What about Morgan?

Morgan the orca at Dutch aquarium, Dolfinarium Harderwijk. Photo courtesy ©Sandra Renaux.

Imagine for a moment that you find a lost child out on the streets. She is all alone. There is no sign of her family. She is ill, lethargic, and underweight. Without help, she will surely die. You would probably take her in and nurse her back to health, wouldn't you? What's the next thing you would do? You might want to find out where she came from. You might want to locate her family and her mother so they can be reunited. You would want them to know that their baby is ok. You would want to see a happy ending. What if courts, government, and big corporations became involved? What if they decided that instead of finding the child's family and ensuring a future with them, that instead she would be better off living a life in a prison performing slave labor and being forced to reproduce as soon and as much as possible? You would probably be outraged. You would probably ask yourself, "how did this happen?"

Unfortunately what I have just described above is no hypothetical situation. It is a very real demise that is now facing a young orca (killer whale) named, Morgan. Morgan was discovered in June 2010 off the Dutch coast in the Wadden Sea. Since orcas are rarely seen in this part of the world, people immediately took notice of her presence. It was very quickly concluded that Morgan was starving and very weak. The youngster was extremely underweight and appeared to be in dire straits. The other concerning aspect of her situation was the fact that she was all alone. Killer whales are known for their fiercely strong family bonds. Orcas often stay with their mothers and with their pods (families) for life. They don't reach sexual maturity until their teens and until then they often stay very close to their mothers.

Orca females and their offspring maintain strong bonds throughout the duration of their lives.

Morgan was estimated to be between three and five years of age - just a baby. So it was very perplexing indeed for her to be so alone. Dolfinarium Harderwijk, a Dutch aquarium stepped in hoping they could save the young whale's life. They transported her to the dolphinarium to rehabilitate her and prepare her for eventual release back to wild. I think to most people this gesture appeared to be extremely heroic...

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It the past fifteen years the world has witnessed several high-profile orca rescues or attempted rescues involving whales from different parts of the globe. Two of the most "famous" of these endeavors occurred in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and southwest Canada. Ironically in 2002, two lone juvenile orcas from two different orca populations presented themselves in two very different locations. A two-year-old female appeared one cold, winter day off Vashon Island near the busy city of Seattle, Washington and a two-year-old male arrived alone in a remote location off the west coast of Vancouver Island called Nootka Sound. It is still a mystery as to how these whales became separated from their pods and their presence alone left researchers scratching their heads. Obviously the first order of business was to figure out who these two whales were. Where did they come from? Thankfully, this question was answered rather quickly due to the fact that orcas in this part of the world have been studied extensively since the 1970's. Orca researchers have vast catalogues of data and photographs depicting each individual whale. An orca's dorsal fin and saddle patch (the gray marking just behind the dorsal fin) are unique on each individual just like a fingerprint:

After some dorsal fin matching among other methods it was concluded who the little whales were. The little female in Seattle was A73 Springer - a member of the well-known A Pod of the Northern Resident orca community. This group of whales frequents the waters of Johnstone Strait off northern Vancouver Island during the summer months to feed on salmon. L98 Luna was the little male found in Nootka Sound and he was a member of the Southern Resident orca community - a group that plies the waters of southern Vancouver Island also following summer salmon runs. People quickly rushed to the aid of these two little wayward wanderers, but interestingly their stories had two very different outcomes.

Within a mere 6 months Springer was located, captured in a net pen, rehabilitated of a few minor health ailments, moved via high-speed catamaran from Puget Sound to Johnstone Strait, her family was located, and she was released. Her initial reunion with her family had a bit of a questionable start (it was discovered that her mother had died over the winter which may have been a contributing factor of her separation from her pod, however she still had a grandmother and an aunt in the pod). At first she seemed elated to see her family, however not long after her release she and her family were seen swimming in opposite directions and it seemed to take some time for her to become reacquainted with the group. However, when one stops to consider this for a moment, it seems only natural. Orcas spend their entire lives with their families rarely spending a day apart from one another as far as we know. So how would she explain her 6-month hiatus? Over a bit of time the social barriers worked themselves out and she eventually began swimming with the pod again. Happily, almost 10 years later, she is still swimming in the company of her family and appears to be a normal, well-adjusted young orca despite her interesting misadventure.

