Never forget what the Orca captivity industry started out as. Never forget, because marine parks seem to need reminding, especially with this particular population of wild Orcas being in such danger of extinction. This is in part because of these captures.

Never forget because history seems to be repeating itself. In Russia from 2002-now, 15 Orcas have been captured for live display in their waters, despite little information on the population numbers. These populations could well be plummeting drastically, and our taking form them will definitely cause them to disappear.

I have a note on my SRKW spreadsheet noting that Calypso L94 and Onyx L87 did the deed on August 15, 2013. I noted it from one of the reported sightings, whether it was posted on Orca Network’s Facebook page or one of the whale watch pages on Facebook.

So you want to go whale watching?

Awesome! Whale watching is a much more humane alternative to seeing cetaceans in captivity, and also gives you a real experience of nature and how cetaceans live in the wild. It’s exciting and educational!

While whale watching is an amazing experience, it must be done so responsibly to prevent harm to our oceans and to not cause any significant disturbance to wildlife. There are many responsible whale watching companies out there, but there are also many who only have profit in mind, without regarding our earth and the wildlife they are pursuing. 

Irresponsible whale watching methods can disrupt wildlife, causing cetaceans to alter and shorten their resting periods, impact their reproductive success, and even cause the population to alter their territory and move away from the region completely. All of these problems can not only harm cetaceans, but the entire ecosystem there, so it’s best to avoid these companies and give the more reputable ones your money instead!

When researching a whale watching tour, ask yourself these questions. If you can’t find the answers to these questions on their websites/brochures, contact them and ask. If any of these questions do not have a good answer, avoid the company!

Does the tour focus on keeping the trip educational, and does it promote marine conservation as much as possible?

Are laws and watching regulations always followed by the company, no exceptions? Does the boating equipment leave the smallest “footprint” possible on the oceans?

Is time limited when specimens are found? If an animal or animal group is displaying signs of discomfort, what is the policy on reducing their stress?

Is there a naturalist or other expert on board that can answer questions with factual and scientific information?

Does the company keep tabs on the long term behavior patterns of the local cetacean populations, ensuring no dramatic changes are occurring?

Alongside these necessary questions, you may also want to research into some other beneficial qualities of the company. While these aren’t necessary to being as ecologically sound of a company as possible, they are good at helping you determine if the company is good to support i you are unsure. So basically, these are some optional questions!

Does the company work alongside a scientific organization or other research group to help study and benefit the area?

Does the company actively try to get the local community involved in conservation and caring about our oceans?

Does the company use sustainable materials if they serve refreshments? (recycled paper, no plastic, etc)

Does the company have a refund or “free trip later” policy if no cetaceans are seen?

As long as a company can provide all of these guidelines, they should be deemed as a sustainable and reputable company to support. 

If you are planning a whale watching trip in a certain area and cannot find a company that is reputable to support, or you want to reduce your footprint even more so than before, you may want to try these other whale watching alternatives to get educated and to experience wildlife!

Kayaking/canoeing- Pros: No noise pollution, chemical pollution, oil consumption, smaller groups, get to see cetaceans even closer than on a boat. Cons: More physical activity if you are easily fatigued, more difficult to track the whereabouts of the animals.

Land based watching- Pros: No disturbance to the animal, no physical activity, great for camping or having a picnic, 0 pollution impact. Cons: The chances of not seeing wildlife is greater, you have to be “in the right place at the right time”

Documentaries/Natural Museums- Pros: You get a very enriching educational experience, lots of information is provided, extremely accessible, get to see multitudes of species of wildlife, no pollution. Cons: You aren’t seeing the animals in real life, only figurines and images

Happy Whale Watching! Go forth in empowerment, where you spend your money can change the world for the better!