Pool World: Captivity Sucks July 18 2014

Killer Whales have always captivated our interest!  Many of us have early childhood memories of getting splashed by orcas on family vacations to aquatic parks.  Always smiling as the freezing cold salt water drenches us and the whale follows directions from it's trainer. Amazing times back then, but we didn't know what went on behind the curtain at those aquatic parks.

With the release of the film Blackfish and similar coverage on orca treatment, capture and captivity many people's views on aquatic parks having orca shows have changed.  Seeing footage of orcas being captured in the Puget Sound circa 1970's have turned up.  Seeing the orca families broken up and the young kidnapped as the adults scream is pretty intense footage.  Learning that orcas have very aggressive behaviors towards their trainers show they aren't happy in captivity.  Analyzing the life cycle differences between orcas in the wild and those in captivity provides an obvious example of how orca captivity needs to stop. 

Orcas and other whales are best viewed where they live naturally. In the Pacific Northwest, whale tours can be booked and the experience is very gratifying!  Hearing orcas blow air out of their blowholes next to your boat is one of the neatest experiences on earth. They do indeed like to jump into the air at times, but not to splash crowds because they were commanded or forced to.

Our Pool World: Captivity Sucks shirt arrives with that action in mind!  Make a statement on how you feel about the captivity of Orcas!