Bob...your comment makes no sense at all. ...and realizing how intelligent these animals are....fish are too stupid....

Think before you post and throw your fishing poles away.

Amish - Bob's comment makes no sense only if you think dolphins are fish. He is clearly talking about the animals discussed in the article - Orcas - when he said "these animals".

Uhhh....I didn't think it was that hard to understand, so let me try and make it simpler for you.

Fish kept in aquarium = OK with me (I'm a member of the national zoological association and support many wildlife institutions - sorry if that statement goes over your head as well.)

Intelligent mammals kept in an aquarium = Not OK with me

It was just a comment. Not sure why you felt the need to attack a simple comment.

Thanks, Emily. Didn't realize that some people didn't learn the basic fact in elementary school that whales and dolphins are not fish. I'm glad you understood what I was saying.

I was trying to get the point across that I'm not some hard-core animal activist, but I simly disagree with keeping sea mammals in captivity.

We will never learn.

Bob,

does your feeling just extend to mammals in an aquarium?

how can you segergate just a smart mammal in an aquarium from a dog or cat or even a parrot?

you say you are a member of some zoo association, you DO realise that zoos and places like sea world just dont SHOW animals, they also rehab and restore wild life.

and how do you think they got the experience to rehab and replace these animals?
from keeping them to show.

i will grant you, they had to take from the sea at first, but they are able to self sustain them selves now cause of successful breeding and dont need to take as much from the sea.

while i dont agree with common person buying and keeping a tiger or lion, i guess its better that there are resources somewhere, then no resources anywhere.

Bob Barbarino, your comment that fish are too stupid and cant remember going from one side of the tank to the other is stupid in itself. How would you know they are stupid? You dont think they know they are stuck in a glass jail cell? If you were stuck in a tank, you would have to swim from one end to the other too cause you'd have no place else to go but back and forth!

Hey OMG, maybe you should look up the definition of zoological before you start posting about zoos. Zoology is a branch of biology. It has nothing to do with zoos other than that's where zoo derives its name.

Vanessa, scientific research says so.

But if we don't have them in an enviroment where we can study them, then how can we help them when the yget sick or beached or any help in the wild. To really understand these creature they need enviroments and ways to actually study them. Zoos and aquariams help

My son had fish in an aquarium when he was growing up. I am convinced because of that they are not stupid. He kept the aquarium in his room and when he walked into his bedroom the fish would all gravitate to the front of the aquarium to "greet" him. If he put his hand over the water, they would come up to the top of the water and let him pet them. But, they would not respond to anyone else like that. He had them for years, from the time he was a child until he went away to college. I freaked out when he was getting ready to leave for college "what am I going to do with these fish????" Was it coincidence that two days before he left, the fish, all of them, just up and died?

Vanessa you are stupid.. go have an intelligent conversation with your goldfish...

If whales are so intelligent, why are they constantly beaching themselves to rot in the sun?

Really? Then by your logic, people who crash their cars are as stupid as beached whales...

They are called wild animals for a reason. They should be kept in the wild NOT held in captivity for our entertainment. It saddens me to see reports like this and tv shows like "Animals Gone Bad". Why do you think they "go bad" in the first place people; we are to blame, not them.

Am with Bod damn it !!! lmao

I agree with Bob for the most part. Mammals are too intelligent to keep in captivity but if one is injured then it's nice to be able to rehab them but they should ultimately be released back into the wild if possible. Obviously an animal of this intelligence is going to have major issues living it's life in an aquarium so it should only be done with the strictest discretion and people should not swim with them. It would be a little like going into a prison cell with a person who hasn't left it at all in 10 years and maybe had one companion who spoke his/her language. Not a great idea.

Sometimes animals are injured and are able to be saved, but can never be returned to the wild. In those cases the animal is not being kept for "entertainment" purposes. They are being kept for the benefit of the animal and any revenue generated by allowing the public to see them helps to payfor their care.

