Whales kept for 'abusement?'

[GenerationEpic90]

People go to sw to be entertained, not educated. Sure they throw in a few tidbits about the whales here and there, (things u could easily learn from a book) but is anyone paying attention? No. They're busy getting splashed and watching the trainers ride the whales. Besides, even if you DID want to go there to get 'educated,' what do you expect to learn about nature when 80% of their whales have never even seen the ocean, and all they do is jump through hoops like circus animals?

[GenerationEpic90]

How can you love something unless you see it? What the F? I wanted to be a dolphin trainer when I was 7 and didn't get to see dolphins until several years later. It didn't change my view. What DID change my view was "The Cove" documentary. Now, even though I've only SEEN dolphins 2 times in my entire life, I'm not 20 years old and am planning on going to college to work with wild cetaceans. You have to see it to love...gimme a break!

[veggiewarriors]

I bet Jack Hanna wrote that letter to himself.

[shimoozo]

I used to love going to seaworld, but there is no level of "education" that these facilities can provide for me after the age of 8

Jack Hannah is just saying what he is being paid to say.

O'Barry, although "outdated", is basing this off his experience

Jane, although not a specialist, can convey the simple facts that the entire world knows and can get off the internet

and Lacinak tries to refute those because he doesn't know what the hell to say.

What a SeaWorld PR bias

[katiedid1023]

I want to stab Jack Hanna. GTFO

[katiedid1023]

80% of the killer whales were born in Sea World. WELP. THAT IS FUCKED UP. Too bad they only live to half their age... and I actually don't think someone can call it living, even.

[katiedid1023]

Learn about the animal world through books, documentaries, tv programs. The zoo? Yeah, you'll learn a lot there on their paragraph of description infront of each cage, the animals who suffer, and the lack of truth animal behavior.

Give me a break... to learn? Learn other ways. Protect animals by protecting their habitats, not keeping them from their natural way of life.

[tomjdleaf]

Jack Hanna you suck. Can't believe he actually works for SeaWorld Busch Gardens.

[ladytokerz]

Jack Hanna is a FRAUD !! He deals with animals from the Black Market and doesnt even know how to handle most animals. He needs to just Go Away already!!

[flargmuffin92]

O'barrys an idiot

[PinkPunkyKat]

What are people learning about conservationfrom watching a whale jumping through hoops or balancing a person on its nose?

[PinkPunkyKat]

"Education" in zoos is a joke. It's like he said, it's just a display of dominance. If people want to see a whale or a dolphin, go on a whale watching tour or watch a documentary.

[VFA103JollyRogers]

I can't wait for SSCS to get involved

[linisima]

go Ric!! Jack Hanna is a sell out!

[sorryimsogreat2]

Why do they have Crocodile Dundee for an interview? He keeps saying "well people like it, so it must be educational", my response for that is, I like simpsons and family guy...........................­........and I'm learning what?

[veggiewarriors]

Jack spouting totally irrelevant answers to the questions. Nothing new.

[AmbitiousFury]

Dang, Ric O'Barry is getting pretty old...

[sebringracer]

Jack Hannah, you fuckin sell out.

[MyDadsRubberBroke]

Jack is right, Sea World does more for marine life than any of the other so called animal rights activist. Ric must be trying to get in the spotlight and Jane needs a big fat one in her mouth, She never shuts up. She can't even host Nancy Grace without screaming and yelling.

[flargmuffin92]

@MyDadsRubberBroke Amen to that

[DevilFishrzn]

I have been to Sea World twice. I thought it was amazing. I thought it was one of the coolest things I had ever seen. THEN I went to Maine last year, and went on a phenomenal 4 hour whale watching trip 30 miless off the coast of Bar Harbor. I learned more about Whales in that 4 hours, than I did in 2 full days at Sea World watching people in wetsuits righting around on an Orca's face. I experienced more joy watching a pod of Whales in the ocean, than I did at a park looking for $buck$.

[Oceantrish]

Thank you, Ric O'Barry, for all of the great work you do to help get the truth out.

[happysomeday09]

But Sea World doesnt teach you anything about animals. They just give the name, age&weight of the animal&then they start the show w/ them doing tricks. What is this about education? When I went there I just saw animals but I didn't learn anything there. I learned all by myself, at home & by researching on the internet. I know alot about orcas, dolphins and penguins and I surely didnt learn this stuff from sea world. I just got to sea them LIVE. However, I can see them if go out on a boat too!

[greatestunknown]

The problem with blckren101's comment 23 hours ago is that Sea World's official statement was the same for the trainer in Florida,. The day she was killed they said "she slipped and fell", but there was one problem, there were witnesses. Funny, they told the same story for Alexis where there were no public witnesses and the body was cremated the next day . Hmmm.

[dolphin5297]

I agree w/ jane & ric o barry

[peepchick101]

NOT TO MENTION: Sea World has never, ever, in their entire 60 year history, released a single orca whale (whether captured from the wild or born in captivity)... they were never freeing orcas and they never will, because these orcas are millions of dollars a piece in revenue.

[liberal4ever]

@peepchick101 interesting, good point.

[peepchick101]

Jack Hanna has had so many people become injured in his little animal roadshows over the years. He has no right to say what is safe and what's not. Not to mention, he is Sea World's little mouthpiece. He says things straight from their press conferences.

Ric can actually think outside the box (er, tank?)! He is the one who cares about conserving animals, while Jack just wants them all in a circus show for human entertainment, no matter the risks!

[xMadxScientistx]

Follow the money. Jack Hannah is a disappointment. Seaworld is a corporation that is not keeping its employees safe.

[YaketyYac]

I used to love going to Sea World but in education I realized that whales need to be free to swim in a straight line. They are not to be kept in bathtubs and fed dead fish but free to swim with families and pods and swim hundreds of miles in one day and hunt for live food without having to entertain to get them. Why is Jack Hanna defending it? Look again for the money trail. Animals need not to be caged, they are wild and should remain wild.

[dolphin5297]

same here

[YaketyYac]

I am hoping that in this young ladies death that people will realize that even though it was her dream, it's not worth dying for. Perhaps now if you were to ask her, she might would rather be with her family then whales.

[YaketyYac]

I for one have lost all respect for Jack Hanna.

[blackren101]

I found the male trainer that Ric O'Barry said was killed by an Orca in December of 2009. According to the multiple sources that I looked at the trainer who's real name is, Alexis Martinez Hernandez, fell off of the whale when practicing for a show and crashed his rib cage. So no, the whale did not kill him, it was an accident.