Tilikum, the infamous SeaWorld killer whale, has died

Tilikum, the infamous SeaWorld killer whale, has died
www.orlandosentinel.com...

Tlikum, the SeaWorld killer whale who inspired the anti-captivity documentary "Blackfish" after killing an Orlando trainer, died Friday.

SeaWorld said in a statement Tilikum had been battling a serious and persistent lung infection.

So after my last thread which I posted in March of 2016 Tilikum Sick, it is now confirmed the big 36 year old fish has died.

Not a good things for fans, great for the humane society, and bad for the business.

RIP Tilikum

Hopefully took out a few trainers and SeaWorld execs in the process... Yo, killer whales need to kill B!!!

firstly sad news but peace at last for a tortured captive animal and secondly NOT A FISH!

I watched the documentary about this poor animal and the lies the parks peddled. At least he's at peace now.

I watched the documentary about this poor animal and the lies the parks peddled. At least he's at peace now.

I watched the documentary about this poor animal and the lies the parks peddled. At least he's at peace now.

I feel bad. I bet they won't even have a whale dinner in his Honor at seaworld.

a reply to: rickymouse

he was pretty much vegetating by himself in the back tank....he is out of his misery now..found the post below

tilikum is not performing anymore he is kept in the pen (the A pool) in the back, by himself....he goes in the "lunch with shamu" tank by himself, and there is no shade awning for him.....(people can see him through the underground windows).

very little interaction with the trainers and there is always a barrier between them for safety.

here is a detailed article about him and the set up of all the tanks....Tilikim has a fungal infection that is slowly killing him....

theorcaproject.wordpress.com...

originally posted by: rickymouse
I feel bad. I bet they won't even have a whale dinner in his Honor at seaworld.

Mmmmm.... Orca fillets?

The way humans treat animals is despicable. We are like "Orks", consuming their flesh, using them for our entertainment, and not caring one whit about how they "feel".
For all of you who are sad on this Orca's death....think of the inhumane way your steak dinner was treated before it wound up on your plate.
Animals are sentient beings...just like humans. Yet, we imprison them, treat them inhumanely, kill them, use them for our own purposes....and basically don't give a #e about how they feel...unless it's some big headline in the paper.
Watch "Earthlings" on youtube...then come back and tell me how bad you feel.

RIP. Tilikum suffered, should have been released prior into a habitat sanctuary. As it's due time and as planned more KW will be released from the parks to sanctuaries to help them adjust, if they are ready, to returning to the wild.
"Puget Sound could become a retirement home for performing orcas"

WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. -- The chances of a retirement home in the San Juan Islands for orcas who have spent their lives performing in concrete pools have greatly improved.

The Whale Sanctuary Project launched Thursday with the intent of building the world's first coastal cetacean sanctuary. One of the locations it's considering is the waterways and inlets of north Puget Sound and Vancouver Island.

The planed on above is also retirement for whales that are at risk for being returned fully to the wild.

The Orca Network has filed suit against the Miami Sea Aquarium in an attempt to return Lolita to Puget Sound. That suit will be heard in a Miami courtroom in June. Dr. Marino says her group is also looking at locations on the east coast. She predicts a sanctuary could be in place within 3 to 5 years.

Source

Info on the ruling:

Judge dismisses ESA case vs. Seaquarium June 1, 2016 - I'm afraid we have some bad news from Miami. U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro dismissed our case vs. the Seaquarium for violations of the Endangered Species Act.

According to the ruling, until Lolita's captivity can be shown to gravely threaten her survival the ESA has not been violated. I believe the case would have shown that her survival is indeed gravely threatened by her confinement in that tiny concrete tub, but now the evidence will not be presented in trial. The court ruled that:
The conditions in which Lolita is kept, and the injuries the Plaintiffs have presented to the Court, are largely addressed under a different federal law—the Animal Welfare Act. Under these facts, Plaintiffs remedy is not under the ESA, but rather with Congress, where their efforts to improve Lolita’s less than ideal conditions can be addressed through legislation.

Source - Orca Network

Tilikum's death has sparked San Diego's Sea World to end it's Orca theatrical shows(other locations are to follow in the coming years), however,

"SeaWorld Ends Its Orca Theatrics In San Diego, But Critics Aren't Convinced"

The San Diego Union-Tribune breaks down the changes visitors can expect:

"The reimagined orca attraction, billed as an educational presentation, will lose the current stage setting, now dominated by four LED screens and a giant depiction of a whale tail. Replacing it will be a new backdrop that incorporates a rugged coastal inlet, artificial Douglas fir trees, cliffs and waterfalls. An infinity high-definition screen will highlight orca movements in the wild, as well as replays of SeaWorld killer whale maneuvers in the stadium pool.

"In what will still be a pre-produced presentation with designated start times, trainers will cue the orcas through a series of more natural behaviors typical of killer whales in the wild — hunting, eating, communicating — accompanied by an informative narrative."

Many of the theme park's critics don't buy that the changes will have a significant effect, however.

"The trainers aren't safe, and the whales aren't happy," Gabriela Cowperthwaite, the director of Blackfish, told CBS News. "They're still just doing manic circles around concrete swimming pools."

Source - NPR
Still issues will be present due to tank space, etc,etc. and as explained.

There are 55 Orcas remaining in captivity.
I don't think Orca filets would be appropriate and the witch might notice if you try to sneak a cheese melt..