We have a zoo near where I live that is entirely made up of rescued and rehabilitated animals that were abandoned or abused by their previous owners. Some were pets, some were animal actors, some were in circuses etc. They were rescued by the Humane Society and are too domesticated now to be released in the wild. They are healthy and happy and well cared for. PETA would say that they should be euthenized I suppose since they oppose all zoos. However, I find no harm in letting them live out their natural lives in peace and my son just loves to visit and see the animals.

Many zoos/aquariums are the only things keeping some species from dying out entirely. They are not only there to educate the public, but also employ researchers and conservationists who work to the betterment of the species. Those animals who are bred in captivity are genereally not suited to be released in the wild. The Orcas for example are pod animals, you can't just let a single Orca go out to sea if it wasn't born and raised in that environment. It has no one to teach it how to hunt, no family to return to... it would die. Improving the conditions of their captivity is the best that we can do for them. Unless you advocate euthanizing them all and shutting Sea World down.

Regarding stupid fish - it is well documented that the memory capability of a fish is only about 2 seconds. Hence the stupid comment. I agree that it is OK to keep fish in an aquarium but Dolphins, which Orkas are, is not OK. Keeping them on a temporary basis to rehabilitate is fine but using them to perform in shows is not OK.

I also don't go to circuses for the same reason. This is not an animals natural environment and really needs to be stopped.

Ivy, I actually do think "people who crash their cars are as stupid as beached whales." So, good call on your part. Incidentally, people who crash their cars, are pushed back by helpful bystanders, and then put it in gear and ram the other car again are REALLY stupid. But whales do that as a matter of course. You'd like to think whales are intelligent, but if they are becoming extinct then they seem to have marginal survival skills. Which is sort of "Donner Party" of them, now isn't it?

What do you point to that confirms the intelligence of whales? And, Ivy...you didn't actually answer my question. Are you up to it?

I so agree with omgwitwet11, these are wild animals why do they have to do tricks etc with humans and why are people paying to watch this and are so upset if something goes wrong, you cannot control a wild animal.

OMG - Rehabilitating animals is one thing, keeping animals this intelligent locked up in tiny boxes their entire lives is cruel.

Seriously, what happened to reading comprehension in schools? People can't read a simple comment and understand the point it's making.

Bob? I f you are who and what you say you are, how is it you think fish are stupid? Research proves otherwise.

Locking animals or fish in cages is wrong---evetually they will attack their keepers!

Happened in HW. too with Dolphins and in another place with whales.

SET THESE INNOCENT CREATURES FREE as God intended them to be!

Locked up for human entertainment in small cages---close them down!

Back to the article, this guy was attacked three times. Now, who is the stupid one? I don't need animals trying to kill me to get the message. I know they are wildlife and there is something about "killer whales" that makes me think that they might want to kill me.

Sounds like this guy should get out of the game, because his 4th time may be his last.

With a history of 3 previous attacks on humans by this Whale, Sea-World has a huge liability problem by allowing humans in the pool with it again. Somebody made a huge mistake, probably for financial gain, and it cost someone their life.

Making them do tricks and shows for a profit is not rehabilitation.

I am on the whale's side. Better luck next time, buddy.

Steve the dog man "If whales are so intelligent, why are they constantly beaching themselves to rot in the sun?"

If people are so smart, why do they kill themselves with drugs. And if someone get's 'rescued' the first time, they will go right back to their life endangering drugs.

Can I ask you nature nuts a question? Why do you murder plants? Is it because it is a life form that you can not fully grasp so you murder plants and protect animals that you can relate to. Bob makes a good point. Many people believe sea mammals should not be held in captivity. I have koi in my pond. They seem happy. Just because you wouldn't harm a fish you are still a life form murderer. Next time you are chopping on a plant, chew on that thought. The meek shall inherit the Earth and it will be plants because plants rock. But for now I agree with Bob, free Willy.

Wow. Message boards are dangerous. I got attacked by people I completely agree with. I thought I got the message across that zoos are great places - especially for animial rehab - and I got attacked by somebody because they thought zoos were great places.

And SeaWorld is not a rehab center - it's a business out to make profit at the expense of intelligent animals that don't deserve their captivity. I see this as different from many of the aquariums I support and visit on the coast.

