May Multimedia From Marineland to Blackfish & Non-Human Personhood

One of the reasons we formed Voice of the Orcas website, and Voice of the Orcas blog, was (is) to serve as a depot for information related to marine mammal conservation and captivity. As the wave of public awareness  grows, more and more material continues to flood the news media as well as social media.

GREAT AUDIO INTERVIEW OF GABRIELA COWPERTHWAITE FROM SUNDANCE LONDON

listen to ‘Gabriela Cowperthwaite, director of the eye opening 'Blackfish'’ on Audioboo

This post is put together to capture a handful of the interviews and videos that touched us this past month, just in time for Cinco de Mayo. 

Enjoy these bits of audio & video. Many thanks to the artists who crafted them, and feel free to suggest others in the comment section. We'd love to add more. 

Who Are Anti-Captivity Activists? by DolphinSerenity




Former SeaWorld Trainer John Hargrove (19-years working with captive killer whales) does a solo Q&A Session after Blackfish Movie at HotDocs in Toronto

We LOVE this Great Marineland Smackdown by Mike Garrett 




Sundance London: VIDEO interviews of Gabriela Cowperthwaite and Manny Oteyza, Director & Producer of Blackfish




Sam Simon's Radio Show from Friday 26 April 2013




Toronto HotDocs Q&A with Gabriela Cowperthwaite of Blackfish, by TheFestivalCircuit 





Steve Wise: What's Behind Opposition to Animal Rights by Non Human Rights Project





Impressive Interview with John Jett PhD 





The Killing Circus - Behind the Glass by AnaGirlEmpath




Red Carpet Interview of Four Former SeaWorld Trainers from Sarasota

Another Former SeaWorld Killer Whale Trainer Steps Out of the Shadows

Meet Bridgette Pirtle!

On September 28, 2012, at Voice of the Orcas, we received a moving and thoughtful letter from a recently retired  killer whale trainer from SeaWorld of Texas.  This was good. In the past three years we've been contacted by several former and current trainers; most supportive of our advocacy work, and some opposed; but when it came to speaking on the record, folks generally weren't willing to step up to the plate. 

Bridgette Pirtle started working in the animal training department at SeaWorld of Texas in 2001, and was a senior trainer from  2008 until the spring of 2011, at Shamu Stadium.

She told us, "I have struggled with finding the right words and the right way to step forward. In the end, just saying 'I'm ready to talk' and standing up as a voice for those who have been ignored for so long, is enough."

She added, "Those ten years I worked as an animal trainer were more valuable than I could have ever imagined and in a way in which I never expected."

We were stoked to speak with Bridgette, and you might be too. Our connection was strengthened when we former trainers merged recently in Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival. 

Finally...

... another former insider with the courage to speak out and with the common experience of having worked directly with orcas at SeaWorld. Additionally, she had many years of experience and could shed light on events that occurred behind the scenes and after the tragedy on February 24, 2010. 

Bridgette Performs a Hydro Hop 

While at SeaWorld in Texas, Bridgette worked directly with the killer whales Keto, Taku, Kayla, Haida, Ky, Winnie and Tekoa. She did waterwork with Keet, Unna, Tuar, Takara, Halyn, and Sakari. A clip of her waterwork, such as in the photo, appears in the film Blackfish. 

Below are a few questions that we hope will introduce Bridgette. We are honored and pleased to have her voice added to ours. It takes courage to stand up. We applaud her courage and hope you will too.  

Follow her on Twitter at: @BridgettePirtle 

VOTO: How long did you work for SeaWorld?  

BP: I worked at SeaWorld [Texas] for a grand total of 14 years.  Taking out my romp [in another department] from 1998-2000, I was in animal training from March 2001 through mid-March 2011.  I started at Shamu as an apprentice, transferred as a part-time associate to Interaction Programs in Sept 2002 before ending up back at Shamu as full time trainer in Jan 2005 until I resigned in 2011. 

VOTO: Who was your favorite orca, and just a sentence or two why? 

Fave orca... You are seriously gonna make me choose?!?!  

For the love!  

Tuar and I were a match made in heaven.  I was high energy, a bit goofy and willing to sacrifice anything and everything for the whales and he responded well to my creative approach to training using lots of secondaries in the form of visuals and playtimes.  He was my first killer whale relationship focused on building up to waterwork.  My interactions with him were consistent.  

