PETA, the world's largest animal rights organization, is 6.5 million strong and growing. It also serves as a reminder to not visit and patronize Sea World until the Orcas are released. In memory of Amaya, we reprise this interview which was originally released in March of 2021. They are both logged in the new book, "Orcapedia," a register of all the Orcas, living and dead, who have been subjected to what its author Paul Watson calls "an international slave trade." Watson, a founder of Greenpeace, and known for his actions to save whales, talks with Emil Guillermo about Orcas in captivity. Corky is the oldest Orca in captivity and is also twice the size. Amaya was just six years old and born in captivity.
Whistleblowerscalled PETA about the incident and PETA has filed a complaint with the USDA and has called for an independent investigation. The next day, one Orca, Corky was badly injured, and another, Amaya, was dead. In 2017, the San Diego park became the first location to replace its traditional, trick-laden Shamu performances with an educational program that highlights the orcas’ natural behaviors in the wild.On August 19, SeaWorld/San Diego attendants placed ten Orcas in a single tank even when it was known that some of the animals had histories of aggression toward each other. SeaWorld subsequently announced it was ending killer whale shows at its parks.
AMAYA ORCA MOVIE
The movie implied that orcas become more aggressive in captivity. “His contributions to helping improve the health and survival of whales in the wild cannot be underestimated and will never be forgotten,” the statement said.Īn unnamed member of Nakai’s team who helped care for the killer whale since his birth described Nakai in the statement as a “very friendly and an overall playful guy who loved to interact with people.”Ĭriticism regarding SeaWorld’s killer whale populations has intensified over the last decade following the release of the 2013 documentary “Blackfish,” which focused on the life of Tilikum, an orca responsible for killing trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010 when he dragged her into a pool at SeaWorld Orlando. The park said that skill prompted scientists to use Nakai in hearing studies that sought to better understand how noise from ships and other human activity affected orcas. “Veterinarians and health specialists had been actively treating an infection, but aggressive therapeutic and diagnostic efforts were unsuccessful.” “Every attempt was made to save life,” SeaWorld said in a statement.
Before that, the most recent death was that of Kasatka, a 42-year-old female who died of a lung disease in August 2017.
Nakai, who was born in September 2001 at SeaWorld, is the park’s second orca to die in the last year. The marine park is unable to expand its orca population after having instituted a breeding ban in March 2016, following years of pressure from animal rights protesters and shifting public opinion about orcas being held in captivity. Nakai’s death leaves SeaWorld with eight killer whales, ranging in age from 9 to 57. A 20-year-old male killer whale that has been at SeaWorld San Diego since his birth died Thursday night following treatment for an infection, the park announced Friday.ĭespite aggressive efforts to treat the infection, the orca, Nakai, died surrounded by members of the animal care and medical teams who had worked closely with him over the last two decades, SeaWorld said in a statement.