Sam Simon Radio Interview with David Kirby

Multi-talented artist, writer, producer, philanthropist & Stanford graduate, Sam Simon conducted a fascinating 51 minute interview with Death at SeaWorld author David Kirby today, on his Bubba One radio program. Simon, best known as co-developer of The Simpsons television series, is a passionate advocate for animals, as well as the environment, and  regularly conducts interviews with journalists,  former trainers and animal experts. Several of those are archived at our  website, Voice of the Orcas.

Today's interview with David occurs just days before his anticipated book, Death at SeaWorld, hits bookstores across America, Canada, and Europe; a project that Mr. Kirby has been researching for over two years. Although Sam received an early copy of the book, the official release occurs 17 July 2012 in New York City. Supermodel Anne-Marie van Dyjk will be with David to help roll out the first copies at Barnes & Noble in Tribeca.

Press the button below to listen to David Kirby & Sam Simon: 

In this tongue-in-cheek reference to the monolith in Stanley Kubrick's movie 2001, anti-captivity voices hope that Death at SeaWorld, along with other activities, will be a catalyst that encourages humanity to EVOLVE beyond the barbaric & inhumane practices of confining cetaceans, and especially killer whales, in acoustically dead concrete enclosures, for profit.

Enjoy the book... and after you've read it... please leave a comment below, or Tweet us @Voice_OT_Orcas. We'd love to publish or retweet them.

Superpod II Gathering this July in Pacific Northwest

BUZZZzzzzz... 

For the second time in just over one year a diverse collection of killer whale experts & former trainers will congregate and share information regarding orca populations, including wild and captive animals.  Superpod (SP) events are held during July in conjunction with the Southern Resident orcas which are swimming around San Juan Island chasing Chinook salmon. The combination of J, K, and L pods together is called a "superpod." Here's what one looks like: 

One planned discussion for SP II is regarding the development of coastal sanctuaries (aka "sea pens") that could allow for animals, such as Lolita or Tilikum, to spend their final years of life in a more natural setting. Sea pens could also be used as rehab centers if an orca, like Morgan, was found alone or beached, and needed a home to recover. This would offer a weakened animal exposure to the natural rhythms of the sea, as well as veterinary care.  

These meetings are public and held at locations, such as "The Grange," in Friday Harbor, on San Juan Island. A primary organizer of Superpod II is journalist Candace Calloway Whiting, who is a frequent writer/contributor to Seattle P.I. dot com and also a volunteer for the prestigious Center for Whale Research, which is based on the Western edge of the island, over-looking the Haro Strait, at Canada. 


CLICK TO EXPAND & DOWNLOAD: 

Since the tragic death of Dawn Brancheau at Orlando's SeaWorld park in February 2010, former marine mammal trainers have stepped out of the shadows and combined their voices with scientists, journalists, and anti-captivity groups. Great websites such as The Orca Project, Blue Freedom, and more, have cropped up. Exclusive interviews of former trainers Carol Ray, Samantha Berg, and John Jett PhD, all published at TOP, are now available for the public to consume. These are some of the ex-trainers that will be attending SP II. 


Young activist Ella Van Cleave has recently done a "Ted Talks," and Ella plans to be at Superpod II. She, along with other young heroes like Gwen Williams, in Australia, Katie Emmons, in Vermont, and Jaime Coulson, in Wisconsin, have made a difference in the captivity debate, especially via Tumblr, YouTube, and blogs. Meet all four of them on our HOPE page, which has links to their websites. Here's Ella doing her thing in Victoria.







Thanks to technologies such as smart phones, Google Groups, blogs, and the internet, the anti-captivity movement has become more organized. Follow us on Twitter @Voice_OT_Orcas and download materials, such as papers, images, and links, from our primary website, Voice of the Orcas. 


These coordinated efforts, from you and us using technology, have accelerated the shifting of public opinion away from the brutal captivity of whales in concrete enclosures. Superpod II is a face to face gathering of 3-4 dozen experts/enthusiasts to cross-pollinate in a five-day event that will have plenty of educational components, movies, great Northwest food (including craft beverages), and also daily whale watch excursions, including via sea kayak. Most of the ocean events will be routed through the Snug Harbor Marina and Resort. 