Whether our session was dry, waterwork, show, learning, or even husbandry; I trusted him and he was a whale I could rely on to give me as much information as he could, behaviorally...  Tuar was the most fun to work with.

Halyn was the first killer whale I saw being born.  For the first few months of her life, I was there doing night-watches and around the clock bottle-feeds.  During the first week of her life, we had lowered a back pool to about 4 ft of water and lined the walls with tubes from the water park to act as bumpers.  

I was snorkeling near one corner watching her swim when she just stopped and watched me too.  I don't think I could hold my breathe that long ever again, but just having those couple of minutes of  having this tiny whale make eye contact with you and stay there with you was unreal.  I was the first trainer to give her the bottle and some of my first behaviors I trained with killer whales were teaching Halyn. 

In the last few weeks of her life, I tried to be there with her as much as possible.  I was one of the trainers in the water holding her before she passed away.  

Halyn was an animal that really started to open up my eyes to the reality behind what my job was really asking me to do.  

Bridgette Pirtle at the No Name Saloon in Park City, Utah, January 2013

If Kayla had been around experienced mother whales, would she have rejected Halyn? 

Trainers talked about what a cool experience it was to get the chance to hand raise a baby whale.  I loved that little girl, but that was the beginning of me realizing that my thoughts were evolving.  

I had an obligation to do everything I could for her, but I was also the reason she was in this struggle for her life to begin with.




VOTO: What was it like to see Blackfish and hang with the other trainers at the Sundance Film Festival? 

BP:  After coming forward... I wouldn't have imagined getting the opportunity to join alongside [everyone] in Park City.  I am grateful to be given the chance to be a part of something this amazing.  I am optimistic that seeing how the same influential voices that inspired me to stand up for what is right are now working to inspire others to speak out.  Because of this film and the work of Voice of the Orcas, Tim Zimmermann, [and others] an entire audience is seeking to understand the truth and reality of what captivity really represents. 

VOTO: What effect do you think the film could have in regard to cetaceans in captivity? 

Bridgette is a former Senior SeaWorld Trainer that opposes Captivity

BP: Blackfish has thrust the topic of the morality and necessity of [keeping] cetaceans in captivity into the spotlight. I loved Gabriela's response in a Q&A about how she brought her children to the parks but the whole time couldn't really quite understand why she didn't feel right about it. The film reminds the audience that this unsettling feeling is still one that needs to be addressed. SeaWorld PR has always been very strategic in filling the mainstream with stories of new roller coasters, new park acquisitions and gaining "Franklin the Turtle" as a new marketing tool for children. 

It's easy to forget about the internal conflict many have in regards to seeing the animals in these small confinements, with "leaning" dorsal fins, exposed pulp cavities and rake marks and scarring over their entire bodies. Blackfish encourages the audience, without coercion, to confront those internal conflicts... and decide for himself or herself whether it is socially or morally acceptable to continue to house these social beings in  sterile, tiny environments, in the name of entertainment.

VOTO:  We saw that you read the WDC article "Blowing the Whistle." Was that the primary reason you have stepped forward; or just an example of how your thinking has evolved?

Bridgette with former SeaWorld Trainer John Hargrove & Blackfish Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite 

"Blowing theWhistle" was one of the first articles that helped me realize the potential I had in really making a difference for the animals I care for. Tim Zimmermann's writing [also] had a profound impact on shaping my thoughts towards the industry and helped me to really put into perspective the reality of... SeaWorld. 

Bridgette kisses a killer whale 

The attention and care I found within his articles was more respectful towards the memories of Dawn and Alex than anything my own company was doing. The business aspect of the animal training field had begun to disillusion me just a couple of years into my career. By the time I was familiar with these articles, I was already trying to fight a hopeless battle against the powers-that-be. 

"Blowing the Whistle" showed me that I wasn't alone in my feelings. It also helped me to realize that by continuing my association with the park, I was only enabling exploitation of the animals. 

The decision to leave is a process that at one point included attempting to return to take care of the animals, but, ultimately, the strongest voice for them would have to be [from] outside the gates. 

6 Ex SeaWorld orca trainers are supporting each other & opposing captivity

Y'alls story reminded me that, as much as we care for those animals we worked with, the best thing we can do for them is share the truth of what our job really entailed. 

