Orca Experts Go to SeaWorld 

Seriously, at this point, how is SeaWorld still open?

Why were they asked to leave the park? I didn't see any behavior to warrant being removed from the park. They paid to get in just like any other person who was there.

I cant even finish watching this video, imagining how said and frustrated they are. But as long as humans are watching these shows then most likely their suffering will go on.

The depressed mother with her offspring really broke my heart. Some time ago my sister was diagnosed with depression and lately it has gotten even worse. Sometimes she looks like she just wants to lay down in her bed and die right there. It's really hard to get a small sign of emotion from her and I feel very helpless, because I love her and I don't want to lose contact with her. These animals did not deserve to be treated like this. What SeaWorld does is straight up illegal.

There's nothing sea like about seaworld. period.

John was also a former trainer at sea world when dawn was killed. And you can tell he just loves animals so much he just didn't know any better back then and is speaking up now. As we all should

I've recently taken an interest in orca, dolphins, whales, etc. Through learning about these beautiful, majestic creatures, I've come to realize that Sea World separating these orca from their pods, keeping them in captivity and forcing them to do tricks for paying customers is tantamount to abducting a child away from their family and keeping them locked in a small room, only letting them out to dance and juggle as entertainment for houseguests at your beckon call. It's cruel and despicable. Sea World needs to do the right thing, for once, and free the orca to the sea where they belong and deserve to thrive!

Empty The Tanks...Do not buy a ticket...Thank You

So very sad SeaWorld should be so ashamed. It is just incredibly stupid to think these animals are in anyway happy to be in those tiny tanks preforming useless tricks for uncaring people. Breaks my heart.

Absolutely brilliant video. Thank you for capturing and sharing this. There is no one I have met who is more passionate about orca or more concerned about their welfare than Dr. Ingrid Visser. She devotes her entire life to rescuing orca and bringing about awareness regarding the negative effects of captivity on orca. There is no one more brave than John Hargrove - he risked everything in writing his book Beneath The Surface and continues to educate regarding the truth about Seaworld and how orcas suffer in captivity. Heroes, both of them.

KEEP BEING THEIR VOICE!!!! I HOPE..... FULLY.... that captivity will end.

SeaWorld is done - it's just a matter of time

Heartbreaking!! Black Fish was so needed! The woman expert is spot on when she says people by and large aren’t cruel to animals. When it was revealed what goes on, it immediately impacted their business I believe. I will say, however, back in the 80’s, we took our kids, and there was that bit of conscience that was poking me in the brain saying, “this is sad for these magnificent creatures to be in a tiny fish bowl”. But I pushed it out of my mind until Black Fish. Technology has come so far, now I can get on RU-vid and watch them in the wild without messing with my conscience. I believe the same about zoos. When an animal is injured and can’t be in the wild, zoos are ok.

SeaWorld needs to do the right thing and put these animals in a large sea-pen. These animals probably wouldn't survive in the open ocean, but a sea-pen would be a vast improvement over their current, artificial and prison-like environment.

this made me cry. just the sight of that orca floating listlessly in the pool whilst it's calf was trying to feed had me in tears. huge respect for anyone who speaks out against seaworld

Dr. Ingrid Visser. Thank you for all your hard work and promoting animal welfare. You have inspired my three children to do all they can in school to raise awareness of how wrong it is to keep orca and other sea creatures in captivity.

To everyone who says that the calf is too old to be trying to nurse... You are correct. In the wild, the calf would start learning how to hunt, dive deeply with his mother, travel vast distances with the pod and learn new things about its environment. At Seaworld, all they learn is how to do meaningless tricks and dance to loud music for a few fish. After performing, all they can do is float motionless in the water, stare at walls or swim in endless circles. Do you think that a calf can transition from being a calf to maturity normally when all the natural occurrences that it would experience in the ocean never happen. Its learning and natural development are completely stunted, almost as if it's in a state of perpetual infancy. Dr. Visser even states that this is stereotypical behaviour that many animals in captivity exhibit. Orcas are extremely intelligent and have complex emotions. These sentient mammals can never grow in a normal way when everything around them is synthetic and unnatural. Stereotypical behaviour is exhibited when an animal is bored, under stimulated, depressed, and agitated. Yes this calf is too old to be nursing, even the mother doesn't want it to nurse. Orcas, are not domesticated pets. They are wild creatures that are totally unequipped for life in a concrete tank which makes them aggressive and despondent.