Three top scientists that will be in attendance are Ken Balcomb, director of the Center for Whale Research, Dr Ingrid Visser, lead scientist and founder of the Orca Research Trust, in New Zealand, and Dr Naomi Rose, senior scientist for Human Society International (HSI). Naomi oversees HSI campaigns to protect wild and captive marine mammals and is a member of the International Whaling Commission’s Scientific Committee. Dr. Rose is also the lead protagonist in David Kirby's much anticipated scientific thriller called Death at SeaWorld. David can be followed on Twitter @DeathAtSeaWorld and on Facebook HERE. 

Click here to order and look inside of the book  Death at SeaWorld. 

David has his own book event, sponsored by his publisher, St. Martin's Press, planned at Superpod II, and this will be held Saturday 21 July 2012 from 5-7 PM. It includes a  presentation, book signings (several of the characters in his book will be there) and panel discussion with Naomi Rose and 3 former SeaWorld orca trainers Carol Ray, Jeffrey Ventre & Samantha Berg. Death at SeaWorld may have been catalyzed by the death of Dawn Brancheau, but Dawn's story is only one  small part of the book, which opens with the shocking and eerily similar killing of trainer Keltie Byrne in 1991. Back in those pre-internet days,  it was easier for companies like SeaLand of the Pacific, where Keltie was killed, and SeaWorld, to cover up facts and relevant points of information. By all accounts, this book is sure to ruffle "fins and feathers." Get some of  the pre-release buzz here. 

Marc Bekoff, Ph.D, of the University of Colorado, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and The Animal Manifesto: Six Reasons For Expanding Our Compassion Footprint, had this to say after reading an advanced copy of the book:

“Death at SeaWorld is one of the most important books, if not the most important book, ever written on the horrific plight of captive cetaceans. Focusing on killer whales, the well-known black-and-white icons of life in the sea, David Kirby systematically dismantles every single argument used to justify keeping these incredibly intelligent and sentient beings in the aquatic cages in which they're jammed solely for profit at the expense of their very lives and those of other animals including humans. If you ever questioned whether or not places like SeaWorld should exist, I trust you will now answer with a resounding ‘NO!’”

In other SP II news, attorney Steve Wise will be doing a public talk regarding the Nonhuman Rights Project. The "NHRP" is devoted to gaining rights for animals, such as Lolita, who have no voice, and who's mother is known to be swimming around San Juan Island right now, as this is being written. Here's more about the NHRP from their website:  

Why We Work Through the Common Law

The Nonhuman Rights Project argues that some nonhuman animals should have the capacity to possess common law rights. What is the common law and why do we take that approach as opposed to using federal laws, which only provide for minimal protection of certain animals? The common law is what English-speaking judges around the world have been making for a thousand years in the process of deciding cases that turn on general legal principles, when they’re not interpreting statutes or constitutions, regulations or treaties. American federal courts don’t use the common law. Neither does the state of Louisiana, with its French civil law heritage, and Puerto Rico, which relies on Spanish civil law. But the other 49 American states and the District of Columbia all use common law.

WA State Ferry Delivering People and Cars to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Home of Superpod II

If you are interested in attending the public events associated with Superpod II gathering, you'll have to come to San Juan Island, Washington. Most folks make their way up from Seattle either via Washington State Ferry out of Anacortes, or from downtown via the Victoria Clipper Line.  Those that can't make the trip, stay tuned.  We hope to have at least one live "call in" Twitter event during David Kirby's book signing, which will be July 21, from 5-7 pm Pacific Daylight Savings Time.  Remember that DK can be found @DeathAtSeaWorld and we @Voice_OT_Orcas.  Please share this knowledge and comment if you have any questions. Our understanding is that two documentary film crews will be on island capturing parts of Superpod II. So look for at least one film in 2013... 

ADVANCE BUZZ FOR ‘DEATH AT SEAWORLD’ CONTINUES TO GROW

One of the “great books” of the summer
– The Columbus Dispatch

#1 Readers Poll Choice for Summer Books 
– Wall Street Journal Online

“Lives are at stake here, and Kirby can be trusted to tell the story, having won a passel of awards for his investigative work.”  -- Library Journal

“Journalist Kirby offers another passionate industry exposé … the narrative goes into high gear with its concluding confrontation.” 
-- Publisher’s Weekly

Follow us @Voice_OT_Orcas

“As David Kirby so eloquently documents in this timely work, Killer-whale captivity only benefits the captors. It is impossible to read ‘Death at SeaWorld’ and come to any other conclusion.” 