"Blowing the Whistle" reminded me that there was more potential of me receiving the support and regard I needed to change things for the betterment of the animals outside of the career. It also helped me to realize it was the animals I cared so much for as opposed to the job I once thought I loved.

The message I'm hoping to help spread is that these are incredible animals; hearing the stories each of you had to share reminded me that the dream job was a fairy tale. My dream was to [actually] do something for these animals. I am grateful to have the support of some amazing individuals that worked hard to carve out the path I have chosen to walk ahead of me.

Remembering the Fallen

Today, we remember fallen colleagues & ask for a shift in the way we think about whales & dolphins  

No matter which side of the captivity debate you're on, one thing that can be said regarding anyone that has trained marine mammals is that they did it for the opportunity to be close to animals that they loved; despite the low wages and the sometimes alarming consequences for the animals in their care. Most current and former trainers have multiple pets at home, and in general, appreciate nature. 

>> click on images to enlarge <<

As former workers in the captivity industry, we've changed our ways and come to appreciate the marine mammals that we worked with even more, not less. This was amplified, for us, after visiting cetaceans in the Pacific Northwest, swimming in straight lines, jumping out of the water, and with erect dorsal fins. These incredible marine mammals have demonstrated, to us, self-awareness, tool use, language, culture, and family bonds that are stronger than even humans.  We feel they've earned "non-human personhood status." 

Thus, despite our longing to be with them, we now know that it's not in their best interest to be in captivity; housed in concrete pools, surrounded by human noises including amplified music, air-powered pneumatic gates, and sometimes heavy equipment such as jack-hammering and drilling. We know that killer whales die young in captivity, experience social strife, dehydration, and deconditioning. Beluga whales & false killer whales don't do any better. 

We see the perpetuation of cetacean captivity as inhumane, unnecessary, and morally wrong; and costly to BOTH whales and humans. Let's do the right thing, save lives, and show our humanity. 

We'll miss the loving souls depicted in these images. They were dedicated, charismatic, and amazing individuals. Let's not lose any more to the archaic practice of marine mammal confinement. 

Blackfish Movie Premieres at Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Film Institute was founded by Robert Redford in 1981, and his festival has been connecting independent film makers with audiences since 1985.

WATCH CLIP OF #Blackfish HERE >> PRESS ME <<

This year 43 feature documentaries will be screened in Park City, Utah, theaters, and Blackfish will be one of them. The movie was selected from a field of over 2000 entries. 

Many of these films will go around the world and some will earn theatrical releases. As described by Ondi Timmoner at TheLipTV this, "Is the key curation moment for many filmmakers."

The topic of the film will partly examine the tragic life of the captive orca named "Tilikum," which means "friend," and "shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity." 

None of us at VOTO have seen the film, or know much about it. But we do know that footage was collected on land and sea from sites all over the world and over the past two years. Good luck to Gabriela and her film #Blackfish. Meet "Gabby" below...

Our Illustrated Guide to the Marine Mammal Protection Act & Fuel 4 the #Twitterverse

Have you ever read the actual Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of the United States? At Voice of the Orcas, we hadn't, until now. We focused on the part that deals with placing cetaceans into captivity, which begins on page 20, "Regulations on (the) taking of Marine Mammals." 

Understanding what the MMPA says is useful because the #SeaCircus industry is an entertainment one, and is not fulfilling the spirit of the MMPA which suggests conservation, education and wild animal research. There was no research going on at SeaWorld on behalf of wild populations, or on the fisheries they depend on, when we were there. The big push was to try and figure out artificial insemination methods so they could boost the captive population. After all, the show must go on. 

The photos help make our point. [It's interesting to note that SeaWorld is partially responsible for the MMPA because of how the company decimated the Southern Resident orca population here: Rounding up Shamu with Don Goldsberry]

This looks similar to the Miami Dolphins football LOGO. The team just partnered up with SeaWorld for a marketing deal

2 Follow:        https://twitter.com/Voice_OT_Orcas

Below, you'll find the legislation, as passed by the United States Congress in 1972, and as amended in 2007. But keep scrolling past that for our illustrated guide. Remember, we're reprinting the MMPA's first page below, unaltered. The only thing we added were the images.  

The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972

We believe that many of today's marine parks are in violation of this law. If not from a technical or legal standpoint, surely from the standpoint of being in violation of the spirit of the law. 

