To Pet or Not To Pet

The kids have been pestering us for the last few years to get a pet. 

Pets are great for kids in theory. I grew up with pets myself: dogs, cats, a few short-term fish. But we lived in the country and our dogs and cats were outdoor dwellers mostly. They had barns for shelter and acres to roam. Growing up with them fostered empathy, maternal instincts, consideration for other beings and provided companionship/friendship when human beings were disappointing--and in adolescence/teenhood, people are plenty disappointing. So yes, I totally want this nurturing, instructive and commonly shared experience for my children. 

When Ken and I were first married, he brought Oliver the Tuxedo Cat into our new family unit. He (Oliver) certainly wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed but was so regal and handsome. An added bonus is that he'd already been house-trained and was just the right amount of effort for two working professionals with no kids or other major distractions. 

Oliver surprised us when Sid came along in how gentle and interested he was in the new baby. He acted as a good 'fur brother' to Sid and it delighted me that she had him around for her first three years. 

One month after Cal was born though, Oliver died from what the vet surmised was a blood clot and stroke. He was twelve. Sad, yes. But in all honesty, Oliver received so little attention at that point with a toddler and a newborn in the house, I didn't even have one more ounce of energy to give. Alas he did live his best life up to that point watching the birds & squirrels and staring vacantly into the middle distance just like good British period drama actors do.  

******

The kids have come through to school-age now alive, well and semi-independent.  We have a few more cycles of energy to spare and between you and me, I wouldn't mind having another cat... someday. 

BUT.

The kids really want a dog. 

I'm like:

People, I've handled my lifetime share of poop. I simply shudder at the thought of a creature who will ALWAYS require poop handling. I am just now finally NOT having to manage other people's excrement anymore and after eight years of that shiz (literally), I'm done. Also I can't live in close quarters with another clingy, mess-making, possibly furniture-destroying creature. I've already got two of those. And let's be REAL honest here, even if the kids swear they will take care of *everything* who really ends up taking care of the pets and tracking all of their nonsense? 

(Imagine there is a mirror here)

At our current neighborhood home in Seattle, we have a lot less room, a busy road directly to the north of the house and a more hectic lifestyle than we did in rural Ridgefield. I know many of our neighbors manage having dogs but that's not the point. 

But since we're easing our way back into the pet game, someone suggested fish. I'm a little bit familiar with fish. I had two when I was about 10 years old and managed to keep them alive for some months in a glass bowl filled with pink rocks and a bubbling treasure chest. How hard could this be?

Mind you, this is supposed to be for the kids to do and take responsibility for. Ever since late last year, Sid (and Cal to some extent) have been insisting that they will take care of and pay for getting a fish tank.  

But have you heard of the Nitrogen cycle or New Tank Syndrome before? Hmm, me neither. 

Evidently there is a biological freshwater ecosystem that has to be established over the span of 30 days for tank survival involving the 'circle of freshwater aquatic life' including ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, algae, $20 worth of water additives, an aquarium heater, water test strips and, absolutely under no circumstances, putting any more than a pinch of food in the tank every other day. This is just for the water to be correct--you also need a tank, decor and of course fish with the WILL to survive.

Behold the five gallon tank of destiny, artfully decorated to make sure our White Cloud Tetras love it. 

For those keeping track, we got three fish initially after 24 hours of conditioning (demineralizing) and stabilized the temperature of the tank (76 degrees) but you know what we didn't do? There was no helpful bacteria in the tank to kick off the aforementioned nitrogen cycle so the fish looked sickly within hours of swimming around. 

About 5 hours later we had our first casualty. [RIP Fish #1.] The other two also looked bad so I assumed they would soon join their comrade in the fish afterlife or void of nothingness. [Are fish Atheist?] 

In the midst of explaining this early loss to the children who were concerned and wondering if all the fish were doomed, we went back to PetCo. This time we picked up some SafeStart Bacteria juice that would get the aquarium well on it's way into the Nitrogen cycle and give the fish a more familiar environment to the one at the store tank. 