--Jane Goodall, Ph.D., D.B.E., Founder, the Jane Goodall Institute, UN Messenger of Peace

"Entertaining, engaging and enraging - The fairy tale fantasy that the captivity marine mammal industry has spun for the unwary public is expertly unraveled in this non-fiction crime thriller." 

-- Louie Psihoyos, Academy Award winning director of The Cove

“In this authoritative and superbly investigative page-turner, certain to ruffle feathers and fins, David Kirby … reports brilliantly on the escalating troubles and conflicts, the surprising and sordid underbelly of life — and death — at SeaWorld.”

-- Erich Hoyt, author of the best-selling classic Orca: The Whale Called Killer

“’Death at SeaWorld’ is one of the most important books, if not the most important book, ever written on the horrific plight of captive cetaceans. Kirby systematically dismantles the arguments used to justify keeping these incredibly intelligent and sentient beings in aquatic cages.

-- Marc Bekoff, University of Colorado, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals

GET Info & Links 4 #DASW SeaWorld HERE:  PRESS ME

FOLLOW ON Twitter @DeathAtSeaWorld

"This is a book everyone should read… David Kirby's ‘Death at SeaWorld’ outlines in grim detail just how bad captivity is for orcas and other marine mammals."

-- Richard O'Barry, Director of Earth Island Institute's Dolphin Project and star of The Cove

“At last, both sides of the story behind the events at SeaWorld are being told and the truth is finally getting out there. Every budding orca trainer should consider this the must-read book of their career.”

--Dr. Ingrid N. Visser, Founder & Principal Scientist, Orca Research Trust

“One helluva book! David Kirby provides the most complete and accurate account of what I perceive as a transgression of morality toward the animal kingdom---the slavery of orcas, supreme beings in the aquatic world.” 

--Ken Balcomb, Director, Center for Whale Research

“David Kirby’s research is impeccable and his words unforgettable.  You will never view dolphin and orca shows the same way again.”

– Lori Marino, PhD, Senior Lecturer in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Emory University

“This remarkable book deserves to be acknowledged as the most significant and moving account of the often disastrous interaction of cetaceans and humans since Moby-Dick.”

--Richard Ellis, author of Men and Whales, The Empty Ocean, and The Great Sperm Whale

The Orca Project & Anne-Marie Van Dijk Team up for Highly Anticipated Book Launch Tour at Barnes & Noble's NYC Location

Supermodel Anne-Marie Van Dijk and The Orca Project's Co-Founder John Kielty are two of several celebrity guests who will be attending the July 17, 2012 book signing event at the Tribeca, Manhattan, Barnes and Noble for David Kirby's controversial non-fiction thriller called Death at SeaWorld. 

DK reminded, "There will be an after-party!" 

Twitter Users Combine Your Voice with Ours:  Follow @Voice_OT_Orcas

Link back to our website for more: Voice of the Orcas

Down the road, Anne-Marie wants to study inter-species communication between cetaceans and humans. She is helping to bring attention to David Kirby's book Death at SeaWorld 

Supermodel Anne-Marie Van Dijk has strong feelings regarding captivity, and is lending her presence at the book release to help spread the word about Death at SeaWorld.  Anne-Marie tells VOTO: 

It is time we wake up to the true nature of the orca:  Social, sentient and highly-intelligent; ill-suited to life in a concrete tank. Death at SeaWorld gives us an unprecedented look into the controversial subject of keeping orcas in captivity, exposing a dark reality in the process that can no longer be ignored. Having witnessed first hand the negative impact captivity can have on these magnificent animals, I can only praise and support David Kirby's work. -- A.M Van Dijk  

Of note, there is currently an active movement to ban "DASW" by SeaWorld supporters, including 3 online petitions that accuse David of profiting from former trainer Dawn Brancheau's tragic killing in 2010. Many captivity advocates are young people whose dream it is to become a killer whale trainer and are being lured in by stunning images of "Rocket Hops" and "Surf Rides."  Renowned killer whale expert, Dr. Ingrid Visser, added this blurb for the book's cover, and it is directed specifically at those young people:  

“Death at SeaWorld will become one of the most pivotal books in the orca captivity debate for years to come, and may well be the catalyst we have all been waiting for towards seeing an end to this cruelty. At last, both sides of the story behind the events at SeaWorld are being told and the truth is finally getting out there. Every budding orca trainer should consider this the must-read book of their career.”