Morgan has been abducted by the #SeaCircus Industry because she is worth millions. If she becomes pregnant SeaWorld owns her baby and she will never be released. This is how SeaWorld is getting around the MMPA

To make this point clear, we've juxtaposed the opening page of the MMPA with photographs of the ridiculous stunts that the #SeaCircus industry is using to entertain the public. As you look at the images, try to imagine what type of learning it provides. Remember, the agreement to keep cetaceans captive is based upon the promise of education. 

And, to make matters worse, when places like SeaWorld claim they "educate" the public, such as during shows for school children, they provide false information. Here at VOTO, we know this as fact, because, sadly, we did it ourselves, back in the 1990's. 

Orca captivity will end if SeaWorld stops breeding animals in captivity. We urge the industry to use contraception to prevent future pregnancies. This poor guy, Taku, died young and impregnated his own mother, producing Nalani

Things like orca longevity are skewed downward so SeaWorld can better explain why their orcas die young, on average. They tout teeth irrigation(s) as "superior dental care." But they don't mention that the animals are breaking their teeth because of captivity. And they describe the frozen-thawed smelt, herring, and salmon as "restaurant quality," when in reality, its not. There is no such label on that fish. And they fail to mention that the freezing-thawing process removes precious fresh-water (fluids) from the dead fish which leads to dehydration in captive cetaceans. This is why Tilikum's diet is supplemented with 10 gallons of gelatin daily (roughly 80 U.S. pounds or 36.28 Kilograms). 

Like us, cetaceans can't drink saltwater, so they rely on their food to get fresh water. 

These images are in the public domain, and some of them are shocking. Feel free to download these and post on Twitter. We have a brief conclusion at the end... 

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The Marine Mammal Protection Act 

Findings and Declaration of Policy

16 U.S.C. 1361

Sec. 2. The Congress finds that—

(1) certain species and population stocks of marine mammals are, or may be, in danger of extinction or depletion as a result of man' s activities;

How does balancing on the rostrum of a captive orca justify taking Katina, Morgan, Corky, Tilikum, & Lolita from nature?

(2) such species and population stocks should not be permitted to diminish beyond the point at which they cease to be a significant functioning element in the ecosystem of which they are a part, and, consistent with this major objective, they should not be permitted to diminish below their optimum sustainable population. Further measures should be immediately taken to replenish any species or population stock which has already diminished below that population. In particular, efforts should be made to protect essential habitats, including the rookeries, mating grounds, and areas of similar significance for each species of marine mammal from the adverse effect of man' s actions;

This looks like a "Dance Gone Wrong" with Tilikum. But regardless, it has little educational value. Poor Tilikum, where are his TEETH? 

(3) there is inadequate knowledge of the ecology and population dynamics of such marine mammals and of the factors which bear upon their ability to reproduce themselves successfully;

When the graceful & shy belugas are dressed as circus clowns, it makes the GA Aquarium's request for 18 wild ones hard to swallow

(4) negotiations should be undertaken immediately to encourage the development of international arrangements for research on, and conservation of, all marine mammals;

(5) marine mammals and marine mammal products either—

(A) move in interstate commerce, or


(B) affect the balance of marine ecosystems in a manner which is important to other animals and animal products which move in interstate commerce, and that the protection and conservation of marine mammals and their habitats is therefore necessary to insure the continuing availability of those products which move in interstate commerce; and

The MMPA doesn't apply to Japanese killers at The Cove, but the demand for small cetaceans is created by the Display Industry (SeaWorld, Ga AQ, Miami SQ) #CaptivityKills
Photo from SeaShepherd Conservation Society used with Permission 

(6) marine mammals have proven themselves to be resources of great international significance, esthetic and recreational as well as economic, and it is the sense of the Congress that they should be protected and encouraged to develop to the greatest extent feasible commensurate with sound policies of resource management and that the primary objective of their management should be to maintain the health and stability of the marine ecosystem. Whenever consistent with this primary objective, it should be the goal to obtain an optimum sustainable population keeping in mind the carrying capacity of the habitat.

This is an advertisement for SeaWorld's night show. Where's the educational part?
This is a #SeaCircus designed to entertain customers, NOT educate our children

From Page 22 of the MMPA 

(2)(A) A permit may be issued to take or import a marine mammal for the purpose of public display only to a person which the Secretary determines—
(i) offers a program for education or conservation purposes that is based on professionally recognized standards of the public display community

---------------------------------

COMMENT: And there's the loophole, highlighted above. What that last part, in yellow, basically does is allow for the "public display community" to develop it's own standards. And therein lies the problem. 

