Sonic Sea ( http://www.sonicsea.org ) is a 60-minute documentary about the impact of industrial and military ocean noise on whales and other marine life. It tells the story of a former U.S. Navy officer who solved a tragic mystery and changed forever the way we understand our impact on the ocean.
The film is narrated by Rachel McAdams and features Sting, in addition to the renowned ocean experts Dr. Sylvia Earle, Dr. Paul Spong, Dr. Christopher Clark and Jean-Michel Cousteau.
Sonic Sea was produced by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Imaginary Forces in association with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Diamond Docs.
Learn more and find a screening near you at http://www.sonicsea.org
It was Endangered Species Day yesterday and We Have so Much to Celebrate! Yesterday, May 20th was Endangered Species Day, a celebration of America’s wildlife and of the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act in recovering the plants and animals most at risk of extinction.
Because of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), our lives are indeed richer. Wildlife that were once threatened with extinction are now restoring balance to damaged ecosystems across the country, as the ESA not only protects species but the key habitats upon which they depend. And Americans are reaping $1.6 trillion dollars per year in benefits provided by wildlife and habitat conservation in the form of food, medicine, clean air and water, flood protection and wildlife recreation.
Just look at the track record of the Endangered Species Act, our nation’s unrivaled tool for protecting species on the brink of extinction. Since it was enacted 43 years ago, the Endangered Species Act has been 99 percent effective at preventing the extinction of listed species.
Here are just a few examples of the success towards species recovery we’ve been able to achieve together:
Of course, our work isn’t done. Habitat destruction, accelerating climate change and development are among emerging threats to imperiled species.
But today, let’s take a pause and celebrate what we’ve worked together to achieve. Let’s let Endangered Species Day give us renewed energy to tackle these challenges and continue our work together to protect America’s most endangered species.
It was Endangered Species Day yesterday and We Have so Much to Celebrate! Yesterday, May 20th was Endangered Species Day, a celebration of America’s wildlife and of the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act in recovering the plants and animals most at risk of extinction.
Because of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), our lives are indeed richer. Wildlife that were once threatened with extinction are now restoring balance to damaged ecosystems across the country, as the ESA not only protects species but the key habitats upon which they depend. And Americans are reaping $1.6 trillion dollars per year in benefits provided by wildlife and habitat conservation in the form of food, medicine, clean air and water, flood protection and wildlife recreation.
Just look at the track record of the Endangered Species Act, our nation’s unrivaled tool for protecting species on the brink of extinction. Since it was enacted 43 years ago, the Endangered Species Act has been 99 percent effective at preventing the extinction of listed species.
Here are just a few examples of the success towards species recovery we’ve been able to achieve together:
- Bald Eagle – Our national symbol nearly disappeared throughout most of our country. Today, 9,000 bald eagle pairs can be found across the United States.Sea otters, © Michael Peters
- Southern Sea Otter – This iconic resident of the California coast was hunted almost to extinction for its thick fur coat. Since being added to the endangered species list in 1977, the population has slowly increased to about 2,800 otters today.
- Apache Trout – When it was placed on the endangered species list, the Apache trout was near extinction. Thanks to riverbank habitat restoration and hatchery breeding programs under the ESA, several million trout have been released into the wild, and there are now nearly 30 self-sustaining populations of the fish.
- Peregrine Falcon – By 1975, the use of pesticides like DDT had reduced the population of the world’s fastest bird to just 324 nesting pairs. Today, there are between 2,000 and 3,000 breeding pairs in North America, and the falcon was removed from the endangered species list in 1999.Bblack-footed ferret kits, © Ryan Moehring USFWS
- Black-Footed Ferret – Habitat destruction from plowing, exotic diseases and widespread poisoning of its prey—prairie dogs—almost caused North America’s black-footed ferret to disappear for good. Thanks to the ESA, a successful ferret captive-breeding program was initiated in 1987 and continues to this day – successfully saving this species from the brink of extinction.