-- Dr. Ingrid N. Visser, Founder & Principal Scientist, Orca Research Trust

Based upon early reviews, this book will raise eyebrows about the practice of confining self-aware and free-ranging predators in small spaces, all for low pay and the possibility of injury or death. 


The killing also triggered an OSHA safety investigation regarding the practices at SeaWorld. In August of 2010 OSHA (The Occupational Safety & Health Administration) found SeaWorld guilty of "willful negligence," a decision that SeaWorld has aggressively contested in court. The case was investigated primarily by Ms. Lara A. Padgett, Safety and Health Compliance Officer of OSHA's Tampa office. Ms. Padgett declined comment for this article. 

Lara Padgett of OSHA

In the next couple of weeks Judge Ken S. Welsch will be ruling on Ms. Padgett's findings. He will either uphold the "willful" neglect, or reduce the citation. This decision, if upheld, will impact SeaWorld's plans to put trainers back into the water, as well as open the company up to potential civil litigation. It is unclear how such a precedent might impact the bottom line at other marine circuses such as the Miami SeaQuarium, which houses the lone killer whale Lolita, and Six Flags of California, which houses the lone killer whale Shouka. In the wild these females would spend their entire lives with family members.  


Many speculate that SeaWorld's large coffers may impact the ruling. We can all remember how BP was literally "in bed" with the Government's Minerals Management Service, the agency that was designed to regulate it. 


Also, SeaWorld is owned by the investment firm Blackstone.  Blackstone Group LP, is the world's largest alternative asset manager with current assets under management of about $190,000,000,000 (billion) US dollars. 

Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman made more than $220 million last year, not including stock options. His 20,000 sq ft / 35 bedroom New York home has more space than G Pool at Shamu Stadium where Tilikum has spent most of his life in captivity. "Tilly" has now killed 3 humans. 

From another special guest who will be attending the book release party: 

For nearly as long as cetaceans have been captured and placed on public display at locations such as SeaWorld, there has been a contingent of detractors who seek to enlighten the world as to the negative impacts on these highly social and sentient beings.

David Kirby's book looks at both sides of the debate. 

 As he has done in his previous works, he leads one down a path of one's own interpretation and conclusion. Through the eyes of renowned scientist Dr. Naomi Rose, David Kirby exposes the under-belly of today's marine mammal entertainment facilities and leaves one wondering if we, as humans, and as a species, have evolved beyond keeping such great animals in captivity for entertainment.

The conclusion is quite clear.

-- John Kielty, Co-Founder of The Orca Project

Jeff Ventre, Carol Ray, and Mark Simmons are seen in good times. Their stories and friendships are impacted and splintered by the intense debate on captivity after the death at SeaWorld. Read which side they end up on... 

David will be accompanied in New York by Dr. Naomi Rose, the book's real life protagonist who has been working on the welfare of captive marine mammals for almost 20 years. David tells Voice of the Orcas that...  

I am happy to report that Barnes and Noble Booksellers has offered their large Tribeca, Manhattan, store to host a reading and book signing on July 17, 2012, the publication date for Death at SeaWorld. This is really wonderful... we all agreed that Tribeca was best. The event starts at 6:00 p.m.  and hopefully can involve many of those people getting off work and going to and from Battery Park City, Wall Street, City Hall and Tribeca itself.

The models and supermodels who want to attend the after party, somewhere in a pub nearby (TBA) will love the Tribeca location  :) -- David Kirby, author of Death at SeaWorld

Although not related directly to the release of Death at SeaWorld, some remarkable comments were made regarding captivity at SeaWorld, just two days ago. They came from renowned animal activists Shane and Sia Barbi; known to most as the "Barbi Twins" and to Twitter Users as @Barbi_Twins. The sisters have a large conscientious following of pro-animal, pro-earth and pro-health activists... from all over the world. In responding to a surprising pro-captivity article at National Geographic, Shane and Sia said:

Shane & Sia Barbi had some thoughtful words for a "pro-cap" article at National Geographic this week.
VOTO recommends you check out the comments  HERE

"There has been an uproar to oppose marine life in captivity lately, like at a SeaWorld, because of all the unfortunate life threatening accidents at these marine parks, which eventually uncovered the unnatural and cruel environment for the animals in captivity. ALL wildlife deserve to live in their own natural habitat, and a zoo or marine aquarium is not even close to the environment that is natural for them. The exhibits are geared for human viewing, or an entertainment venue, which is counterproductive to studying wild animals in their natural environment. As we have witnessed in the news, wildlife in captivity eventually manifest unnatural, sometimes manic or destructive behavior in the captive animals, resulting in depression, injuries or even people getting harmed."