Also, SeaWorld deletes all the negative comments from their social media and RU-vid videos so the section is full of 'oh they're so cute' and it just makes me sick

Thank you John and Ingrid for putting yourselves out there to help these animals. The work you do is important and so needed. Thank you.

I went to Disney in Florida back in 1989! My parents asked if I wanted to go to SeaWorld? I said No! I knew then it was so unnatural and just cruel to keep them there in those oversized bathtubs!! I was a huge fan as a kid of National Geographic’s & Wild Kingdom aka Mutual Of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom to! This was before we had Discovery & Animal Planet.. Now I know that a lot of if not most of the trainers that worked there loved those animals! And most didn’t really know better then! Key Word.. Then! Today we know so much that there’s just no room for excuses! Back then researchers and scientists did know a lot more than the trainers did but SeaWorld had them brainwashed, however this was pre-internet and pre-social media days!

John was in Blackfish wasn’t he? That film was so powerful and opened my eyes to the horrors of SeaWorld

I'm curious as to what the manager had to say about kicking them out. I don't really understand why they did anyways?

The tank isnt big, and deep enough for the poor whales.

2:50 "My supervisor wants you to leave the property" Beacuse they are telling the Truth wich of course is bad for those Parks -_- Heartless people who care only about 💵

*Sea world is honestly done, they keep lowering their ticket prices because no one is going, BYE BYE SEAWORLD!!*

I visited Sea World as a child and as an adult. I loved Sea World because I got to see marine creatures up close. At the time, I would have never seen them up close otherwise. However, thank you very much for bringing the plight of these magnificent marine mammals to my attention over the years. I have watched other videos showing these intelligent Orca in their wild home doing their Orca behavior and now I truly understand that they belong in their wild, native homes and not in a park or zoo. It's so sad to see these beautiful creatures with psychological issues from living year upon year in a sterile park environment. They belong in the wild ocean with other sea creatures and plants and talking to one another.

Thank you John and Dr. Visser! Thank you for having the courage to speak out and to speak the truth and fight for these beautiful magnificent animals!

Also to all those who mentioned Keiko and his death and how it was a waste of time, here are some fun facts: He thrived for more than five years having gained over 3,000 pounds. He mixed it up with wild orcas and manifested physical signs of attempts to mate. He left his trainers, followed a wild pod, and traveled on his own from Iceland to Norway, having fed himself for over six weeks and arriving as a fat, well-fed whale.

Great video, Seaworld is a disgrace.

Incredibly heart breaking to see a mother too depressed to feed her child.

Her name is Dr Ingrid Visser and she has swam with wild orca in New Zealand since the age of 20. She has an excellent video called gopro orca rescue.

I give John Hargrove alot of credit for speaking out.

At first I was like, "I'm going to Sea World! I want to see killer whales!" Then I was like, "I grew up in Washington state. Maybe I'll go see them there instead. Same price with the added bonus of gorgeous scenery!"

I'm like rly fuckin curious even if the calf isn't nursing anymore do you all not see the stereotypical behavior of bumping against it's mother??? And the mothers behavior just screams depressed and boredom and psychosis'??? I didn't know SeaWorlds ass is so comfy that's the only reason to explain why your heads are in it.

All the people saying that Dr. Visser and Hargrove are "retarded" for talking about stereotypic behavior because it's Makani are missing the point. Although other males have nursed for much longer than average in captivity anyway (Taku wasn't weaned for like two years or something and ended up impregnating his mother, Katina, later in life. Good job Seaworld). It doesn't matter if Makani is actually nursing or not. He's bumping her because he's bored and looking for stimulation. If he were a wild orca, he wouldn't be doing this because he'd be sufficiently stimulated by his natural habitat. You don't need to be a marine biologist to understand that these behaviors aren't normal. You also don't need to be a marine biologist to figure out that they'd be much happier in sea pen since they can't be released. The sea pen would be significantly larger than their current tank, more stimulating because they could interact with the ocean/other animals, and would still allow them to interact with people without the daily onslaught of noise/shows. Anyone who says that these experts want to release them into the wild is pushing Seaworld's agenda and hasn't actually read or listened to any anti-captivity content. ' Poor Makani is going to live a life of forced breeding (maybe even inbreeding with Seaworld's record) and will likely die before he reaches 20. Ya'll pro-captivity enthusiasts don't really care about the orcas. You care about entertaining YOURSELVES. They're awesome creatures but they're not dogs. Hell, they're treated worse than dogs. Would you permanently confine your dog to a kennel? The AKC and any other organizations that promotes the breeding of domesticated animals is explicitly against inbreeding and breeding animals with aggressive behaviors. Why is Seaworld allowed to do this when it isn't in the best interest of the orcas? Money, of course. It's truly the root of all evil. I'm assuming that this actually is Makani. I'm skeptical but I can't identify all of them by sight (yet).

