The Whale Sanctuary Blog Archives
2024

The Passing of Two Orca Calves Prompts a Moment for Reflection

The death of two newborn orcas reminds us of the difference between a natural free-ranging life and one spent in ...

Posted January 31, 2024 in News, Opinion

A Tale of Two Baby Orcas

“It’s a boy!” newspapers on the West Coast exclaimed when photos from biologist Maya Sears, taken in the Salish Sea, ...

Posted January 9, 2024 in News, Opinion

Five Fundamental Rights of Whales & Dolphins

Tom White, author of "In Defense of Dolphins" talks about how flourishing is the key to understanding the argument for ...

Posted September 5, 2022 in News, Opinion

The Death of Nakai and the Future of Captive Whales

The young orca Nakai, who was born at SeaWorld San Diego and lived in a tank there all of his ...

Posted August 8, 2022 in News, Opinion

Dolphin Assisted Therapy, Autism and Pseudoscience

Dr. Lori Marino of the Whale Sanctuary Project discusses how Dolphin Assisted Therapy is a nonscientific practice claiming to be ...

Posted November 22, 2021 in News, Opinion

Of Mice and Orcas

A recent video of Kiska the orca at Marineland Canada shows her slapping the side of her body against the ...

Posted September 27, 2021 in News, Opinion

Why Captive Cetaceans Have Been Dying

The recent spate of deaths of young whales have apparently been a surprise to their owners at entertainment parks. But ...

Posted August 26, 2021 in News, Opinion

What Is an Authentic Sanctuary?

A sanctuary is, by definition, a place where the wellbeing of the residents is always the priority.  A couple of ...

Posted February 10, 2021 in News, Opinion

What Does SeaWorld’s New “Orca Encounter” Teach Us?

On January 1st, 2020, SeaWorld Orlando replaces its “One Ocean” orca show with a new “Orca Encounter” that’s billed as ...

Posted December 31, 2019 in News, Opinion

From the Sea of Okhotsk

In the summer of 2004, two young beluga whales, Skyla and Orion, were captured, packed into crates and loaded onto ...

Posted April 22, 2019 in News, Opinion

When Captive Belugas Give Birth

At the Shedd Aquarium, the beluga Mauyak is pregnant. We all hope her calf is born healthy and lives beyond ...

Posted September 23, 2018 in News, Opinion

This Is What Extinction Looks Like

I am in an airport on my way home from the San Juan Islands, Washington. I was there to attend ...

Posted September 17, 2018 in News, Opinion

A Mother Orca’s Grief – in the Ocean and in Captivity

We have all been transfixed by the scene of the mother orca Tahlequah carrying her dead infant in a display ...

Posted August 3, 2018 in News, Opinion

More Dolphin Deaths at Zoos and Theme Parks

The deaths of Maxine at the Brookfield Zoo and Alia at Dolphinaris raise the question, yet again, of whether these ...

Posted June 25, 2018 in News, Opinion

Dolphin Mirror Self-Recognition: the Science and the Ethics

New scientific paper shows two dolphins recognizing themselves in a mirror. This advanced cognitive capacity has only been observed in ...

Posted January 12, 2018 in News, Opinion

Morgan the Orca: a Tale of Betrayal

Morgan, an orca who was captured 10 years ago, is pregnant. A story of corrupt justice and corporate dealing involving ...

Posted December 9, 2017 in News, Opinion

Dental Damage and Decay Among Orcas at Marine Parks

A new study, “Tooth Damage in Captive Orcas”, is the first comprehensive, peer-reviewed, quantitative assessment of how extensive tooth damage ...

Posted October 12, 2017 in Opinion

A Whale and Her Family

Following the sad news yesterday about the death of killer whale Kasatka at SeaWorld San Diego, SeaWorld wrote that she ...

Posted August 17, 2017 in Opinion

SeaWorld Attendance Still Falling

The days of keeping whales and dolphins on display are clearly numbered. And SeaWorld appears to be seeing its long-term ...

Posted August 13, 2017 in Opinion

Kyara’s Death a Tragic Irony

It’s a tragic irony that Kyara, the last orca to be born at SeaWorld, died yesterday at the age of ...

Posted July 25, 2017 in Opinion

World Oceans Day and Captive Whales

World Oceans Day, June 8th, celebrates life in the oceans. It draws our attention to what’s happening to the coral ...

Posted June 8, 2017 in Opinion

Response to the Vancouver Aquarium

Vancouver Aquarium veterinarian Martin Haulena and former SeaWorld trainer Mark Simmons claim that a concrete tank at an aquarium is ...

Posted May 22, 2017 in Opinion

Tilikum and “Granny”

We’re sad to report two deaths this week: This morning, SeaWorld Orlando announced that Tilikum had passed away from a ...

Posted January 6, 2017 in Opinion

SeaWorld’s Decision to Stop Breeding

SeaWorld’s decisions to stop breeding captive orcas and to eliminate theatrical shows by 2019 are significant steps forward. But people ...

Posted April 15, 2016 in Opinion