Maybe I shouldn't have called fish stupid.....but I didn't think they'd hear me. I didn't realize I would be hurting people's fish feelings. (Personally, I think they're best when caught fresh and fried.)

Don't pet or play with the black and white dolphins.

Bob I agree with you, but just so you know SeaWorld does a lot of rescue and rehabilitation.

www DOT seaworld DOT org/animal-info/info-books/rescue-&-rehab/index.htm

Bob, I have found there are a few people that seem to troll the boards just so they can pick on others. And others truly believe what they spout with out ever doing any research. So I guess it is my turn to be hated on.

Agreed. I thought my comment was just general small talk that I could say to anybody - nothing radical or anything. I'd hate to meet some of these people in person.

Just by reading some of the comments, orcas are more intelligent than most of the humans here

I seriously doubt whether fish are stupid but they function on an entirely different mode than we do and we don't really understand them, unless we are marine biologists (many have said fish are actually intelligent). They can hunt, or travel in packs to avoid predators, and navigate for hundreds of miles without getting lost. Maybe this is just simple genetic programming, maybe not. But mammals such as dolphins, whales and other cetateans have huge brains and may in fact be as smart as we are, at least as smart as a human child is. Isolating them from their pods and keeping them confined in small concrete tanks without any natural environmental resources or enrichment is just cruel, they are being kept there for our entertainment, without regard for what is best for them. Of course they attack--they are frustrated and miserable and take it out on their only identifiable enemy--the trainers in the tanks who make them do stupid tricks that they don't understand and don't want to do but they have no choice. They are prisoners. As for whales, maybe they are beaching thmselves because their ocean is polluted, their food supply is dwindling, and all of their senses are being bombarded with the constant noise from ships and military operations that disorient them and make them sick. Perhaps they are even committing suicide because their world has deteriorated so dramatically in recent years.

Back to the article, this guy was attacked three times. Now, who is the stupid one?

So spellchecker do you think this guy has a problem with his learning curve..........it appears to be a straight line.

Yea these things are smart enough to put JAWS to shame. A Nutty Orca would be something out of a horror flick. People go insane in prisons so why on earth do we think Orcas will not snap?? Putting people with Captive Orcas is irresponsible and a recipe for disaster. I would dive and swim with a Pod in the wild any time and feel more protected and safe with them around than without! The Pod in south america that beaches itself to get seals off the beach adopted a human that now is part of the Pod.. In captive i would not even get close to one.

Like aything that is trapped it may attack it's trapper! And it did, set the whales free!

A major disservice that has not been mentioned here is that ocean mammals are pack animals. They have an intricate family order. Just like elephants, they communicate and they have leaders and they need to have their families with them.

Animals that rely so much on the company of it's peers should never ever be separated from their loved ones and be made to live singly for the remainder of its life and in a relatively tiny enclosure.

I think Orca's need a better agent. They really got screwed with this "Killer" whale moniker. They should protest first they are not even whales their dolphins and second as you have pointed out they have never killed a human in the wild. I think we should call them "toothy dolphins" as it is more correct.

Can't we all see it for what it is and know if you take a (wild) animal out of its natural environment, it may just snap someday and it's NOT the animal's fault.

In the case of this guy, the whale snapped three times and the man does not seem to see a problem or a trend. 4th time will probably be the last. How cool though when it's your time and you go out getting bent by a killer whale.

I assume that is why no one is trying to blame the Orca.

So if we have a dog, cat, turtle, snake, lizard, or a bird. We should release them now, right?

this part below is a joke, just so you know.

I think we should let the orca go out into the wild for a little bit and see how well he does at finding food. Then after about 3 days bring him back and see how he feels about what he did.

I think most zoos are good, especially for the breeding of endangered animals who have lost most of their habitat. And of course, they should have the largest, most natural enclosures possible. But there's no way to keep animals this large in captivity humanely. They are far too intelligent to be happy in such cramped, depressing conditions. It's also unhealthy. Ever wonder why the fins of captive orcas are always drooped to the side? From not getting enough exercise, and from swimming in circles. They're also prone to injuring themselves.