"If you know what you are looking at then it's painful to watch." Dr. Visser Such a simple yet brilliant comment.

Harry Styles made this point, 'do you love Dolphins? Then don't visit SeaWorld!' I'm not a 1 Direction fan, but, I agree with him!

I’ve been studying killer whales for 11 years and currently publishing a book about them. When I was 8 I got to meet some of the trainers at SeaWorld and I asked a bunch of questions when all they knew is that they speak in clicks and their names.

Animals are like us we don't want to be taken away from our babies or bored out of our minds or stuck in one little room its COMMON SENSE 🗣 WE NEED MORE PEOPLE TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT THIS

That momma and baby orca got me crying , this whole thing is so toxic and disturbing to say the very least :,,(((

Finally someone makes a point about how bad captivity is

I commend you both on your efforts to bring attention to this sick and unethical treatment they endure on a day to day basis. #freethemall #notankbigenough #seaworldsucks

This makes me sick to see those poor whales behave like that.....so very SAD. I hope one soon all Sea Worlds are closed for good. God BLESS this man for following his heart and conscience and bringing this out in the open so people become aware of what is really going on.

This made me cry. Seeing that calf trying to eat but the mother is so depressed and can’t feed her baby

The mother and calf broke my heart.

Seaworld literally brings me to tears. I find it so heart breaking that humans can be so selfish. My heart breaks whenever one of my friends goes to seaworld or the ga aquarium. Captivity MUST END.

It’s been 4 years, nothing’s changed. We are still trying to fight but it seems like no one cares anymore, yes there are other human problems going right now but this is very important to.

"orca experts" but said orca experts can't even tell when a calf is old enough to stop nursing (Makani was two years old here and calves are usually weaned at that age or even earlier), and don't understand that the belly bumping also is an affectionate behavior that even adult orcas perform sometimes...

There are actually some people speaking out, that's a good thing

Seriously they're being told to leave when the staff clearly know what they're doing to the poor animals😠

I used to love going to SeaWorld. But knowing now how poorly the orca do in captivity, how they split up complex family groups creating trauma and nerotic behavior, SeaWorld and other parks only care about the money they make and not doing whats best for them (and lied in thr past about so many things just to keep a good public image), I can't buy a ticket to a place that supports that. It's awful. Right now I worry most for Lolita at Miami SeaAquarium. Shes been captive soooo long and is so alone and in such a small tank. She deserves retirement. Her owner is selfish and cruel to have refuted so much protest and offers to buy her to give her retirement. Like how circus animals have gone out of favor surely this too will soon be gone.

Of course I feel bad for these Orcas but they at least have room to move and have other Orcas to interact compared to poor Lolita (former name Tokitae), taken from her family in the 70's and still alive and alone where I live at the Miami Seaquarium. Her "home" has been labeled the concrete bowl because she has to breach in place to avoid getting hit by the side walls. The bottom is only deep in the middle and rounds upward like a bowl constricting her space. In the middle of that round bowl is an island where the workers stand giving her even less space. She's been captive in that very same "whale bowl" for close to 50 years. No one can observe her like here because they've closed the underground area to view her from the glass display, she is always alone unless there is a show going on. Wikipedia's current second picture shows her pushing a trainer up out of the water but this image has to be a widescreen shot or an image that somehow makes her tank look bigger because I've been there in person and it is not as large as it looks in that image.

i’ve seen orcas in the wild, it use to be super super common to see them when i was younger. Sadly, we don’t see them anymore :(

Its honestly horrible to think that these orcas were taken from their family and home put in a tiny cage and made to do tricks if you did that to a human you'd be in jail

I remember going to the zoo and seeing seals do this type of behavior- they just swam in circles again and again. I thought it was normal... Now, knowing this, it kinda breaks my heart.

