Tilikum- the World’s Largest Male Captive Orca is Dying : What will his Legacy Be?

According to SeaWorld’s facebook page,  Tilikum, the homicidal orca who has lived in captivity for 23 years and responsible for the deaths of three people, is in poor health. Their most recent post stated:

“We are saddened to report that over the past few weeks, Tilikum’s health has been deteriorating. Our teams are treating him with care and medication for what we believe is a bacterial infection in his lungs.”

“Since Tilikum  became a part of SeaWorld’s family 23 years ago, he has received the best in marine mammal health care available for killer whales – including a focus on his physical health, mental engagement and social activity with other whales.”

In the video, Scott Gearheart, SeaWorld veterinarian, says the prognosis is not good.

“I wish I could say I was tremendously optimistic about Tilikum and his future. But he has a disease which is chronic and progressive, and at some point might cause his death. If he would have shown up with this disease in the wild, there’s no doubt in my mind he’d have been gone a long time ago.”

Tilikum also known as “Tili” or “Tilly” is estimated to be 35 years old.  Male killer whales live to be 50 to 60 years old in the wild.

Tilikum was bought by SeaWorld in 1991, a few months after the accidental drowning death of a Sealand trainer he caused.

Tilikum was also involved in the death of a 27-year old inebriated man in 1999 who entered Tilikum’s tank after hours.  Daniel P. Dukes was found naked with his body draped over the back of Tilikum with his genitals bitten off.

Then in 2010, Tilikum made headline news for the brutal death of trainer, Dawn Brancheau.  He dragged her to the bottom of the pool where she drowned. He scalped her and broke many bones in her body. He also bit off her left arm and swallowed it.   Brancheau’s death brought to light again the plight of orcas held in captivity at SeaWorld.

The circled area showed the tiny pool Tilikum lived in for a year after Brancheau’s death

After Brancheau’s death, the documentary, Blackfish , showcased the treatment of orcas at SeaWorld focusing on Tilikum.

The film claims the psychological stress caused by living in unpleasant and isolated conditions creates the behavior exhibited by Tilikum.   Tilikum has been kept alone and has limited contact with people since Brancheau’s death making his life even more miserable and unnatural. 

 

Ironically, there are no reported cases of an orca killing a human in the wild. Sailors have fallen into orca pods with no humans being attacked by them.   It appears that orcas attack due to the strain of living in captivity.  Orcas in the wild swim 100 miles a day.  Orcas in captivity live in small pools and would need to swim 1,208 laps to equal what they’d swim in the wild.  SeaWorld’s pools can’t begin to compare to the wide open ocean.  According to Blackfish, Tilikum was more “nervous and combative than his peers probably just by nature.”   Placing a combative orca in a “bathtub” is clearly setting the stage for what has gone wrong at these parks.

SeaWorld knew about the orcas’ behavior as stated in their own 600 page document describing “harmful killer whale behavior, but also show that, time after time, SeaWorld had no explanation for why an incident occurred and was ineffective at preventing similar or even identical behavior from happening again,” according to OSHA’s report.  The report describes 100 occurrences of killer whales biting, hitting, lunging toward, pulling on, pinning, dragging, and aggressively swimming over SeaWorld trainers.

After Blackfish opened in 2013,  the marine mammal-themed park has seen a dip in profits.  A report put out last month by SeaWorld says their generated revenue for 2015 was $1.5 billion which means a decrease of $6.8 million.  People continue to turn their backs on the marine mammal park.  SeaWorld is a multibillion dollar industry that was dependent on their killer whale shows.

“The message is clear: the public has said NO to the dolphin show.  If SeaWorld wants to remain viable as an entertainment corporation, they need to modernize their business practices, utilizing revolutionary technologies such as virtual reality, which truly allows one to get “up close and personal” with these remarkable mammals.” ~  Ric O’Barry,” dolphin activist.

Tilikum will live on through his offspring. He has sired 21 offspring, 10 of which are still alive. Will they have murderous tendencies like Tili?  (I’m surmising it doesn’t  matter to SeaWorld.)

O’Barry, a marine mammal trainer,  told the Orlando Sentinel that the orcas’ lifestyle is less than ideal.  “They’re bored.” “We literally bore them to death. It’s like living in the bathroom for your life.”  Tili is the largest male orca on record in captivity weighing 12,500 pounds. He is a little over 22 feet in length.

Whatever time remains for Tilikum, he will leave behind a tragic legacy.  His life is one of controversy since the age of two when he was ripped away from his mom and never knew or lived the real life of an orca in the wild.   Instead, he was bought to be a “star” in a marine mammal park in which SeaWorld would make billions off of him and the other orcas they hold in captivity for their entire lives.

Tilikum’s story highlights the plight of captive orcas.  There are 56 killer whales held captive worldwide with 23 at SeaWorld in the United States.  When Tilikum killed Dawn Brancheau, the world wasn’t angry with him.  While we mourned the loss of Dawn, we, the public, were furious over the captivity of killer whales by SeaWorld. We condemned the treatment of orcas in a park that puts on a theatrical killer whale show at the expense of orcas and human lives!

While SeaWorld was/is making billions, Tilikum and the other orcas who are highly intelligent suffer miserably in small pools every single day of their stifled lives. Unable to live a natural life, Tili has worn down most of his teeth from chewing on the concrete sides of his tank and metal gates.

Tilikum is not the only orca who has been aggressive as a result of being forced to live a confined life for decades at SeaWorld but he is the most well known.   One former SeaWorld trainer- Ken Peters- almost died when another orca, Katastka, grabbed his foot during a live show.

Aggression toward humans and among orcas is nearly non-existent in nature, but the constant stress of living in incompatible social groupings inside minuscule tanks at SeaWorld causes them to lash out, posing a danger both to other whales and to employees alike.

Tilikum, your legacy is the catalyst that will keep the light shining on the unnatural and cruel environment for orcas at SeaWorld.  They have seen their profits dip deeply.  They realize the public is no longer buying the park’s stance saying how much they care for their marine mammals.  With Dawn’s death, the public is opening their eyes to the truth.  However you look at it,  you and others are being abused.  I don’t blame you.  I don’t blame the trainers because I believe they have good intentions.  I blame corporate greed.

Tilikum, your life at a park has changed people’s minds.  Your story has helped people see orcas belong in the ocean where they can be with their families as it was always meant to be.  You haven’t experienced freedom for 25 years.  When the time comes, you will no longer be tied to the binds people have forced upon you.

Your life has been cruel but not in vain.  Your plight is already changing the course of orcas at SeaWorld.  By 2017, SeaWorld San Diego is ending their “theatrical killer whale experience.”

We will continue to fight for what is right because of you and other orcas in captivity.  I’m sorry greed took you away from the life and freedom of the ocean. Orcas were never meant for captivity.

Your captivity is finally coming to an end.  You will finally have your freedom.

Tilikum performing