-- Shane & Sia Barbi 

Here are the confirmed book release events thus far for David Kirby's Death at SeaWorld. Other events will be held in Orlando, Miami and at Emory University, home of cetacean expert Dr Lori Marino. So stay tuned and please share this schedule with interested folks. Thanks!  

1) July 17, 2012 - NEW YORK CITY - Book Launch, 6-8 PM - Barnes and Noble Tribeca, NYC - After party to follow


2) July 21, 2012 - SAN JUAN ISLAND, WA - 5-7 PM - Presentation, book signing and panel discussion with Naomi Rose, HSUS, and three former SeaWorld orca trainers, Jeff Ventre, Carol Ray and Samantha Berg. Friday Harbor Inn, San Juan Island.


3) July 23, 2012 - SEATTLE - 7:30-10:00 PM - Presentation, book signing and panel discussion with Naomi Rose, HSUS, and three former SeaWorld orca trainers, Jeff Ventre, Carol Ray and Samantha Berg. Sponsored by The Orca Network and the American Cetacean Society, Pugett Sound Chapter. The Mountaineers, Seattle, WA


4) July 25, 2012 - SAN FRANCISCO - 7:00-9:00 PM - Presentation and book signing. Sponsored by Earth Island Institute, International Marine Mammal Project. The Hub, 901 Mission Street, Suite 105, San Francisco, CA


5) November 10, 2012 - SAN DIEGO - TBA - Presentation and book signing. American Cetacean Society 13th International Conference,
Whales & Humans: A Conflicted Relationship

----

INTERVIEW with DAVID REGARDING the Death at SeaWorld: 

Press Material for the book called Death at SeaWorld

From the New York Times bestselling author of Evidence of Harm and Animal Factory comes DEATH AT SEAWORLD (Saint Martin’s Press; July 17, 2012; Hardcover) a groundbreaking scientific thriller that exposes the dark side of SeaWorld, America’s most beloved marine mammal park. From the tragic death of trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010, to other, less-publicized violent incidents, journalist David Kirby puts these brutal orca-on-trainer attacks in context and explores the controversial and even lethal ramifications of keeping killer whales in captivity in DEATH AT SEAWORLD.


Twitter Users Combine Your Voice with Ours:  Follow @Voice_OT_Orcas

Link back to our website for more: Voice of the Orcas

Best-selling author David Kirby

DAVID KIRBY is the author of Evidence of Harm, which was a New York Times bestseller, winner of the 2005 Investigative Reporters and Editors award for best book, and a finalist for the New York Public Library Helen Bernstein Award for Excellence in Journalism, and Animal Factory, an acclaimed investigation into the environmental impact of factory farms which NPR compared to Upton Sinclair’s classic work, The Jungle. His latest book, Death at SeaWorld was previewed by Library Journal, which wrote: “Lives are at stake here, and Kirby can be trusted to tell the story, having won a passel of awards for his investigate work.” Louie Psihoyos, Academy Award winning director of The Cove, has called the book “entertaining, engaging -- and enraging.”

These two vibrant young people were killed by SeaWorld orcas just two months apart,  Photo:  Suzanne Allee 

Dr Jane Goodall's  powerful endorsement
 for the book Death at SeaWorld

DEATH AT SEAWORLD introduces the real people taking part in this debate, from former trainers turned animal rights activists to the men and women that champion SeaWorld and the captivity of whales. Kirby follows the story of marine biologist and animal advocate Naomi Rose at the Humane Society of the US, whose warnings against keeping killer whales in captivity fell on deaf ears. He also covers the media backlash, the eyewitnesses who come forward to challenge SeaWorld’s glossy image, and the groundbreaking OSHA case that may spell the end of having trainers in the water with the ocean’s top predators.

Meet several of the protagonists in David Kirby's benchmark non-fiction thriller. All are professionals with advanced degrees. 

