Tanya: What has happened to Glory in the Gardens? I know Mercy Me was there very early in the season, but in the calendar I got yesterday for the rest of the season the only thing that is mentioned is a concert by Steven Curtis Chapman. Y'all used to have several Christian bands during the summer season (very popular ones at that), & actually advertised "Glory in the Gardens." What's up?
Hunter: What's up is the documentary "Blackfish" and the efforts of animal rights groups to discourage artists from performing at SeaWorld and Busch parks. We're lucky we got as many artists to perform this year as we did.
Tanya: I'm glad that efforts for things at Sea World to be thwarted worked. But it shouldn't spill over to Busch Gardens. People really do need to be exposed to Blackfish& the truth about the prison that captivity really is. #dontbuyaticket But I imagine that the money BG takes in goes back into keeping itself running.....
Janis: Still confused about why you are telling people to not buy tickets to Sea World, but then are saying you support Busch Gardens. And by the way, Blackfish does NOT tell the truth,. If you believe everything in that movie was true, you are sadly mistaken.
Tanya: Well I am all for Blackfish& against Sea World's ways.... But I have not seen any petitions against anyone performing at Busch Gardens. So is there still a possibility that more Christian groups will sign on?
Janis: Uh, you know Busch Gardens is *owned by* SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, right? How odd that you are "all for Blackfish & against Sea World's ways". I thought it was propaganda *crap*.
Tanya: I do know it's all owned by Busch. It IS possible to love a park, such as BG, bc you've been going all of your life, & to also come to a point in your life when you begin to care about animals in captivity& see that as wrong& believe they should be free. It's a battle within me to know that BG is owned by the same business as Sea World.
Chloe: Lets see BGW & BGT have large number of animals in captivity. This includes highly intelligent and social groups.. Busch is ok to you but sea world is bad.... OMG
Tanya: From my understanding, the animals at BGW are there bc they have been rehabilitated, but for one reason or another cannot live in the wild (not talking about the Clydesdales). That is totally different than true "captivity." I have never been to BGT & am not aware of the animals they have. I am not a supporter of captivity (unless there is a reason the animal cannot be released). And yes, I do believe Blackfish is true. If you can't see the truth in that movie, you just don't want to see reality. RRR is a whole different issue, & that's what I have known about the animals at BGW-that they can't be released.
Christopher: " unless there is a reason the animal cannot be released". Look up what happened when a captive orca was released... it did not turn out very well. And how is it different for the horses at bgw being held.
Christopher: Also some of the animals in the show pet Shenanigans at the park are rescue pets form pounds and have no injury.
Chloe: A small side note even if seaworld wanted to let the orcas go today they could not do so without the permission of state and federal agencies. Something that the blackfish movie does not really go in to the various laws to release or even transfer to another facility. And yes I see reality of things in the matter as I have researched other sources besides blackfish and seaworld.
Janis: I *know* for a FACT that Blackfish lied about the trainers that handle Tilikum not knowing about his past until after Dawn died. Utter BS. In fact, a trainer told *me* many years ago that the trainers always get out of the water when Tili comes into the tank, because he was involved in a trainer death back at SeaLand of the Pacific (this was back during "Believe", when the trainers were still allowed in the water with the other whales). So, why would they tell a guest if they didn't know it themselves?! There's lots of other falsehoods in the movie, too, like about the "baby" whale being separated from her mother - that "baby" was old enough to have had a baby of her own! Feel how you want about captivity, but please don't base those feelings on the LIES told by the producers of Blackfish.
Afanasi: Why Bindi Irwin's support of SeaWorld is right and "Blackfish" is wrong and dangerous.
In its “risk-taking” storytelling, “Blackfish” has provided valuable information about killer whales, but – unfortunately – it is not telling the entire story which will eventually endanger more killer whales.
After having worked at SeaWorld for several years and after having spent hours after hours near killer whales, dolphins, and other SeaWorld animals, there is another side to the story and a few facts that “Blackfish” missed.
Animals in a controlled environment (captivity) do not procreate if the conditions and environment are not right for the animal. For many years, SeaWorld killer whales (when they were in fact kept in smaller tanks), did not have newborns Today, each new addition to the killer whale family at SeaWorld is clearly giving the message – we must be doing something right.
If, as PETA argues, the animals at SeaWorld were suffering, the animals would – as many pet owners know -- likely become aggressive, die or become sick. While there are always exceptions to the rule, SeaWorld animals generally are not aggressive, sick, or die any more than other animals that are kept in zoos worldwide. Zoos, as well as SeaWorld, must be doing something right if large animals like elephants or killer whales survive in the controlled environment.
In regard to Tilikum and the death of Dawn Brancheau, the Orlando Sentinel reported the following: “The family of Dawn Brancheau, the veteran SeaWorld Orlando trainer who was killed by one of the park's killer whales in February 2010, has publicly chastised ‘Blackfish,’ the controversial documentary that scrutinizes both the tragedy and the practice of holding killer whales in captivity.”
SeaWorld is the most interesting when there are no visitors. Since killer whales and dolphins are extremely social and playful, watching them interact with you is priceless and does not at all paint a picture of the animals “suffering.”
Lastly, and most importantly, when there are visitors at SeaWorld and one has the chance to watch adults as well as children be amazed by the animals, it is apparent that the educational mission of SeaWorld and Bindi Irwin is alive every day. No nature documentary can replace the effect that the personal experience between people and the animals provide.
Afanasi: " I do know it's all owned by Busch" NO not by Busch as Busch is owned by Seaworld parks and Entertainment which is owned by it's share holders and Blackstone.
Tanya: To Christopher Schwartz, it is good for the rescue pets to be there....That is positive. My mention of the horses was just my thinking of them& the sheep, etc..living in barn/farm like settings that would already be natural to them. Now for release, I'm thinking sea pens, tons of monitoring, then release for the orcas& dolphins that prove able to survive. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed to see Bindi's recent support for Sea World. Janis, even if the trainers didn't know about Tilly's past, Sea World's owners& top people did, I'm sure, & they still put their employees in the water with him. And maybe that baby that was separated from her mom was older, but it was still that orca's child. Just like our children are always our babies. Afansi, it is neat to talk to a trainer. I know all about the effects that these shows with orcas& dolphins have on children. I was greatly affected. I had already wanted to work with orcas since I was 4 years old, & my first visit to Sea World sealed the deal. That was my dream until I got into advanced science& math classes in high school& couldn't do the work...I knew I would never get a marine biology degree. Then these last few years I have done a lot of studying, & have felt like perhaps captivity is not the answer. The (male, I think) dorsal fins always collapse in captivity, & the whales do not live nearly as long as they do in the wild. They are not with their family pods& they understand this. Tilikum had/has (esp after Dawn's death) spent lots of time in his life in small isolated areas, probably contributing to his stress& aggressiveness. The dolphins kept in the petting pool are often withheld food so they will eat the food that the tourists pay for. They are all scarred up from interactions with one another& the concrete. And that goes for the orcas& dolphins alike, their echolocation makes being in those concrete pools so unnatural& stressful on them. I just no longer see that having then in captivity for people's entertainment is the best way for people to learn about them. They are magnificent animals& deserve to be free...
