Seaworld News
Gillian Anderson, who rose to fame in the 90s TV series 'The X-Files,' has again spoken out in defence of the orca whales, also known as killer whales, that remain in captivity at SeaWorld. She wants them released to a coastal sanctuary.
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San Diego -
On Thursday, the California Coastal Commission approved a $100 million expansion of tanks used to hold killer whales at SeaWorld in San Diego.
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Last year, NOAA Fisheries denied Georgia Aquarium a permit to import 18 captured beluga whales from Russia. It seems they were right to do so. According to scientific papers, multiple facility requests have negatively impacted Russia's wild beluga stocks.
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A growing list of celebrities are joining the fight against seaworld and their captivity activities that has drawn considerable criticism in recent years.
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Brussels -
Saturday June 28 saw the second 'Close Dolphinaria in Europe' demonstration, which was held at the striking structure of the Atomium in the capital of Belgium, the heart of the EU.
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Former killer whale trainer John Hargrove, just announced a major book deal with Macmillan Publishing. 'Beneath the Surface' (working title), will hit the shelves early next year, and will reveal more insider info on SeaWorld's backstage operations.
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A leading orca scientist is challenging SeaWorld over the erroneous use of a self-authored paper describing dorsal fin collapse in wild killer whales.
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San Diego -
SeaWorld has confirmed that a young female killer whale is pregnant. Talking to CBS 8 News, SeaWorld said nine-year-old Kalia is due to give birth in December.
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San Diego -
Several sources from within SeaWorld have now confirmed to Digital Journal that nine-year-old killer whale Kalia is pregnant.
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San Diego -
A newly-released YouTube video caused a stir over the weekend after it showed SeaWorld staff performing an ultrasound on an allegedly pregnant young female orca in San Diego.
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Still battling controversy in the wake of the documentary Blackfish, court-filed documents reveal that SeaWorld has doped several killer whales with benzodiazepines — a class of drug that includes Valium and Xanax.
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A dolphin and whale advocate is taking on one of the world's leading leisure travel groups over selling tickets to UK tourists looking to visit marine parks located abroad.
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Los Angeles -
In another blow for SeaWorld, a state lawmaker introduced new legislation that would ban the use of killer whales during performances in California.
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Puerto De La Cruz -
Two months prior to the death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau, another SeaWorld-owned orca killed trainer Alexis Martinez. The official incident report filed after the accident, revealed several concerns.
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When you can't win in the court of public opinion, then skew the results. According to the Orlando Business Journal (OBJ), SeaWorld may have done just that to win a poll vote against the documentary Blackfish.
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The documentary Blackfish certainly made it the year of the orca, but there were several other notable achievements for cetaceans in 2013. These are the accomplishments voted on by advocates themselves.
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After SeaWorld bought defensive full-page ads in major US newspapers last week, criticism of the marine park chain is intensifying. The Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS), producers of the movie The Cove, fired another shot for advocacy yesterday.
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Orlando -
Blaming the withdrawal of several musical acts on pockets of "radical activists," SeaWorld took out full-page ads in eight major newspapers yesterday defending its operations. Two former SeaWorld trainers quickly offered a rebuttal.
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Dolphins suffer in captivity. These highly intelligent and self-aware creatures cannot be humanely kept in captivity. Therefore, a change in thinking in dealing with them is urgently required.
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Yesterday, the Florida Attractions Association (FAA) in defense of SeaWorld, stepped in to battle the backlash caused by the documentary Blackfish. They were supported by Theme Park Insiders.com who labeled activists as lazy.
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Orlando -
Following news yesterday that an eighth act had withdrawn from SeaWorld's Bands, Brew and Barbecue event, the Florida Attractions Association (FAA) is taking action on SeaWorld's behalf to negate what it calls "radical extremist groups."
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Miami -
SeaWorld continues to encounter backlash in the wake of the documentary, Blackfish. Rather than dissipating since premiering to record viewers on CNN last October, the Blackfish Effect is gaining momentum.
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New York -
Bombarded by an outcry of controversy over its decision to host a SeaWorld float in its famous Thanksgiving Day parade, the upscale department store refuses to back down.
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Read how a powerful film on SeaWorld, recently broadcast on CNN, is angering animal rights activists across the world. L.A.'s busy airport endured a horrific shooting Friday. What do your Facebook "friends" say about you? Welcome to this week's TopFinds.
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Around 1.4 million people tuned in to watch Blackfish when it premiered on CNN last week. It was good news for CNN but bad news for SeaWorld. From open letters to tweets and Facebook comments, SeaWorld is being battered by public opinion.
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SeaWorld perhaps believed it was the film that nobody would ever watch. Yet the premiere of Blackfish on CNN topped both Fox News and MSNBC from 9-11 PM in both the key news demo and younger viewers.
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A week-long series of specials about orcas in captivity culminates tonight with the premiere of Blackfish on CNN. Gabriela Cowperthwaite's damning documentary focuses on Tilikum, SeaWorld's prime bull orca.
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San Diego -
SeaWorld executives rarely respond to criticism beyond a sentence or two. But today, the vice president of zoological operations for SeaWorld San Diego, Mike Scarpuzzi, published an entire editorial in the U-T San Diego.
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Tilikum, SeaWorld's prime bull orca was captured off the coast of Iceland in November 1983. Now newly released documents finally pin down Tilikum's capture date and his exact location at the time of capture.
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Orlando -
Not content with four deaths and numerous injuries to trainers by its killer whales, SeaWorld is rolling out a big shot lawyer in an attempt to get its trainers back into the water with captive orcas.
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Seaworld Image
Captured from the ocean in 1983, Tilikum's life revolves around entertaining the mass public at SeaWorld. Voice of the Orcas
PETA accused Orange County Sheriff's Office of a botched investigation and SeaWorld, of a cover up. AP/Voice of the Orcas
Orca image: Blackfish/Magnolia Films/CNN/Dogwoof Created by: Sasha Alazy
SeaWorld churned out the same responses all of Saturday night, as CNN aired the documentary Blackfish three times. SeaWorld/Twitter
Keto, Tilikum and Taku exhibit dorsal fin collapse. Voice of the Orcas
Courtesy Voice of the Orcas/VOTO
Orcas are trained to present themselves for the artificial insemination process. It involves extracting sperm from a male orca and placing it in the female. Voice of the Orcas
An ultrasound performed on 9-year-old killer whale Kalia, displays the teeth of the fetus. Kalia's calf is due in December SeaWorld said. CBS 8 News/Still video photo
Where Tilikum was captured according to coordinates. Google Maps
Protestors stood in formation for over an hour in silent remembrance of Europe's captive dolphins, past and present.
Protestors from all over Europe gather to deliver the message, 'Close Europe's Dolphinaria'.
Blackfish director Gabriela Cowperthwaite introduces the movie to a packed crowd at the Van Wezel Performance Art hall. The movie kicked off the 2013 Sarasota Film Festival. Video Still/YouTube
Tilikum at SeaWorld Orlando. Milan Boers
L-R Back: Former SeaWorld trainers: Carol Ray; Jeff Ventre; John Jett and John Hargrove
Front L-R: Sam Berg and Bridgette Pirtle. Jeffrey Ventre
Trainers periodically measure the dorsal fin of orcas in captivity. Voice of the Orcas
Gudrun was sent to SeaWorld on a "breeding loan" for three pseudorcas from Japan captured in the drives. Gudrun was one of the only adult orcas in the SeaWorld collection to have a straight dorsal fin. Jeff Ventre
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