Dr Naomi Rose of the Humane Society

Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. is Senior Scientist for Humane Society International (HSI). She oversees HSI campaigns to protect wild and captive marine mammals and is a member of the International Whaling Commission’s Scientific Committee. She has published popular and scientific articles, authored book chapters, and lectures annually at several universities. She participates in workshops and task forces at the international, national and state level. She received her Ph.D. on the social dynamics of killer whales in 1992 from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Jeffrey Ventre MD in Lembongan, Indonesia   

Jeffrey Ventre, MD is a medical doctor who specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R). He worked as a trainer at SeaWorld from 1987 - 1995, spending seven of the eight years with cetaceans. Although he is now an opponent of captivity his favorite whales at SeaWorld were Taima and Katina, with whom he performed regularly in 1994 and 1995. In June of 1996 he participated in "Orca Survey" with Ken Balcomb and Dr Astrid van Ginneken. Seeing free-ranging killer whales radically altered his perspective. In 2011 he co-authored a paper with John Jett PhD, which describes the health issues and decreased lifespans of captive orcas.

Related:  Death by Mosquito

John Jett PhD with his daughter, Maya.  Dr Jett was just
 nominated for "Teacher of the  Year" at Stetson University

John Jett, Ph.D. worked as an orca trainer at Sea World of Florida 1992-1996 and worked closely with Tilikum, the animal that has now killed three people, including trainer Dawn Brancheau, whom he knew well. He has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Environmental Science and Ph.D. in Health and Human Performance with an emphasis on waterway management and marine mammal conservation issues. He has recently been subpoenaed as an expert witness to appear in Federal court on behalf of OSHA against Sea World, and is currently a Visiting Research Professor in Environmental Science and Laboratory Manager for the Biology Department at Stetson.

Samantha Berg is interviewed by author David Kirby

Samantha Berg holds a B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University and a Masters in Acupuncture from The Traditional Acupuncture Institute in Laurel, MD. Sam was hired at SeaWorld of Florida six months after graduating from college when she was 22-years-old. Sam worked at the park for 3 1/2 years, from February 1990 to the end of August 1993 and she was working at Shamu stadium when Tilikum arrived in Orlando from Sealand of the Pacific. Sam currently owns an Acupuncture Center in Palmer, Alaska with her husband Kevin. She has appeared on the CBS Early Show, Fox and Friends and on NBC to offer her perspective as an ex-SeaWorld trainer on the ethics of killer whale captivity and trainer safety. Sam is now opposed to keeping marine mammals in captivity and feels, for the sake of all the animals she worked with, that it's important to work to end the practice of keeping these sensitive, intelligent animals in perpetual confinement for the sake of human entertainment and profit.

Carol Ray speaks to Anderson Cooper about the OSHA hearings and how killer whales are not suited for captivity

Carol had a change of heart regarding captivity for cetaceans
but is seen here working for SeaWorld & riding on Kalina

Carol Ray earned a B.A. degree in Psychology from Rollins College in Winter Park, FL, after which she worked for several years training cetaceans at Sea World of Florida. Of her 3+ years at Sea World (1987- thru 1990), she spent approximately 2 years and 6 months working at Shamu Stadium with orcas, and 6 months at the multi-species Whale and Dolphin stadium. As a former killer whale trainer who is no longer involved in the industry, she offers a unique perspective on captivity and marine parks. As a lover of marine life and an extensive traveler, she cherishes the opportunities she has had to experience whales and dolphins in their natural environment, around the world, including but not limited to the Puget Sound, the Sea of Cortez, the Great Barrier Reef, areas around New Zealand, Hawaii, the Andaman Sea, Polynesia, and many sites in the Caribbean. After devoting decades of her life to helping children, and families with children who have developmental and communication delays, she is now delighted to have the time and opportunity to begin repaying the debt she feels she owes to the beloved animals she spent time working with.

Poor oral health is one reason for death at SeaWorld.  Exposure to exotic infections is another. This particular animal, Taku, died in 2007 at the age of just 14 years. The cause of death was West Nile Virus transmitted by a mosquito. Two SeaWorld orcas have now died this way. The other was Kanduke, who died in 1990 from St. Louis Encephalitis, also transmitted by a mosquito bite. Free-ranging orcas are always on the move and not exposed like this. FYI: They break their teeth on the steel gates and concrete enclosures. 

 

Dr Jane Goodall endorses Death at SeaWorld

Incredibly positive editorial reviews keep flowing in for the yet-to-be-released and controversial book called Death at SeaWorld. The book is written by best-selling author David Kirby and published by Saint Martin's Press. There are currently at least three separate petitions, led by captivity supporters, to ban the book. 