- Humpback Whale – Prior to the rise of the whaling industry, humpback whale populations numbered as high as 125,000 in the North Pacific. But by the 1960s there were only 1,200 humpback whales left. Thanks to recovery efforts made possible by the ESA, today’s population is above 22,000 and local communities in Washington reap economic benefit. Whales entertain more than 6 million watchers in the United States and Canada; reports conclude that whale watching is a $1 billion a year industry.Stellar sea lions, © David B. Ledig/USFWS
- Stellar Sea Lion – The Steller sea lion was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1990 after populations were reduced from commercial exploitation. In 1979, eastern Steller sea lion counts were as low as 18,040. Today scientists estimate there are over 70,000 eastern Steller sea lions.
Of course, our work isn’t done. Habitat destruction, accelerating climate change and development are among emerging threats to imperiled species.
But today, let’s take a pause and celebrate what we’ve worked together to achieve. Let’s let Endangered Species Day give us renewed energy to tackle these challenges and continue our work together to protect America’s most endangered species.
Rare footage of finback whale breaching May 17, 2018
According to the film’s Facebook page, “Black Water tells the sad story of Kiska, a captive orca at Marineland, Ontario. She struggles to overcome her pain and despair as they rip her apart.” In other words, it reveals point blank that captivity is no place for a whale.
“Black Water is meant as an educational, non-commercial film that dives into the moral question behind keeping cetaceans (dolphins and other whales) in captivity,” Affolter told Niagara Advance in an email. “The film is a narrative set in Kiska’s perspective that explores what these sentient, social creatures might feel when placed in a captive environment.”
And it’s never been more important to reveal the truth about their lives, and the cruelty they endure in captivity. After all, whales are intelligent and emotional beings. The brain of the orca is four times larger than the human brain, weighing in at 12 pounds. Their brains have been evolving for millions of years, while modern-day humans first emerged about 200,000 years ago, it is safe to assume that their cognitive development is at least as advanced as ours – if not considerably more so. And with complex familial and social relationships, we can gather that these creatures are highly self-aware, adaptable, and intelligent.
Moreover, orcas are highly social animals. They live in tight matrilineal pods, composed of grandmothers, mothers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins. They typically choose to remain with their immediate family group for the rest of their lives. So you can imagine the damage done to orcas when they’re cruelly torn from their natural habitat and relegated to a life spent in captivity.
This is a highly traumatizing experience for these sensitive beings. Throughout their lives in captivity, orcas display zoochotic (psychotic) behaviors, similar to symptoms of prison neurosis. Some stereotypic behaviors include swimming in circles repetitively, establishing pecking orders, and lying motionless at the surface or on the aquarium floor for relatively long periods of time. Some whales have even been driven to violence and aggression, resulting in the tragic death of their trainers.
Affolter’s film is crucial to bringing down companies like Marineland and securing future of freedom for all orcas. While he currently does not have adequate funds for legal support against the lawsuit, he intends to defend himself in court. Affolter told Niagara Advance, “It’s sad that we live in a world where people are bullied and pushed around just for speaking their mind.” And though the release date for Black Water has been delayed, Affolter still intends to show it when the time is right.
According to Niagara Advance, this is Marineland’s ninth lawsuit in four years. Maybe it’s time for them to look in the mirror and ask themselves who’s really at fault. Better yet, look into Kiska’s eyes – that answer should be as clear as the glass walls that keep her captive. Image Source: Black Water/Facebook
There’s nothing harder to watch than a giant, strong, majestic creature rendered helpless at the hands of human cruelty. That’s exactly what we see in a video from the Chilean Navy, who rescued a 50-foot-long humpback whale entangled in a fishing net. Boaters spotted the struggling whale and were immediately dispatched.
Because of the all-too-common use of gill and trawl nets in the commercial fishing industry, whales are often caught as “bycatch.” In fact, 90 percent of the ocean’s apex predators, like this whale, have been wiped out in the past 55 years. These massive, heavy nets are dragged along the bottom of the ocean, collecting literally everything in their path, causing a tremendous amount of damage to marine species. It’s estimated that nearly 650,000 marine mammals are injured every year thanks to the reckless practices of commercial fisheries.
The whale in this video escaped that fate. We’ve got to do everything we can to make sure all marine animals live in freedom.
How Can You Help?