The answer to this is: 

1. Science

2. Organization / social media 

3. Educating the public

4. Getting involved with government 

5. Electing progressive leaders

Thanks to all of you who are reading this now and spreading the good word. We're on the right side of history. 

The Politics of Captivity and Why Your Vote Matters

ELECTION UPDATE // WHY YOUR VOTE MATTERED & Thank You! 

 

IF YOU CAN"T SEE THE EMBEDDED VIDEO CLICK HERE:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show#49736294

--------------------- ORIGINAL ARTICLE BELOW --------------------

If you're disillusioned with the political environment in the United States...   join the club. 

Frankly, and sadly, as Ice Cube & Tom Morello recently put it, "Everythang's Corrupt." [note: The video is hardcore]

That said, there is a clear choice this election, and we at Voice of the Orcas believe the Obama-Biden Administration is more suited to deal with issues like climate change and ocean acidification; things that directly impact humans, whales, and all life on Earth. This is reflected, already, in the President's investment in clean-energy renewable resources such as wind and solar. See how many wind turbines have been added to this Central Washington landscape since our President was elected in 2008: 




It's worth pointing out that the GOP and it's voters are pro-deregulation. For them, it's all about providing a business climate that does one thing: 

Make Money for Corporations

We have no problem with businesses making profits, but only if it's done responsibly. Often times, the de-regulators get rid of policies and rules that protect animals and nature. Incredulously, the GOP hasn't officially recognized that climate change is happening. 

It's this deregulation & tweaking of the Marine Mammal Protection Act that has gutted oversight of places like SeaWorld, the Miami SeaQuarium, & various marine zoos, and catalyzed the explosive development of these dolphin swim-with programs in places like Las Vegas and the Florida Keys. This translates into more dead dolphins & pilot whales at The Cove. 

We don't believe there is educational value to this. Unfortunately, two of these orca,Taku & Kalina, died young, at 14 & 25, respectively. Taku from West Nile Virus, and Kalina from bacteria in her blood

This is wrong. NOAA & APHIS should be more empowered to protect marine mammals, not less. 

(Only time will tell if the Georgia Aquarium & SeaWorld will successfully import 18 Russian caught belugas). 

We believe that an Obama Administration is more likely to enforce regulations that are already on the books, and will interpret legislation like the Marine Mammal Protection Act more favorably than a pro-Romney, (more) pro-corporation, administration.

We also believe that an Obama Administration is more likely to uphold the recent findings of the OSHA v SeaWorld hearings, in Sanford, Florida. SeaWorld has appealed this ruling, and a Romney appointed Secretary of Labor is more likely to "roll back" OSHA's findings, and his orders. Back in June, Federal Judge Ken S. Welsch stated: 

"SeaWorld's own incident reports demonstrate that its safety program, either due to misplaced faith in operant conditioning or due to human error in implementing operant conditioning, exposes its trainers to the risks of death or serious physical injury."

Read Judge Welsch's entire verdict here. We recommend you skip the legal stuff in the beginning and go to the final pages:  

http://www.scribd.com/doc/95351368/Judges-Verdict

This is embarrassing.  The justification for keeping cetaceans, like Lolita, in captivity, is that the place educates. What are we teaching our children by endorsing this type of activity? Poor Lolita. 

It's also interesting to note that theses places promote, endorse, and give the majority of their campaign dollars to GOP candidates, and less for conservation:   

SeaWorld Gave GOP More Money than It Spent on Conservation

by SOURCE on NOVEMBER 2, 2012 · 1 COMMENT

in ELECTION, ENVIRONMENT, POLITICS, SAN DIEGO

These dollars are provided to mostly Republican candidates because they often lead to benefits for the companies, including loosening the rules associated with cetacean captivity. Despite record profits in 2011, SeaWorld paid no Federal Income Tax this year. Read that story here: 

Shamu the shrewd? SeaWorld sees record earnings -- and no income tax

Loosening regulations on the #SeaCircus has created a demand for more cetaceans. The end result is that Russian and Japanese collectors are experiencing large financial incentives to trap and even kill cetaceans, as is happening in The Cove, right now.  To quote a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dmitri Glasov: 

"Over probably the last three years, since China is developing quickly and they are building oceanariums, they are requesting lots of these animals. In Russia, as strange as it sounds, there is quite high domestic demand for this animal, too. That's why the number of commercial organizations that want to catch them and apply for permission to do so has gone up.