WHY ISN'T THIS STANDARD ISSUE WITH A NEW TANK?

I also picked up two more fish since I ASSUMED the other two would be dead by the time we got home. We had left them resting on the rocks after all, losing color and barely moving.

And yet, we came home and they were still hanging on. I added the above SafeStart Bacteria juice (1/2 the bottle) because the directions are worthless and the Internet says you can't oversaturate this bacteria so 'just go for it'. Within a few hours the two old fish and the two new fish were perky as ever, darting around in the mid-tank areas. The water has been a little cloudy but not too bad. 

Today, three of the fish are like a mean girl clique swimming around and judging everything and the other one is always hiding in the corner writing comicbook movie fanfic or plotting revenge. Hard to say which.

The last 48 hours of my life have largely been spent worrying about this blasted aquarium that I did not ask for and the detailed knowledge of the Nitrogen cycle has supplanted fun memories of my early 20's that I will never get back. 

So we're going to get the tank through the 30 day cycle, I'm going to set up a feeding and cleaning schedule and then we shall see how the children rise to the occasion or not. 

Until then I'll be like, "Hey fish..."

Elephant Sanctuary or Bust

Allow me to present clever Christmas Carols about sending Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo Elephants to a Sanctuary, arranged by Ken and the Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants folks.

How did we get here, you ask?

Back in early 2010, my do-gooder husband happened upon a display at the Ballard Farmer's Market detailing The Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants work about getting the three animals to a sanctuary. I would have never guessed in a million years that he would have taken up this cause. But in my old age, I am more often surprised than proven right when it comes to Ken.

By July of 2010, Ken produced an animated video succinctly detailing the exact plight of the Woodland Park Zoo Elephants and putting things in perspective.

Despite being Riveting, heartbreaking and obvious about what to do next, it seemed like the arguments of the elephant activists fell on deaf zoo board ears.

I must admit though, (and I can't believe I felt this way) the zoo was a great place to take young kids: amenities everywhere, it's fenced and enclosed, everyone loves to see animals and you get exercise walking around outside. I even had fond memories of going to the zoo myself as a child and I wanted my kids to have that too. But despite whatever nostalgic ideal I had in my mind, that was a selfish way to look at it and conveniently disregarded the animals themselves. I soon realized this.

Come 2012, rumors and rumblings surfaced that an unflattering article detailing the plight of the elephants would surface. And so it did. The Seattle Times published a damning expose' called Glamour Beasts about the Zoo's treatment of elephants and the quest to produce a newborn baby elephant. It's a gut-wrenching read and will make you feel simultaneously angry and guilty for ever patronizing a zoo. General opinion began to shift. In response, the Zoo incredulously dug in it's heels and started saying it was going to expand the elephant program by bringing in more elephants.

Then six months later, Blackfish, the documentary about the terrible conditions for orca whales at sea parks, ignited a fervor against keeping highly intelligent animals in captivity. And it hasn't let up.

This past July, Ken and I went to South Africa and we were very fortunate have a number of connective and awe-inspiring sightings of wild elephants on a 2200-acre game reserve.

The experience was nothing short of magical. So I couldn't help but have strong emotions about the two disparate elephant experiences: the zoo vs. game reserve--especially given the sudden, preventable and captivity-induced death of Woodland Park Zoo's lone African elephant, Watoto, this past August.

 So then the Zoo reversed themselves signaling the end of the elephant program.

The latest reporting this week from KUOW confirms that while the Zoo will close it's elephant program (Yay!), it plans to send the elephants to another zoo--not a sanctuary (No!). And these are last ditch efforts now to get the City of Seattle involved, to get the zoo board members to change their mind, to make them see that life in a zoo is not a life for an elephant you claim to care about.

Because an elephant in a zoo is not a full elephant, it's missing what comes from walking hundreds of miles, eating branches and fruit off trees, living amongst blood relatives and having an elephant's life. Saying that Chai and Bamboo have other work to do as species ambassadors is crap.  The Zoo Board must think we are nitwits who cannot like an animal without seeing it for our own eyes.  To which I'd like to say, can you explain the borderline obsession people have with DINOSAURS? You know, animals that have never been alive during our time.