Marie---so are elephants, lions and tiger as well as gorillas---they are only kept in cages for human greed---the fees received at the zoos, circuses and wildlife adventures!

One day they will revolt and I hope to see it when they do! Justice comes in all shapes and sizes!

Let me clarify, I don't think wild animals should be kept in captivity.

Porkupines are mammals, and they can't do algebra either. Where did you get the impression mammals were all intelligent? Some are, some aren't. Doing tricks at sea world is a trained response, not a show of intelligence. What can you point to (in the wild) that points to whale's intelligence?

Steve - I think you need to do your own research on the intelligence of marine mammals before you go acting like you know what you're talking about.

In answer they survive!!!!!!!!!

Wild Orcas have been seen teaching their young hunting techniques. They have also been recorded adapting to their prey and developing new forms of attack.

First example. A few pods of Orcas on the east coast have learned how to hunt great white sharks. They flip themselves upside down, ram their noses into the side of the shark to daze it, grab the shark with their mouths, flip rightside up again, go to the surface to breathe with their blow holes. They then hold still so no water goes past the sharks gills. What this is showing is that the Orcas have LEARNED that if a shark is upside down, it goes into a trance state and won't move. It also shows that they know that unless enough water goes past the shark's gills, it will suffocate to death. They have developed a method for shark hunting that other pods have not demonstrated to date.

Second example. A few tourists caught on tape during a guided tour up north a few adult Orcas teaching their young how to hunt seals that are on top of floating chunks of ice. Three adult Orcas would swim at the ice chunk and dive below it at the last second. The water disruption that their bodies caused made a wave that went over the ice chunk and swiped the seal off the top of the ice and right in reach of the Orcas. The interesting thing was the Orcas put the seal back on top of the ice and brought the younger Orca into their formation of three. They then did the maneuver again.

Those are just two examples of Orca intelligence that do NOT involve any orange plastic balls on the end of a rod. None of this even mentions the fact that each pod has their own dialect when communicating with each other. Their clicks and squeaks are basically a language. Much like people in the south and north have slight accents and use different words (generally speaking of course just for a sort of comparison), wild Orcas have been recorded by marine biologists during some of their chatter and have been found to have different patterns to their squeaks and clicks from pod to pod.

It is only out of ignorance that people think Orcas are stupid fish. It is because of places like Sea World that people don't really learn these things. Sure you get to hear base stats over some microphone about how many Orcas are usually per pod, how old they get, and how much they weigh. But you never really get to hear what they're really capable of.

I think this link to Seaworlds Conservation site will help answer any questions about how much Seaworld actually cares about their animals. I have been visiting Seaworld for 28 years. I now visit with my children every month. I have annual passes and I contribute to their conservation fund. I believe we need more organizations, like Seaworld and Busch Gardens, who actual help the animals and not just stand in picket lines with signs acting as though they want to help the animals. Most all the whales that Seaworld has were born in captivity and CANNOT be returned to the wild, because they would not know how to survive. We need places like Seaworld and Busch Gardens so that our children can learn how precious our wild life is and how we must fight to keep their habitats and way of life safe for future generations. I do not work for Seaworld or Busch Gardens but I would gladly accept a postion there anytime. I support their organization 100% and I am sure that all the trainers do as well. Otherwise they wouldn't do the job. They also are aware of the risk but they continue to fight for the whales every day. Seaworld is not the only organization that has had accidents happen with humans and animal interaction. Perhaps you think all Zoos and Marine Aquariums should be shut down. It takes a special person to want to take that risk every day and I applaud every zoologist and Marine Scientist. Please do your research first before you decide to post any comment.

Apparently this site will not let me post the actual link for the Seaworld Cares, but that is where you can find answers to your questions.

Someone needs to calm down. He was just voicing his opinion. To overlook the point he was making is just plain ignorant.

AGREED!

Hey BillC....Excellent Comment. I'm with you all the way.

madamelj - aside from the catch 22 of animals in captivity..which has already been addressed..the real problem with articles like this as well as any article that involves animals and humans is that we use assaultive language..."attack"...

they use the word "attack" because, um, that's is what the animal/mamal did, attack... dumb azz