Recently Spotted 103-Year-Old Orca Is Bad News For SeaWorld

Full article source at TheDodo.com

SeaWorld could be in trouble because of “Granny,” the world’s oldest known living orca. The 103-year-old whale (also known as J2) was recently spotted off Canada’s western coast with her pod -- her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But while the Granny sighting is thrilling for us, it’s problematic for SeaWorld.

Why is it problematic? Orca's in SeaWorld captivity are only living 4.5 years on average.

This issue has recently become more of a talking point than it has in the past because of Blackfish.


US.Whales.org has some really interesting figures.

* At least 144 orcas have been taken into captivity from the wild since 1961 (including Pascuala and Morgan).

* 125 of these (or 87%) orcas are now dead.

* In the wild, male orcas live to an average of 30 years (maximum 50-60 years) and 46 years for females (maximum 80-90 years).

* Of the 33 orcas that have been born in captivity and have since died (excluding stillbirths), they survived an average of 4.5 years.

* In total, 158 orcas have died in captivity, including 28 miscarried or still-born calves.

* SeaWorld holds 23 orcas in its three parks in the United States and owns (at least) a further four at Loro Parque in Spain (ownership of Adan and Morgan not verified). At least forty-four orcas have died at SeaWorld.

Edit to add some information from the SeaWorld website

(1) No one knows for sure how long killer whales live.

(2) Long-term studies will ultimately answer this question. By counting growth layers in teeth, scientists find that killer whales in the North Atlantic may live to 35 years. Studies are still refining this method of aging.

(3) For unknown reasons, researchers suspect killer whale calf mortality within the first six months to be "very high." In the Pacific Northwest, for example, 43% of all calves die in the first six months. In other killer whale populations, calf mortality may be as high as 50% during the first year.

(4) The photo-identification of killer whales in the Pacific Northwest began in 1973 and provides one of the longest cetacean field studies ever.

The Orcas should be set free and it should be illegal to hold them in captivity. It is slavery. It should be illegal. Humans can be really disgusting selfish stupid creatures. I am sure this is what the aliens think.

I went to sea world then went to a rescue center for dolphins in the Caribbean were the Dolphins were allowed in the open sea and basically given the option to stay (apparently most run away when first let out and always come back after a week or two ) and the Caribbean seemed so much more happy and healthy.

Let dolphins (which orcas are part of) choose there own fate, they are smart enough. Set the dolphins exhibits up on the coast with access to open waters. If you treat them well and give them a good life Im sure they will stay.

America always did have a hard time giving up its slaves.

a reply to: ATSmediaPRO
From your link:

Since Granny was first spotted (as early as the 1930s),

Can someone tell me how they know that she is 103 years old?
Or are they using 'whale years'?

Sea world should be shut down and it's owners charged with animal abuse etc.

It's INSANE that we keep such beautiful creatures in captivity for nothing more than our own entertainment.

It's sham and disgraceful and makes me ashamed.



~Tenth

a reply to: butcherguy

There are a lot of assumptions in dating the orca. I've found this from orca watcher.com

One interesting thing Ken explained was how they arrived at 1911 as the estimated birth year for Granny, something I had always wondered about but a story I had never heard. I guess they had photos of both J1 Ruffles and J2 Granny in 1971 and both were already full grown adults. Since orcas reach full size around the age of 20, they made the estimated birth year for J1 Ruffles as 1951 (1971 - 20 years). Due to the way Granny and Ruffles associated with one another, they suspected that she might be Ruffles' mother. Since Granny was never seen with a new calf since the study began, they assumed she was post-reproductive, and that perhaps Ruffles was her last calf. Females generally stop reproducing around the age of 40, so if she had Ruffles when she was 40, her birth year would be about 1911 (1951 - 40 years).

Ya know those environmentalist hippy types who get degrees in marine biology and such that Seaworld hires..

You would think They would be screaming for the shutdown of Seaworld the loudest.. or at least to release the orcas.. but you don't.

Why? Agendas.

a reply to: ATSmediaPRO
Thanks for that info.
You are right, those are multiple assumptions.
It is possible that she was infertile, never had a calf and is J1 Ruffles only sister... in which case she might only be 63 years old.
It would be nice if they could get DNA samples and check the relationship between Granny and J1 Ruffles, that would provide some proof of something, anyway.

a reply to: JohnPhoenix

Why? Agendas.

Yep...
and driven by $$$.

originally posted by: crazyewok
I went to sea world then went to a rescue center for dolphins in the Caribbean were the Dolphins were allowed in the open sea and basically given the option to stay (apparently most run away when first let out and always come back after a week or two ) and the Caribbean seemed so much more happy and healthy.

Let dolphins (which orcas are part of) choose there own fate, they are smart enough. Set the dolphins exhibits up on the coast with access to open waters. If you treat them well and give them a good life Im sure they will stay.

If Sea World did that, it would be very good for the orcas, but it would also be a b*tch scheduling shows.

more orca whales go through Sea World San Diego than is disclosed. Only the completed training whales are accurately inventoried.

There are 'wranglers' who are called upon to catch one when there is an accident or the trainers give up on a bad candidate.

And, SW secretly gets a 'new one' without ever telling anyone.

Sea World, along with zoos and circuses are an abomination. End of story. Especially with obviously intelligent large marine mammals. So we're cutting their lifespan by 95%? That's just great. Shut em down.

I thought "South Park" already covered the idea of releasing whales.
IMHO, that turned out to be a bad thing.
Keep the whales in the water where they are safe!

a reply to: frugal

Any living creature being bought and sold or captured from the wild is a slave. This includes zoos, farms, and pets as well. I know people that lock up a dog in a tiny house alone for 10 hours a day and have the nerve to identify themselves as "animal lovers." What a joke!

a reply to: JohnPhoenix Just like biologists that claim to love and wish to protect any given species, then promptly go out to the wild to "collect" (kill) one. Life is so bizarre and people definitely don't practice what they preach. People have different standards for others than they hold themselves to. Not good.

a reply to: ATSmediaPRO

That's because they are in a cage. I think it's really obvious why they aren't living that long. Orca's may naturally travel thousands of miles through oceans of water. They can't do that in a fish tank. Of course they die.

a reply to: crazyewok

Excellent answer crazyewok



weird i was just thinking the same thing last week if they could train dolphins to come back from the wild everyday for a tourist show. Then release them later

know i know

a reply to: ATSmediaPRO

Champion point mt friend, Nothing should kept in such captivity, poor Elephants that at some-time argued back, were ruddy shot, what a so called Civilised world. "014 years and have we really advanced ??????