I'd also like to point out that I fell in love with Great White Sharks at age 7 after watching Jaws and continuing to watch shark documentaries and read books about these animals well into adulthood. In wasn't until my late 20's that I *finally* stumbled upon one being rehabilitated at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and yet, I still loved and appreciated these animals all that time without having seen one face to face.

Ultimately this is a really long way of asking people to email to the City Council to ask them for help pressuring the zoo to send these two elephants to a sanctuary. Thank you.

Need one undeniable reason to keep elephants out of zoos? Find the babies.

In light of the untimely death of Watoto, the Woodland Park Zoo African Elephant, if you want one undeniable reason why they don’t belong in zoos, just look to nature.  

Last month during a visit to a South African wildlife reserve, my husband and I encountered an entire herd of elephants (roughly 25-30 animals). Immediately, my thoughts went to Watoto, Bamboo & Chai on the other side of the world. As this herd of animals walked within 3 feet of our jeep, I felt a majesty and presence that I have never felt before. Looking in their eyes they were neither afraid nor aggressive, they were just on their way to a watering hole.  And within the herd we saw no less than 5 babies.  Five.  I recalled that Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo had unsuccessfully tried to artificially inseminate Chai (the Asian female elephant) over 100 times. The juxtaposition of these facts delighted me and angered me like the churning of storm clouds. 

Update 8/26 PM: I just read that a male elephant was born over the weekend at the game reserve we visited. Congrats!

Covering over 22,000 acres, you couldn’t even see the far end of the reserve and in between there were lush valleys, vast savannah, dense forest and a river running through the whole thing.  Miles of lone dirt roads crossed the reserve like an intricate system of veins used by the jeeps, elephants and other large wildlife.

On the reserve, when you looked into the eyes of these animals, there was “someone home.”  There was a liveliness, a completeness.  But when looking into the eyes of animals in a zoo, especially the elephants, big cats and primates--you’ve seen it--they are typically lethargic, sleepy or sometimes displaying odd behaviors (rocking, pacing).  Ridiculously small enclosures push them up toward the front so that hordes of ‘zooligans’ can bang on the plexiglass and have a moment with these animals who are shells of what they could be.  When I see this, I’m overcome with sadness because the truth is, these animals now exist for entertainment. But maybe the more appropriate way to think of these animals is that they are 'tributes' or sacrifices for their species. Since people use the reasoning that you have to see an animal to have a sensitivity to it, these captive representatives are ‘taking one for the team.’  They’ll forgo a natural life so that the human masses might have compassion for the rest of them.  

Once returning back to the US, we immediately traveled with the kids to San Diego for a wedding celebration, taking place at the San Diego Zoo. We easily saw through the artificial constructs designed to make visitors think that the enclosures are much like their real habitats. Even pre-recorded ambient animals sounds, piped through outdoor speakers, were stealthily hidden throughout the zoo.  When my husband, our kids and I warily approached the elephant enclosure, I braced myself for what we might see.  Granted, this elephant enclosure was larger than Woodland Park’s and had more “interactive elements” for the animals but one of its resident pachyderms stood swaying on a concrete slab, a tell-tale sign of an unhappy and/or sick animal. I felt a lump in my throat then, as I do now, recalling the stunned and unseeing look in that elephant’s eyes. 

I think of Watoto dying young and never really knowing what it is to roam. I think of the African herd prospering and their 5 vivacious new babies. I think of Woodland Park’s antiquated stance on elephant captivity for the sake of nothing but revenue and prestige. And I think of the indisputable truth that we all know in our heart of hearts: that elephants don’t belong in a zoo.

http://www.freewpzelephants.com/

(All photos taken by Kali Sakai at Kariega Game Reserve, South Africa.)

For more information about the Woodland Park Zoo Elephants, check out this video.

About that Trip to South Africa...