Russian Beluga "Expert" Dmitry Glazov Makes Astounding Claims To Justify Captivity & Continue Beluga Trade to U.S. Marine Parks

On 29 October 2012, Andy Heil (@Andy_Heil), an editor at RadioFreeEurope, in Prague, called Jeffrey Ventre, a former SeaWorld trainer from 1987-1995. "JV" had worked with belugas at SeaWorld's Orlando park for 3.5 years in the 1990's, and now works as a physician in the United States. 

Along with his Voice of the Orcas colleagues, Carol, Samantha, & John Jett PhD , JV now speaks out in opposition to captivity for cetaceans, which swim kilometers each day, in the ocean, and live in very close-knit nuclear families. Dr Jett (JJ) says, 

I love when places like SeaWorld use the catch-all justification that the… “whales are needed to help with their captive breeding programs, research, and education.” Yes, indeed, they do need to extend their captive breeding program so that they can continue to profit from a population housed [essentially] in concrete bathtubs. You also have to love the “research” justification. The peer-reviewed scientific literature is conspicuous in its absence of research articles based on captive belugas (and orcas) in places like SW. I worked as a trainer at SW in the 1990s; no real science occurred with the captive orcas which were in my care. None.  

Hashtag #CaptivityKills

@Voice_ot_Orcas

@Sam10k 

@Jeffrey_Ventre  

And belugas, like other cetaceans, do poorly in captivity. For example, all of the belugas that Carol, Samantha, and Jeffrey worked with at SeaWorld are dead, as are their offspring; which is precisely why the U.S. marine park (#SeaCircus) industry needs more. 

This particular phone call from Andy to JV was for a radio segment (that has since aired) for Russia and (the country of) Georgia. Andy had just completed an article on the U.S. Georgia Aquarium's controversial attempt to import 18 wild caught beluga whales that would be distributed to SeaWorld parks, and to the Shedd & Mystic Aquariums. This was a follow up to that article, which can be read in The Atlantic, here: 

The Aquarium Politics of the Global Beluga-Whale Trade

The most unique thing regarding the broadcast piece (transcribed below) is that it includes commentary from a Russian expert, Dmitry Glazov, who makes some astounding claims. 

Mr. Glazov is a beluga whale "specialist" at the Russian Academy of Sciences who says belugas "adapt well" and "can play" in captivity.  He also states that they live 1.5 times as long in captivity as they do in the wild. This is, as far as we know, an unsubstantiated claim that is not supported in the professional scientific literature. 

Most disturbing is his affirmation that China is "requesting a lot of these animals." Please, read on: 



-------------------------- UNEDITED RADIO TRANSCRIPT ------------------------

Russian Whales Caught Up In U.S. Debate On Ethics Of Captivity 

(AUDIO available under NC102921 & NC102511 & NC102904 & NC102922/23) 

(INTRO) A request by some of the United States' biggest oceanariums to import 18 beluga whales from Russia has set off a stormy public debate over the legality and ethics of wild-animal captures for science and entertainment. If they're transferred, the animals would become the first marine mammals (eds: includes seals and sea lions, whales and dolphins, walruses, etc.) caught in the wild and put on display in the United States in nearly two decades (sin ce 1993). But opponents are determined not to let that happen. RFE/RL's Andy Heil and Tom Balmforth have more. 


MOSCOW/PRAGUE, October 29, 2012 (RFE/RL) -- 

(INSERT AUDIO -- Beluga whale -- :10 -- NC102921) 


Sailors for centuries have dubbed them "canaries of the sea" for their chirps and warbles. One bioacoustic scientist famously noted that they sounded "reminiscent of a string orchestra tuning up." 

Belugas, or white whales, are also among the first cetaceans (eds: whales or dolphins) to have been brought into captivity -- in part because of their striking white appearance and engaging personalities but also because keepers say they're quick to adapt and train. 

That impression was reinforced last week with the emergence of audio recordings of a beluga named "Noc" (say: Nok) -- without prompting -- seemingly mimicking human voices: 


(INSERT AUDIO -- Talking Whale -- :18 -- NC102511) 

Noc was recorded during research in California in the 1980s, when scientists say they subsequently taught him to "speak" on cue. 

