Should the "Killer Whales" be returned to their natural habitat?

Whales that have been in captivity do not have the skills needed to survive in the wild. It is possible (but unproven) that with a protracted period of retraining and support, they might be able to reintegrate in to the wild. It would be a long and expensive program.

@syz makes a good point, but we can at least stop capturing new ones.

@syz agreed…great example, Keiko, the killer whale made famous by the “Free Willy” died a year after being released. Lost over 1000 pounds and died of pneumonia!

Better to die free
than in captivity.

Set them all free ASAP!

i dont think any animals should be in captivity but as far as killer whales i think that if they kill their trainers we shouldnt be surprised given the name…

If I had a magic wand I’d go back in time and prevent them from being put into captivity in the first place. I wish they were not kept in captivity at all. I have never paid for tickets to go see such shows because I am so against it .

That being said, once a dangerous wild animal has been acclimated to humans releasing it could pose problems. I think most wild animals have a natural aversion to humans but years in captivity might erase that. They might want to nose up to a beach and play with the kids. It could obviously be a problem.

Sea World should add Tillikum to its menu in their food court.

Would probably be tastier then the crappy food they already have. ;-)

I think anyone who decides to put animals in captivity (whether for amusement, entertainment or domestication) should know and accept the possible ramifications. They’re animals – as many different species are more intelligent than we give them credit for, they still dont operate like humans do in an environment. That said, putting a whale in a man-made tank and expecting to keep it “tame” forever is a little idealistic.

What happened to Dawn Brancheau is tragic and I dont mean to denote that but perhaps there is a lesson is to be learned from it.

Assuming animals wouldn’t have any problem re-adapting to their natural habitat, I think if we couldn’t accept that shit is liable to happen when you cage animals, they should be set free.

Apparently OSHA did a report on this. They stated that the whale trainers were being told to prepare for an eventual attack, and it was not if the whales would attack, but when!

Seaworld then had that report quashed and OSHA came back with an 8 page report (the original had been 18 pages) which no longer mentioned whale attack(s) at all.

Way to go , Seaworld!

The animals have to survival skills, to set them free would be the most foolish option available. To stop capturing new ones is the better of the options. But we must remember that Sea World employs many many people, and for all of that to just disappear, gives these people no financial stability, and keeps them {the trainers esp.} from living their passion.