During Discovery's Shark Week 2001, I watched a program called Air Jaws.  The show documented the South African Great White Sharks that launch themselves out of the water to hunt seals.  Up until that point in my life of avidly watching shark documentaries and being a decent shark aficionado, I had never heard of (let alone seen) such behavior. So as the first few sharks leaped out of the water on screen, I stood up in my empty living room, pointed at the TV and screamed, "I am so going there someday!"

~13 years pass~

Our journey to South Africa this past July involved a lot of planning, multitudes of logistics and heaps of grandparent karma as we would be leaving the children behind. As a result, we observed wild animals in native habitats during a boundary-pushing, comfort zone smashing, epic adventure. 



Here are 10 Highlights from the Other Side of the World...

1. Meeting Chris and Monique Fallows
One of the men who studied and tracked these amazing South African sharks was none other than Chris Fallows, featured extensively in Air Jaws and the sequels. He and his wife, Monique, are the co-purveyors of APEX Shark Expeditions.  It was like meeting shark celebrities.

2. Cage Diving with Great White Sharks
I'd describe South Africa as complex, picturesque and politically fascinating place but honestly seeing the Great White Sharks were the MAIN reason we went there. Well, that, and wanting to do something completely wild and crazy to celebrate my 40th. (Mission accomplished!) We went out on the boat at total of 4 times: having 3 cage dives and 1 predation trip.  The weather wasn't very warm (it's their winter) but the sharks were magnificent.  This video is the culmination of all those trips. 
[Be sure to watch this video in 1080p HD, available in the settings drop down.]

3. Throttling One's Fear of Foreign Places
When diving with Great White Sharks seems like the least dangerous aspect of your trip, you really have to wonder. You know that thing when you read a bunch of travel books and the State Department advisory webpage and they basically say you're a big dummy to go travel around in this country? The reasons: "a very high level of crime," "one of the highest rates of sexual assault in the world" and "several US citizens have been robbed at gun point" while "car jackings and thefts from cars are serious problems." Yes, that's not anxiety-making at all. But a number of close friends had just traveled to the Cape Town area with no experiences like that. Obviously we had to keep our guard up and be vigilant but nothing bad happened. Also APEX made all of our travel arrangements through reputable businesses and we always had cars with drivers--never taxies or public transport. The two places we stayed in (Simon's Town and Kariega Game Reserve) were very safe and secure. However on our first full day in country in Simon's Town, we heard machine gun fire. For 30 minutes, we were freaking out in our room and I began to mentally beat myself up for getting us into this mess. Finally we just called our B&B host and emailed the APEX office manager about it...

4. Land Animal Experience: Penguins that Sound like Jackasses
Seeing (and hearing) is believing. These guys are specific to South Africa and make donkey sounds! There is an elevated wooden walkway to view them from so that you don't disturb their nests or general ambling around. It was pretty spectacular how many there were and how freely they came and went. But don't even think of snatching one of these as a trip souvenir. They are biters and will seriously hurt you--at least that was what the sign said.

5. Baboon on a Hot Tin Roof
These animals are fine to humans as long as you don’t have food.  But the most dangerous place is between a Baboon and some food. We heard some horrific stories of what baboons will do to people (bite mostly) if you have something they want. The baboons have human minders who alert travelers to their presence and are in charge of trying to keeping them off the roads so they don’t get hit.  One of these guys encouraged people to get out of our car and take pics of the baboons, especially because one had hopped up on the roof of our van.  

6. Land Animal Experience: Eagle Encounter & Bird Rehab Center

Eagle Encounters--a sanctuary and rehabilitation facility for birds of prey--was on-property of one of the wineries we visited and they let you get very close to the birds.  You can even put on a glove and have some owls fly to your hand.  Or you can pet some little owls.  They have gigantic eagles and falcons.  All of these birds were rescued from dire situations or have been injured.  One can tell the people there really love and care about the animals.  Their reintroduction into the wild rate is 65%.  One of the folks there, a 15-year-old volunteer named Cameron, showed us around and told us that he hoped to be a wildlife vet and work at one of the big game reserves one day.  He knew everything about the birds and clearly loved each one of them. It was so impressive to see someone that young know their passion and to take initiative to ramp up in such a way.  He also showed us a boa constrictor, lizards and owl chicks. But partway through visiting Eagle Encounters, the wind and the rain came down in epic proportions and all the birds had to be taken inside.