Amazon link:  Death at SeaWorld 

Facebook Users:  Death at SeaWorld 

“This is one helluva book! David Kirby provides the most complete and accurate account of what I perceive as a transgression of morality toward the animal kingdom – the slavery of orcas, supreme beings in the aquatic world. And he personalizes it for us. Many of us have a deep appreciation of, and a deep compassion for, animals; and those whose favorite animals are killer whales are perhaps at the deepest end of the spectrum. Maybe someday Death at SeaWorld will be translated into whale-speak and broadcast throughout the oceans, seeking forgiveness. Until then, our actions must speak for ourselves.”

--Ken Balcomb, Director, Center for Whale Research, Friday Harbor, WA

Killer whales, like chimpanzees, are highly intelligent and intensely social creatures, forming close emotional bonds between family and group members. I have watched them leap in the freedom of the ocean and feel deeply saddened and angered to see them in cruel captivity, swimming endlessly and hopelessly around their sterile concrete prisons. As David Kirby so eloquently documents in this timely work, killer whale captivity only benefits the captors. It is impossible to read “Death at SeaWorld “ and come to any other conclusion.”

-- Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, Founder – the Jane Goodall Institute, UN Messenger of Peace

“Death at SeaWorld is one of the most important books, if not the most important book, ever written on the horrific plight of captive cetaceans. Focusing on killer whales, the well-known black-and-white icons of life in the sea, David Kirby systematically dismantles every single argument used to justify keeping these incredibly intelligent and sentient beings in the aquatic cages in which they're jammed solely for profit at the expense of their very lives and those of other animals including humans. If you ever questioned whether or not places like SeaWorld should exist, I trust you will now answer with a resounding ‘NO!’”

--Marc Bekoff, University of Colorado, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and The Animal Manifesto: Six Reasons For Expanding Our Compassion Footprint

 “In this authoritative and superbly investigative page-turner, certain to ruffle feathers and fins, David Kirby traces the tale of scientist-conservationist Naomi Rose pitted against SeaWorld bent on turning a charismatic, intelligent, big-toothed predator — the killer whale, or orca — into its corporate brand. Kirby reports brilliantly on the escalating troubles and conflicts, the surprising and sordid underbelly of life — and death — at SeaWorld.”

— Erich Hoyt, author of the best-selling classicOrca: The Whale Called Killer and Research Fellow, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

“It is sad that this book had to be inspired by the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010, but David Kirby has revealed the true heart of this fascinating story of the killer whale, the largest of the dolphins. Accurately, passionately, lovingly and unapologetically, he tells the orcas’ story, but we also meet the humans who have captured them, studied them, trained them, exhibited them, and tried to understand what the author calls (after humans), “the most socially and ecologically complex animals on earth.” This remarkable book deserves to be acknowledged as the most significant and moving account of the often disastrous interaction of cetaceans and humans since Moby-Dick.”

--Richard Ellis, author of Men and Whales, The Empty Ocean, and The Great Sperm Whale

"Entertaining, engaging and enraging - the fairy tale fantasy that the captivity marine mammal industry has spun for the unwary public is expertly unraveled in this non-fiction crime thriller.  You can’t make this stuff up. Animal advocate Naomi Rose, who has lived in the wild with killer whales, is the real-life heroine in the battle against the tragedy known as the captive dolphin industry.  A killer whale, never known to seriously attack a human in the wild, more social than us, with a brain much larger than ours, is captured, torn from his mother in Iceland and forced to do tricks for tourists in Florida. The unnatural existence turns him into a serial killer. But the real killer is the industry itself, and the corporate heads and politicians who willingly cover-up the rap sheets that should have reined in the captive industry decades ago."

-- Louie Psihoyos, Academy Award winning director of The Cove

“Death at SeaWorld will become one of the most pivotal books in the orca captivity debate for years to come, and may well be the catalyst we have all been waiting for towards seeing an end to this cruelty. At last, both sides of the story behind the events at SeaWorld are being told and the truth is finally getting out there. Every budding orca trainer should consider this the must-read book of their career.”

--Dr. Ingrid N. Visser, Founder & Principal Scientist, Orca Research Trust

For more, get back to our website: Voice of the Orcas

DAVID KIRBY is the author of Evidence of Harm, which was a New York Times bestseller, winner of the 2005 Investigative Reporters and Editors award for best book, and a finalist for the New York Public Library Helen Bernstein Award for Excellence in Journalism, and Animal Factory, an acclaimed investigation into the environmental impact of factory farms. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.