Seems like they shouldn't have this whale in an open tank or in view of all the spectators. Either return it to the wild or put it in a zoo with limited human contact. It's a wild animal and it appears this one is not trainable.

Have you ever been to a sea world show though? It's incredible. Those people stand on the nose of a whales as it leaps out of the water.....I've never seen anything else quite like it.

Yes I've been a few times. I had a tough guy type cousin and even he desrcibed it as a religious experience. However, they are essentially slaves. This one was wild born, it's not like a dog who's been breed in captivity for thousands of years. I say release him to the wild.

Some of them can't be released for various reasons.....also, some are trainable and some are not. I went to a training seminar once, and they treat these animals very well. You can't brow-beat a whale into obeying you.....you have to use positive reinforcement.

This particular whale doesn't seem to be a good candidate though.

well released gives him a fighting chance vs. put down. He obviously can't be around people.

It's not the whale's fault...he probably just wanted to play. Yep, it's mans fault for keeping him in captivity!!

I dont' know these things, but after an animal has been kept in captivity for a long period, can they survive back in the wild? Was he born in captivity? (bastards!!) If so, that might present a problem because he may not have the survival skills learned in the wild. :(

Bastards!!!

Oh, just saw DT say he wasn't born in captivity..but is it like riding a bike? Will those instincts "kick in" if he's released back into the wild? If so, let him go! If he does not have the survival instincts due to being kept in captivity for so long (Bastards!!) :( then sadly, he may need to be put down....

Did I mention "Bastards!!"? So sad....

And after two other human deaths they kept displaying him! But byeah, it's not his fault, but he either needs to be put down or released.
They would need to release him where they caputured him as different killer pods hunt different prey in different ways.
He probably won't make it , but it's a chance.

Dangerous animals, wild born or not, have no place in those shows. This whale should have been confined elsewhere.

More to the point however, anybody who trains/performs with these animals knows how very risky it is.

Corporate greed? Freak show? Green guilt? Does it really matter?

Furthermore, he slopes of Mt. Everest are strewn with the bodies of climbers who ventured and lost. I say it's time hold Sir Edmund Hillary responsible for this and have the damned thing declared a public nuisance.

So anyways, week before last I went to the clinic for my semi-annual checkup.

"How's it going?" asks the prep nurse.

"Oh," I sez, "I'm 70 and a half and I'm getting there."

"Shhh," she said with a wink and her index finger over her mouth. "You can't say that here."

This is insane.

So anyways, in the wild, Killer Whales go into shallow water and catch seals. They toss the seals around a bit then eat them.

Talk about insane. You got a Killer Whale in a pool. You hang around the edge of the pool and maybe, reach in and pet the whale.

He said "OT" in the subject line, so that, to me indicates that the discussion would be off topic and if I didn't want to read something non-alcohol related, I have the choice of not opening said topic. As always, the authority on all matters I see. Even the mating of whales and the decisions being made by the owners of Sea World....

Mark,

I disagree about moving it to another board. My take on it is that we live in a culture obsessed with health, safety and the fear of death. But in some sense we alkies need to rebel against it and make our peace with our mortality.

I really believe we need to keep talking about this stuff, because too many of us go back to drinking over it.

Nope, it's not anyone, it's only you bear when you say any thought that doesn't jive with yours is "nonsense" as I just read in the other thread about aa not being a magic potion.

It's just that your arrogance astounds me. If you don't care to discuss whales, don't open the thread. You don't have the right to tell anyone on this forum where their threads belong.

But I hope you have a good day. :)

The Nepal people would really suffer if trips to the top was stopped.

Then we could have relief for Nepal!

The whale was just doing what whales do--eat smaller mammals. I kinda think that is why they are called KILLER whales. I say we do to this whale, what Herbie did to the abominable snowman, that is, pull all his teeth out. No, really, I am just kidding. Us humans have always liked to think we are the caretakers of the world and that we can exploit the earth and its inhabitants for OUR pleasure. Keep the whale off in some big tank somewhere and use it as a tax writeoff. Quit tring to make money with an animal that has tasted human blood.

It is amazing how these threads get contorted into a petty spat. I mean, what was the motivation of telling someone that they posted the wrong thing...I mean, something as harmless as this OT thread?

I don't get it, Big Bear. Does this stuff really bother you that much? Yikes!