Young Cameron and an owl buddy

A boa named Charlie

7. King of the Reserve
Kariega Game Reserve is a gigantic 9000 hectares (roughly 22,240 acres).  Our guide Louis picked us up in the open air modified Land Cruiser that would be our jeep for the duration.  I love this vehicle.  It’s amazing in the Bush and rides like a dream. When we came across the lion, he was seemingly looking for the rest of his family. But, being that close to a predator in an open-air jeep, well it certainly gives you pause and elicits a ton of respect.

He eventually found his family and we spotted them together a few days later.

A funny thing: I don't have a picture of this but I remember one day we saw a house cat out on the reserve because the manager of the reserve lives onsite. It struck me as the weirdest sight because the cat looked totally out of place with Bless Buck, Wildebeest and Impala all wandering around behind it. But I bet that cat felt super-stoked given the crowd he got to run with.

8. Stealthy Sipper: Rogue Giraffe
The biggest surprise of the trip is when we caught this curious guy taking a drink out of our little pool on our patio. Animals are not allowed in the chalet area where people stay. There is a fence surround and a large gate leading to the lodge & chalets but it stays open during the day for the jeeps. Despite that, this guy wandered inside and from of all the chalets he could have chosen, we were the lucky ones. That water is much too cold for us to swim in so they don't put chemicals in it during the winter. So I'm sure the water was better tasting then the water hole.

"This is what I think of you..."

9. Elephants, Elephants, Elephants

Ken and I couldn't get over all the baby elephants.  There were at least 5 wee ones and 5-7 youngsters of varying age & size.  The herd consisted of probably 25-30 animals and one day we came across almost all of them on their way to a watering hole.  If I had ever doubted before, you can see when looking at these elephants that they are calm, happy and living as elephants should.  We sat stunned as the huge matriarch marched by, within a few feet of the jeep.  To see such large animals at close distance and to feel them go about their business unthreatened and unstressed just made my life.  We circled back to the watering hole where almost all of the elephants had gathered and just let it all sink in. 

This is a 3-minute video of the safari adventure with a sampling of the animals we observed. There is nothing more inspiring than seeing these animals in a natural habitat and being themselves.

10. Uninterrupted time with this guy
We left the kids in Portland with my family and by virtue of the preparation I did, the kind of people my folks are and how adaptable the kids were, we had no worries after settling in that everyone was doing great at home. That allowed Ken and me to relax and focus on our vacation. But despite having no children with us, we still had to get up early and be on a schedule (sad trombone). Since the animals wouldn't wait for us to leisurely rise at 9 am, we got up by 6:30AM almost everyday. Nevertheless, Ken and I got to spend 2 whole weeks hanging out with each other and just being a couple again. And as a bonus, we didn't once have to choose a restaurant based on if they served mac & cheese.

'MVPs' of our Trip:

• QuickPod Stick Camera Mount for the GoPro Video Camera--some of the best shots in and out of the water came from having this mount 

• Columbia Hiking Pants--I almost didn't bring wind blocking pants. Wow, that would have been a mistake. On the water and in the jeep, I needed this feature big time. I think I wore these pants almost every day I was in Africa.

• Bonine (motion sick med)--the one day we didn't take our medicine it was BAD. But when we did, happy happy joy joy with hearts and flowers no nausea (plus a few yawns--just take 1/2 a pill the night before & 1/2 the morning you go out)

• Columbia Fleece Jacket--Did I mention it was their winter? We layered up constantly and I was so glad I had a fleece with me. Wore this everyday.