You can help to make a difference for marine species with your diet. Aggressive fishing methods to meet demands for seafood contribute to the decimation all marine animals. By choosing to leave fish and seafood off your plate for one year alone you can save 225 fish and 151 shellfish. When you consider the fact that around 40 percent of all commercial fish catches are composed of bycatch, by keeping fish off your plate, you’re also helping to save countless other marine species who are unintentionally caught! To learn more about how you can help marine animals through your diet, join the #EatForThePlanet movement.
Heartbreaking Reality of How Humans Have Reduced One of the World’s Most Complex Species. We humans often like to think of ourselves as the most superior species on this Earth, by far. However, there are plenty of other species out there whose advanced cognitive abilities (not to mention, their ability to enhance and contribute to the overall health of their ecosystem, instead of destroying it) might cause us to question that assumption. Dolphins and elephants are especially renowned for their high levels of intelligence and emotional sensitivity.
Another species whose cognitive capabilities might give us food for thought is the orca (also known as the killer whale). An orca’s brain is four times bigger than a human brain, and the brain lobes that deal with the processing of complex emotions are also larger in these animals than they are in humans. They have complex ways of communicating with one another, with different “dialects” being observed among different orca populations. They have been evolving for millions of years while modern-day humans only emerged around 200,000 years ago, so it is safe to assume that they are at least as cognitively advanced as we are … if not more so!
In the wild, orcas live in close-knit matriarchal pods. They stay close to their family members all their lives, traveling up to 100 miles per day. The compassion and love that orcas have been observed demonstrating toward their family members is often breathtaking. Earlier this year, a beautiful story emerged about an orca pod off the coast of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, who are helping their disabled brother to survive by supplying him with food. Whenever wild orcas have been recorded interacting with humans, their movements have been surprisingly gentle, given their “killer” nickname. To date, there has never been a documented case of an orca killing a human in the wild.
When orcas are confined to aquarium or marine park tanks (which typically comprise only 0.001 percent of the territory that would be available to them in the wild), a very different story emerges. Captive orcas have often been known to lash out at one another and at the humans who work with them. SeaWorld Orlando orca Tilikum, whose heartrending story was described in detail in the 2013 documentary “Blackfish,” has been linked to three human deaths. The most well-known case was that of Dawn Brancheau, whom Tilikum killed on February 24, 2010, after losing his temper during a performance. Keto, an orca of Loro Parque, Spain, killed his trainer Alexis Martinez on December 24, 2009.
Depression, psychological issues, collapsed dorsal fins (in males), significantly reduced life expectancy, and unusual illnesses are commonplace among captive orca populations, though they are almost never witnessed in wild orca populations. Tilikum is now gravely ill with a bacterial infection, and a young female orca named Unna passed away on December 21, 2015, at SeaWorld San Diego, of a fungal infection. She was just nineteen years old: much younger than the average age of 48 years that she could have reached as a wild orca, or even the age of thirty years that she could have reached as a captive one.
SeaWorld has had to resort to medicating its orcas with psychoactive drugs to keep their psychological problems under control, and it is well-known within the industry that this practice must be repeated in zoos and marine parks all over the world. It is truly tragic that we humans have reduced captive animals to this state … and when you consider the fact that orcas are cognitively sophisticated, deeply sensitive, and have been on this planet a whole lot longer than we have, the arrogance that our species has displayed by trapping them in tiny tanks for the sake of our entertainment is truly staggering.
If orcas could speak our language, how likely is it that they would tell us they just love performing inane tricks?
The heartbreaking photo above displays the reality of existence for so many captive orcas: deprived of everything that would give their lives a sense of depth and meaning if they were in the wild, left at the mercy of humans, and forced to perform tricks that do not come naturally to them (the threat of withheld food is often used to make them do this). With the momentum against whale and dolphin captivity growing by the day, there has never been a more urgent time to call for those tanks to be emptied once and for all.
To learn more about why you should boycott any aquarium or marine park that holds dolphins and whales in captivity, read the articles below. And don’t forget to share this article to help raise awareness of the issue!
- Orcas Are More Emotionally Complex Than Humans, and Other Facts About These Awesome Animals
- A Look Into How Life for Captive Orcas Differs From Their Wild Counterparts
- 10 Signs Whales and Dolphins DO NOT Belong in Tanks