But their capture or import has been illegal in U.S. waters since the passage 40 years ago this month (October 1972) of the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (or MMPA). That legislation has helped many species of whale and other marine mammal to rebound from centuries of slaughter. 

Now, the Georgia Aquarium (in Atlanta) and four oceanarium partners want an exception. They have plans to import 18 belugas for a captive-breeding project that they say will educate and inspire the public while helping to ensure "the survival of belugas everywhere." 

What has followed since their application was filed in June is a bruising war of words and principles, with public comments kept open an extra 30 days (until October 29) because of intense interest in the case. 

Critics insist that even Georgia Aquarium's 32,000 cubic meters of water isn't enough for healthy, highly intelligent sea mammals born to travel tens of kilometers a day in the open ocean. 

Jeffrey Ventre, a former whale trainer at the SeaWorld marine park in Orlando, Florida, is among the applicants' staunchest critics: 

(INSERT AUDIO -- Ventre in English -- length :50 -- NC102904) 

"I think it's dangerous, number one because it provides a profit motive for these trappers in Russia to continue collecting these animals for the black market or for the open market, which is what it would become. I think once you open the floodgates (eds: allow something to begin), so to speak, what's going to prevent them from going out and collecting killer whales, which have a higher market value than beluga whales? I just think it sets a dangerous precedent. I think it goes against the spirit of the [U.S.] Marine Mammals Protection Act, and that's why it hasn't happened since 1993. And the fact that these belugas need to be replaced is an indicator that the system didn't work to keep them alive in captivity ... [as] these marine circuses claim. So I think there are just a lot of reasons why it shouldn't happen." 

Defenders -- including scientists commissioned by the applicants -- say the loss of 18 animals poses no risk to an Arctic and sub-Arctic beluga population of around 150,000 animals. 

But it would represent a huge jump in the North American captive-beluga population, currently between 31 and around 40, depending on the source. 

It's also just a drop in the ocean compared with the quota of 1,060 belugas set by Russian authorities for 2012 alone to provide food for indigenous minorities (Chukchi), scientific research, or entertainment. 

The Russian beluga program has been accused by animal rights and ecological groups of recklessly catching all sorts of wild marine mammals to become a leader in a booming international trade. 

It's a charge that is disputed by Dmitry Glazov, a beluga whale specialist at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute for Ecology and Evolution Problems who's also one of six members of a national fisheries board that sets quotas on catches. 

He says Soviet-era and subsequent studies indicate the population in the Sea of Okhotsk from which these whales were snatched is "growing." 

Moreover, having worked with whales in and out of the wild, he insists captive belugas aren't so unfortunate: 

(INSERT AUDIO -- Glazov in Russian -- length 1:18 -- NC102922) 

"I can't report that the animals are unhappy in captivity. They adapt well and are able to play. They live there longer than in the wild -- I've studied it [and] they live about 1 1/2 to two times longer. Moreover, if it's done well, there is a huge plus in that people who find themselves among nature and, say, throw things in the sea -- these people, by interacting with these animals, come to understand what these creatures are. They realize that they are not pictures on TV or something abstract, but intelligent, beautiful, sociable and interesting animals that need to be looked after. It is difficult for people to understand this any other way." 

That answer might anger opponents of captivity of highly developed animals like dolphins and belugas. But Glazov suggests the pressure to catch more wild belugas is growing and won't go away anytime soon: 

(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM) 

(INSERT AUDIO -- Glazov in Russian -- length 1:16 -- NC102923) 

"Over probably the last three years, since China is developing quickly and they are building oceanariums, they are requesting lots of these animals. In Russia, as strange as it sounds, there is quite high domestic demand for this animal, too. That's why the number of commercial organizations that want to catch them and apply for permission to do so has gone up. And [on] the Sea of Okhotsk's Tchkal Island -- where the only team that is able to catch them is based -- they used to catch 20 animals per year for transport or sale. Now they apply to catch 40 to 50 animals. However, in principle, for the time being, the weather, boats and so on don't allow them to catch more than 25 to 30 animals." 

(END OPTIONAL TRIM) 

The U.S. fisheries agency is expected to issue its decision on Georgia Aquarium's request early next year. 

In the meantime, the eight male and 10 female belugas at the heart of the application -- some of whom have been languishing in Russian facilities on the Black Sea for as long as six years -- will continue to wait. 

-- ENDS --