• International Outlet Adapters (one for each of us) We were either charging our smartphones or tapping on our computers. Going to the other side of the planet necessitated accessibility.

So What's This Thing About Sharks?

You may have noticed from the blog header and blog posts that I have a deep and abiding love of sharks. As an adult, I've come to see them as an important part of the marine ecosystem, an APEX predator that has diminished in numbers due to superstition, fear and human ignorance. The sleek efficient form of the shark stayed virtually the same for a hundred million years with over 400 species of sharks now swimming around on our humble planet. 

But how they piqued my interest was much less heady and for that we're going to have to go back--way back.  It all started (for better or worse) when I watched Jaws on TV at the age of 7. 

While it temporarily traumatized me and made me nervous to swim in a pool or even sit on a toilet without looking down the whole time, I couldn't get over this mysterious animal. I think sometimes when you fear something so much, it flips over and you start to embrace it because fear is fascinating.

I was so enthralled that I asked for Jaws on my 8th birthday cake (and for several years thereafter).

Cake from 1982

When I was 21, it only seemed fitting to have my one and only tattoo be a symbol of the thing I found most intriguing and continually relevant...

In 2007, I saw my first Great White Shark with my own eyes when Ken and I wandered into the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  We were in the Bay Area for work at the time and didn't even know they had a juvenile male in the aquarium.  I was beyond excited! A fisherman had snagged him in his net and in the process the young shark had been injured.  The aquarium took him in for rehabilitation (and then released him a year later). My initial post about the experience is HERE.  Transfixed, I just watched him swim around the tank and hoped that one day I would see his bigger kin with my own eyes as well.

But after we had kids, the dream of actually seeing sharks in the wild seemed nearly impossible. Even though sharky things kept popping up....

2010 Shark photo-bomb at Maui Aquarium

Halloween, Sidney 2010

Halloween, Calvin 2013

Best store entrance EVER, Sharky's in Ocean Shores, WA

My 40th Birthday Cake,
courtesy of the Wallers & Morfey's Cakes

It's become a fun thing where friends will forward or share anything sharkworthy (stories/pictures) with me. But I still couldn't help but want something more.  This got my wheels turning last summer which lead to big plans...

Living the dream

Sharkies!  More to come but an early look at some of our footage from South Africa.

Putting the Killer in Killer Whales

When I was 13, my dad took my brother and me to SeaWorld in San Diego.  It was a dream come true to see dolphins and whales with my own eyes because up to that point I had only seen them on TV in sea life documentaries.  I definitely loved the SeaWorld experience, especially watching Shamu and friends leap out into the air and spray us with water.  The trainers looked like they had the coolest job on the planet and strutted around like they were in complete control.  When I spotted pins for sale in the gift shop that said "Shamu Trainer," I used my allowance money to buy one.  I kept it for years as an inspiration.  I thought that if I worked hard enough, I could become a marine biologist  and one day train killer whales at SeaWorld too.  But as it sometimes goes, that dream gave way to other goals and dreams.  But still, I continued to have a deep affinity to these magnificent creatures.

Not long after I graduated from college, I discovered that there was an aquarium and an Orca-in-residence just 3 hours north of Seattle.  On a weekend trip to British Columbia, I went to the Vancouver Aquarium in 2000 and saw Bjossa.  She was a dazzling and awe-inspiring animal.   There weren't trainers in the water like at SeaWorld but the whale did show off some moves, like the one below.  At that point, with the eyes and perspective of an adult, I couldn't help but notice that the pool felt too small for such a large animal and the thrill of seeing an Orca whale was replaced by a new feeling--one of conflict--about whether this was actually a good thing for the whale.  Perhaps some foreshadowing, because according to Wikipedia, the whale was moved in April 2001 to SeaWorld in San Diego but it later died of a respiratory illness there. 

Taken during my visit in 2000.

In 2002, I went camping on San Juan Island with my brother, my cousin, her jack-ass husband (at the time) and some of his family/friends.  He floated the boat way too close to some wild Orca whales.  Luckily they didn't ram us as we drifted directly into their path nor did they breach under us which would have also been disastrous for everyone.  The majesty and power of the Orca was on full display and seeing them in the wild removed any pretense of all the gimmicky behavior seen in the sea parks.

