Vengeance for the dead, freedom for the enslaved

“If I could spend the rest of my career listening to bowhead whales with a hydrophone, I’d be a happy person.” - Kate Stafford

Orca on the Mikhail Lermontov wreck, Port Gore, New Zealand

Check out this incredible juvenile orca joining some divers out near the Mikhail Lermontov wreck :)

Having a bad day? It could be worse!!

Five Things You Should Know About Loro Parque 

1. A Trainer Was Killed There. 

In December 2009, a 6,600 pound orca killed trainer Alex Martinez at the park. Keto was a Sea World orca who had been transferred to the Tenerife park. Alexis was crushed to death by the jaws of Keto. He had compression fractures, bites on his body and tears to vital organs. 

Recommended Link: Blood In The Water

2. Another Trainer Was Nearly Drowned.

In October, 2006, apprentice trainer Claudia Vollhardt was attacked and nearly drowned by an orca called Tekoa. Claudia went to hospital with a badly bruised chest and a broken arm. Tekoa was never used in water work again.

Recommended Link: The Trials Of Tekoa

3. Morgan’s Fate

Morgan was a young orca who was seen distressed of the coast of Netherlands in 2010. She was rescued by the nearest captive dolphin facility, under a: “rescue, rehabilitation and release permit.”

Sadly, Morgan was never released. Instead, she was flown to Loro Parque and now performs in shows everyday, despite the fact this was never meant to be the plan. Morgan has suffered over 600 injuries at Loro Parque. Morgan is bullied and attacked on a regular basis. 

I seriously recommend having a look at the Free Morgan Foundation.  This video is also very informative, and this one is very well shot.

4. The Orcas Had To Endure Painful Endoscopies

Reportedly, Loro Parque was not ready for the orcas it was going to receive in February 2006. As a result the pools were not ready, and the orcas ingested large amounts of paints they had peeled off the side. The orcas then had to go through endoscopies (which as you can see from the gif are extremely stressful and painful).

5. The Orcas Were Too Young When They Were Sent Over

Loro Parque received six orcas from Sea World in 2006. Kohanna was only four and Skyla was only two. You don’t have to be a marine expert to realise that separating a two year old from her mother and sending her thousands of miles away is not a good idea (or ethical in anyway).

An older work I’m currently updating: Pakicetus, and all the fully aquatic whales done, Ambulocetus and Kutchicetus still waiting for their turn. I’m not sure about Maiacetus. It’s not bad, but could be better.

Anyway, I’m absolutely fascinated by the evolution whales underwent, and wanted to paint something depicting the various stages for some time. I hope to finish this during the weekend.

I’m really happy with how it looks so far:)

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My anxiety is at an all time high, i have constant breakdowns and generally, i’m just a huge mess. 

What do Orcas eat for dinner?

All cetaceans suffer in captivity no matter the species. They are simply too intelligent and have such complex social and spatial needs that cannot be met in an aquarium. Orcas seem to be the focus of most anti-cap groups because of the Blackfish documentary, because they are so large, and probably because there is fewer of them in captivity so it is easier to keep track of new births and deaths.

Other cetaceans, like bottlenose dolphins, suffer similarly to orcas. They tend to be the most popular cetacean in captivity because of the easiness it takes to train them and the permanent “grin” on their face, making them appear charismatic and friendly. However, there is a multitude of things that can go wrong when you confine these animals to a tank. They chew on gates. They mourn the loss of their young. They log at the surface. They engage in self-harming behaviors (like ramming their heads into walls).

It’s also popular in aquariums to let paying visitors swim with them. People have been raked, slapped, bitten, and slammed in programs like this. They only cooperate with the trainers because of a food reward. Interacting with dolphins is never safe when it is not on their terms.

Bottlenose dolphins also have complex social structures like orcas. While they may not stay with their immediate family for life, their bonds are very important to them. In the wild, females and their calves travel together to keep each other safe. On the other hand, males leave their mothers and travel in “bachelor groups” with other males to find females to mate with. They, (especially younger teenage ones) can become extremely aggressive around other dolphins when it comes to this issue.

So you can imagine the chaos that ensues when you throw these males with other females and even nursing calves into the same tank and call it good. One of the worst examples of this that I can think of was SeaWorld’s feeding pool. When I went there in 2008, I watched young calves being chased around and around this small pool by rowdy males with nowhere to hide. All of the dolphins had rake marks along their back or face. It was appalling, to say the least.

And this doesn’t just occur in dolphins. A few years ago at Marineland Canada, a young beluga calf named Skoot died from his injuries after being separated from his mother and rammed by adult males. Infanticide is more common in captivity than aquariums would like the public to believe.

Other problems with cetacean in captivity include:

• Belugas kept in too-warm of water and mixed with other species (i.e. belugas and Pacific white-sided dolphins in SeaWorld Texas’ Azul show)• False killer whales stuck in tanks when they are able to dive to depths of 2000 meters in the wild• Shy species like Commerson’s dolphins or harbor porpoises being exposed to loud music and crowds of people (I.e. SeaWorld’s atrocious slip-n-slide ride that goes straight through a Commerson’s tank)

This wasn’t intended to be a Mother’s Day release, but I just happened to finish it right on time so it seems fitting now! Drawn in celebration of the orca baby boom off the west coast, because what’s better than a baby orca? NOTHING! (Well, a baby rhino comes close. Or baby cuttlefish.)

13 Ways of Looking by Peggy Fox photography

Happy 90th Birthday David Attenborough [b: 8th May 1926]