Was honestly scared this was a incognito promo video for seaworld.

It makes me sick we still have these huge animals in these small tanks! Who the hell thinks making these animals do tricks for our sick pleasure has anything to do with conservation?? 😍🐳🐬🐋

So glad changes are being made with orcas and dolphins. How silly we are for allowing this in first place

I used to go to Sea World when I was younger. I still have one of their prize stuffed animal orcas. I thought the animals were happy and living well. Now I am NEVER going back there again.

If I can have one superpower, it would be to speak to the orcas and help them go back to the wild without SeaWorld noticing

I don't think it's right for kids to grow up thinking that it is normal for such beautiful creatures to live their lives in cement cages

i cant wait for this documentary hopefully it impacts the public im routing for you guys

How is sea world still open..

I went there and as soon as I saw them act like that I was 2 so my instinct was to cry non-stop to get my family to leave

Set them free they don't deserve you guys and your company

Thank you for this extremely important video. I've posted it to my FB and Twitter pages. I am against all incarceration of animals in "amusement" parks, zoos, and am a vegan. I'm a certified PADI scuba diver (rescue level) and feel I am fortunate to witness marine life but know it is not my right to take or manipulate it. Keep fighting for the rights of these animals as I will. They belong in open water coastal sanctuaries at this juncture.

I'm currently in Orlando florida for a holiday (vacation) and after seeing the killer whale show I can't help but feel really sad at first I was amazed and so happy but I just want them to be free they don't deserve this they should be free living their life with their pods I can't wait for sea world to be no more

"Let's make apex predators that are extremely intelligent do silly tricks, what could go wrong?"

These people are nothing short of amazing! Helping animals, unlike sea world who has their marketing tools to make you think sea world is good. I hate sea world because I love animals

It is so sad that humans are doing this to animals! i have seen them wild and free and these is nothing like it! Do not go to these places they do not care about there animals all they care about is the money.

Places like SeaWorld shouldn't exist anymore. They need to be free

Just imagine how it would feel for us to be stuck in captivity wishing our lives would just end! How people respect animals sometimes makes me so frustrated😡

FREE THE ORCAS! FREE THE ORCAS!

I'll never understand how a person can find pleasure in slave watching.

This video hurts my heart... I have loved animals since I was able to understand what an animal was. All animals deserve the best possible life. SeaWorld is not one of those places.

Plz keep doing this, people need to realize this is animal abuse

I don't know why, but many people still argue that seaworld is good because they went there and liked it.

So much respect for both of ya

Solution: Tanks at SeaWorld should only be for rescuing then bringing medical attention then releasing them back into the wild. Thats it. This needs to be the law.

We have SHARK WEEK to get awareness about sharks.. We need ORCA WEEK so we can get awareness out about these poor animals being in SeaWorld and how they act in the wild so we could protect them cuz they are being killed to...

You know what "astroturfing" is? "It is the practice of masking the sponsors of a message or organization (e.g., political, advertising, religious or public relations) to make it appear as though it originates from and is supported by grassroots participant(s). It's people hiding on the internet creating different personas to advance the agenda of their sponsor". In this case, obviously, it is SeaWorld paying people to write letters to newspapers to say they love SeaWorld, they see nothing wrong with orcas in captivity, how SeaWorld has done wonderful things for science [NOT] and how healthy and happy they are in their tiny boring concrete pool/cages. It is people commenting on videos like this one calling the experts "lunatics". So beware of the SeaWorld people on this site.

you know who I blame? All these people who buy tickets to take their kids there. They are part of the problem. It's sick. It's time people educated their-selves about Seaworld. Start with the movie Blackfish. Mr Hargrove and Dr. Visser are heroes for speaking out. I bet Dawn and Tilly are proud of you both.

I have felt the anxiety that comes from being trapped with no way out and no end in site, just bored and depressed, unable to really take care of my baby at the time, and it is a suffering I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. What does this mother have to look forward to teach her baby? With their highly developed memory and intelligence, a place like this is like putting a human in solitary confinement for life. You would go completely mad and try everyday with all your will to not kill yourself, because all hope is gone.

