Tilikum the killer whale has died - Best known for being the subject of documentary "Blackfish"

SeaWorld has announced that Tilikum the killer whale has died. He lived to be 35 years old (wild orcas often live to be 70, btw). Tilikum was linked to the deaths of three people and was the main subject of the anti-SeaWorld documentary Blackfish.

http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/science/tilikum-dead-seaworld-whale-blackfish.html?_r=0
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-whale-linked-to-three-human-deaths-has-died/
http://wfla.com/2017/01/06/seaworld-announces-death-of-orca-whale-tilikum/

Honestly, this comes a relief to me. Yeah, Blackfish is biased as hell, but it does contain actual facts. Tilikum was captured and separated from his mother at a very young age- if you didn't know, orcas (especially male orcas) usually spend their entire lives with their mothers and orcas have one of the strongest familial bonds in the animal kingdom (along with humans and elephants). After he was separated from his mother, he was placed in a small marine exhibit (Sealand of the Pacific) with two older female orcas who relentlessly bullied him. The small size of the exhibit made it so he couldn't escape from them and so had to endure their abuse. By the time SeaWorld got him the poor thing was damaged for life.

It's not really surprising that Tilikum snapped. I remember some commentator saying "If you were stuck in a bathtub for 20 years, you'd probably go crazy, too." Orcas travel as much as 120km a day in the wild, making it impossible to provide them a good quality of life in captivity. I'm actually okay with most animal species being kept in captivity for conservation purposes, but orcas are too damn smart and big to keep contained.

Tl;dr- Dicks out for Tilikum.
 
  • Feels
  • Informative
  • Semper Fidelis
Reactions: Stay safe, MellowJello, Yhwach and 15 others
Click to expand...

EDIT: Looks like it's not the footage from Dawn's attack. Still pretty scary footage of an or a that wants to fuck up their trainer. Edited post, but left the video.
 
Last edited:
Harambe 2017 .jpg

>the Harambe of 2017
:story:
 
  • Optimistic
  • Agree
  • Feels
Reactions: Munchingonfish, Super Collie, Honeybunny and 3 others
melty said:
Sure; there's some educational value in keeping these animals, but they could at least bother to give them decent living space.
Click to expand...
Nobody goes to SeaWorld for educational value. Nobody gives a shit about animals unless they're doing a trick so they can take a selfie with it.

There is absolutely no reason to house these creatures. They're too big and too smart to be kept in captivity.
 
  • Agree
  • Disagree
Reactions: Super Collie, Sargent PoopyFace, Cosmos and 3 others
Here's some more scary orca attacks anyway bc they're fun to watch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: millais
The Queen of Trash said:
View attachment 172116
>the Harambe of 2017
:story:
Click to expand...

>Buzzfeed

That explains everything wrong with this post.

meatslab said:
Nobody goes to SeaWorld for educational value. Nobody gives a shit about animals unless they're doing a trick so they can take a selfie with it.

There is absolutely no reason to house these creatures. They're too big and too smart to be kept in captivity.
Click to expand...

Exactly, there's really nothing "educational" about SeaWorld's marine mammal exhibits. You can't really claim the orcas and dolphins are being used for conservationist/educational reasons when their main purpose is to perform tricks in front of screaming crowds. It's honestly not much different from a circus.

I roll my eyes at PETA idiots who think that all zoos and animal sanctuaries are inherently evil, because when they're done right they're a huge force for good. But I just don't see anything redeeming about SeaWorld's use of cetaceans. SeaWorld may do a lot of really great conservation work, but first and foremost they're an entertainment corporation. The cetaceans' purpose in life is to entertain SeaWorld's customers and make money for the company.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Elim Garak, Yhwach, Super Collie and 4 others
I've been following Tilikum's story since Blackfish came out. This tore me up. I'm fine with captivity for conservation purposes or sanctuaries with huge enclosures, but places like Seaworld are cruel. Animals can't fight back or voice their pain the same way humans can. We have a responsibility to look after them and not use them beyond food or other life-sustaining devices. A killer whale is simply too intelligent of an animal to be trapped in a teeny fishbowl and forced to perform circus tricks.
Here's hoping the shitlords at PETA don't turn this into another shitty campaign. I just want the poor creature to be at peace.
 
  • Feels
Reactions: Super Collie, Dynamite Ninja and Cosmos
meatslab said:
Nobody goes to SeaWorld for educational value. Nobody gives a shit about animals unless they're doing a trick so they can take a selfie with it.

There is absolutely no reason to house these creatures. They're too big and too smart to be kept in captivity.
Click to expand...
Yeah you're probably right.
I think it's a good experience for kids sometimes but overall
AN/ALR56 said:
After I watched blackfish I wanted to carbomb SeaWorld.
Just what the fuck man, once I saw that scene where they stole the daughter and the mom kept searching and calling for days I just teared up.
That documentary will make you instantly depressed.
Click to expand...
I await the day animals just start mass murdering people, it's well deserved
 
  • Feels
Reactions: AN/ALR56 and meatslab
AN/ALR56 said:
After I watched blackfish I wanted to carbomb SeaWorld.
Just what the fuck man, once I saw that scene where they stole the daughter and the mom kept searching and calling for days I just teared up.
That documentary will make you instantly depressed.
Click to expand...

Jihad on SeaWorld. Fuck that fucking place.
 
  • Islamic Content
  • Agree
Reactions: Lensherr, AN/ALR56 and Johnny Bravo
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back