This whale was moving fast and was very, very close to us.
Thank you benevolent whale for sparing us stupid humans in our stupid little boat.

So with the recent announcement of Bindi Irwin (daughter of the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin) becoming a spokesperson for SeaWorld, I jumped into the fray and watched the documentary Blackfish.  (I know it's over 8 months after the initial theatrical release but I'm busy keeping two small children in captivity, so give me a break.)  I had heard Blackfish was heartbreaking--and oh, it was.  It's an explosive expose' about SeaWorld and how they seemingly misled the public about a whale-caused death of senior trainer Dawn Brancheu.  The picture it paints is one of corporate greed and disdain for animal (and human!) welfare.  Since this documentary came out, protests, celebrity pull-outs and bad public relations have plagued SeaWorld.  Just this last week, some proposed legislation has been put forth in California about banning Orca in captivity all together.  That would destroy the centerpiece of SeaWorld's draw.  Perhaps this is why they solicited a young spokesperson who embodies communing with wild animals and whom people still harbor great sympathy/goodwill toward.  It's slimy.

I wasn't exaggerating when I said this documentary is heartbreaking, I cried some ugly cries watching this.  I think it's the mom in me because the scenes where the men are rounding up the whales in the wild and separating the calves from their mothers or when the captivity-born offspring are taken to a different location away from their mothers--oh man, I just lost it.  In the wild, these animals stay in groups (pods) with their families for life and they live similar lifespans to humans 70-80 years.  It's just like having your kid snatched from you but you can't do anything about it.  Highly, highly traumatic.

I also felt sorry for the (once) bright-eyed, young-faced former trainers--many not marine biologists, btw--who were interviewed in the movie.  They described their connection to their animals and their naive belief that they were doing something noble and important in the name of conservation and education.  But they weren't given accurate information about whale life and what these animals are like in the wild.  They were taught scripts with information that matched what was being observed in the captive whales so that nobody would realize how bad life in captivity is for these animals.  The trainers weren't even told that it was known some of these whales had killed/injured previous trainers. And of course, obviously *obviously* it's a tragedy that at least 4 trainers died working with these animals.  

After considering my own experiences and watching this film, what is painfully clear to me is that human beings are kidding themselves if they think keeping large, powerful, intelligent animals in tiny boxes is preferable to letting them live out their lives in the wild.  People who believe captivity is better for these animals are ignoring the bigger motivation of the SeaWorlds and Zoos of this country: which is money.  (As a side note: the group Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants, that Ken has helped in the past, posed this question on behalf of elephants as well.)  When it comes down to it, people flock to these places to see these animals, unaware or unconcerned that by doing so, they condemn these animals to a life of servitude and suffering.  How can SeaWorld and Woodland Park Zoo proclaim to be champions of animal husbandry to such large-brained, extended family-oriented, intelligent mammals when they rip them away from natural family groups and confine them to pens and pools a pittance of the size of what they naturally need to roam in?  I don't doubt that animal researchers credit many discoveries to the unparalleled access that keeping animals in captivity provides.  But in 2014 with technology being what it is, there's no way to justify keeping healthy, viable animals of this size trapped in the unnatural lifestyle of performance and captivity.

******

With Orcas living practically in our backyard (if the Puget Sound could be considered a backyard), we intend to take the kids on an Orca whale watch tour, but just give us a few years so we can recover from our last whale adventure...While we were in Maui this past February, we went on a 2-hour Humpback Whale Watch tour that in hindsight might have been too long for the kids.  They were good for the first 15 minutes then basically said, "how do we get off this boat now?"  But we saw a bunch of Humpback whales swimming around to their hearts content, as whales should, and we respectfully kept our distance in their "house."  It was magical in between the parts where the kids were hungry, tired and fussy.   

Off Maalaea Harbor in Maui