I HATE everyone who goes or ever went to a SeaWorld and considered it fun. It's disgusting, it's terrible, it's watching animal torture and paying for it. Haven't we seen enough with Keiko? Wasn't that single story sad and tragic enough?All these creatures are so magical, so gorgeous, so smart... I don't know how anyone can watch them in these 'bathtubs' and don't break down at how awful it is to see them trapped here instead of swimming free in the ocean. I have the same issues with circuses. And you know what? Every time one of these 'clowns' goes 'crazy' and attacks their trainers, I cheer for them. I don't feel sorry for the people who work there and torture them every and all day long AT ALL.

WE JUST NEED TO SHUT THESE DAMN PLACES DOWN, WITH THE DAMN CIRCUS, WEN YOU PAY TO SEE THIS CRAP YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM, THIS IS SO SICK

I don't get how people can still sit there and say that keeping all these animals in captivity is good for them and are educational? It ruins them, it's a shame on the orcas who are emotionally scarred and stay in that tank 24/7 and who are only fed if they do what they are told, we wouldn't like it if that was us

Oh man i cant watch this...this baby and her mum argh... 😓 Dr. Ingrid Visser is the best, no one do so much for Orcas then she is doing. Today she have a orca rescue program in New Zealand. Today, 184 orcas live around New Zealand. Its totaly heartbreaking what your seeing in her new GoPro Videos on her own YT Channel. Orcas are much smarter then we tought.

One time in 2022, Me and my mom and my sister went to Sea World, and I told my sister about orcas in captivity and how I feel about it, because it's just wrong. Dead wrong! And yet, my mom does not understand it. People who have never seen the two superior movies "Blackfish" and "Free Willy" will still go to Sea World and not care about what anyone else says about bringing wild orcas to captivity. Not only that, but also after our trip, I thought to myself: it's 2022 and people are still keeping the orcas in captivity at Sea World, and they have never seen Blackfish nor Free Willy. There is no hope.

keep up the good work guys.

What is being done at Seaworld is disgusting. It's an abusive animal jail and it must come to an end! I don't get how people are entertained by watching animals in captivity. This is an abuse of what God blessed us with. It's such a great sin!

I WAS those people 12 years ago. I visited sea world in Florida, with my kids, in 2006. I'll never forget seeing a killer whale for the first time....it literally took my breath away, and much to my surprise, it made me cry. I couldn't stop thinking about them, so I did some research and was amazed to discover all the awful things associated with keeping these majestic animals in captivity. I'd love to see an orca in the flesh again, but this time in it's habitat....i would never step foot in sea world again.....or any zoo. Keeping any animal in a cage for our entertainment is wrong in every single way.

I'm so glad my family and I don't go to SeaWorld anymore. I feel sorry for these orcas. 😢

If this documentary is ready by Phinfest '16 I would be happy to show it!

seaworld is terrible.. i can't wait until it closes down. hopefully we won't have to wait too long as their business is plummeting.

Sea World needs to- 1: Change all form of management 2: release ALL animals 3: become an ocean-themed RIDE park, with no wildlife in it. MAYBE a fresh-water aquarium that is kept clean for theming, but not this… I used to love this place as a kid, I’m glad I grew up and saw the truth.

I completely agree! I also did not see any reason for them to be asked to leave, there was NO rude behaviour towards anyone! I'm so completely fed up with them! Stop buying tickets & taking your children. It's just a matter of time before it happens again!! I'm so tired of the way that some people act like just because we are human we have the right to treat animals and the planet anyway we please. We are destroying our oceans by removing this beautiful animals. STOP and think about the repercussions of what you do & the long term damage that may not be able to fixed or repaired.

They can't ask you to leave without any grounds. Saying we want you to leave because you know how Orcas should act isn't a good enough excuse.

My heart goes out to these beautiful, amazing creatures. I personally will never step foot into another one of these Sea World type shows. Just like many years ago, I stopped going to animal circuses. Shame!

It amazes me that no one thinks about how the fin flips over because of not enough water pressure, proving it effects them, then what is going on with the rest of animals bodies? These amazing animals need to be freed as well as many other species!

I don't support captivity but I think the real question we should all ask is what do the whales/dolphins really want and need