Unfortunately Luna's story had a contrasting ending. Instead of being quickly reunited with his family, Luna remained in Nootka Sound for four years. There was so much conflict and strife involving Luna's situation and what to do with him. Many wanted nature to "take its course". Some people adored Luna and found him to be a charming addition to the community. The Mowachaht/Muchalaht native peoples believed Luna to be the reincarnation of a beloved departed chief who had announced, before his death, that he would return in the form of a killer whale. The tribes wanted Luna to be left alone. He was meant to stay in the sound. He was a being that deserved the utmost respect. There were others who believed that Luna, like Springer, should be ferried back to the waters near the San Juan Islands where he could join his natal L pod and his mother. And there were yet others who hated Luna. Because orcas are very intelligent, social animals they thrive on the relationships they have with their family members. When that disappears, they seek out other ways to be social and unfortunately they often turn to people and other objects to meet their social needs. Luna loved interacting with people, but he also loved interacting with boats, kayaks, logs, and float planes. While many people were thrilled to have a meeting with a friendly killer whale, others began to view him as a pest. Because he was so starved for attention he often would not "leave people alone" which became aggravating to some - perhaps like that friendly golden retriever that never wants you to stop petting him and won't stop following you. Luna's affinity for boats often led to a lot of costly repairs that left boat owners extremely unhappy. The governments of the United States and Canada had plans in to works to capture Luna and move him back to the Salish Sea. However the native peoples wanted Luna to stay and made capture difficult by luring Luna away from the capture boats and the net pen the feds had constructed to contain the little whale. To put in plainly, when you have the governments of two different countries involved along with the interests of the native peoples in the mix, all with conflicting and differing opinions, nothing happens quickly or easily. In the end it was only Luna who paid the final and tragic price of all the upset. He was hit by the propeller of a large tug boat and killed.

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Summer 2011. Morgan had been at Dolfinarium Harderwijk for over a year. Her health had returned, she had gained weight, and was an excellent release candidate.

Over the months since Morgan's rescue her health improved tremendously and it became clear that she would be an excellent candidate for release back to the wild. So why was she still cooped up in a fish bowl with no mention of release? The answer unfortunately leads to dollars and cents. Marine mammals draw massive amounts of people to aquariums every year. As a result aquariums generate huge revenue. The dolphinarium's motives became painfully clear when they announced they believed Morgan was a very poor candidate for release. They also stated that they wanted to send Morgan to Loro Parque, a zoo in the Canary Islands of Spain. There she would join five other young orcas under the age of 13 that are owned by SeaWorld and become a performing circus clown.

The Free Morgan Foundation (FMF) formed not long after Morgan was taken into captivity and consists of many non-profit whale and dolphin conservation and research organizations from around the world. Orca experts from all walks of life began tediously working on a release plan for Morgan. They also filed suit with the Dutch government to try and avoid the appalling decision to have Morgan sent to Loro Parque. Over the coming months FMF painstakingly constructed a very detailed release outline involving a "soft release" in which the little orca could gradually be reintroduced into her natural environment via a stay in a net pen.  During this time orca acoustic scientists also made an exciting discovery. Orcas are very acoustic animals that have a complex repertoire of squeaks, squeals, and whistles which they utilize in order to communicate with one another. It has been determined that each specific pod of killer whales has their own unique dialect or language. By assessing Morgan's vocalizations, scientists discovered that 77% of the calls she was producing matched a Norwegian group of killer whales called "P pod". Knowing who her family might be was a tremendous step forward and would make a successful reunion that much more possible. The other factor that would make her reunion successful was that the village of Stø located in Norway were welcoming Morgan with open arms. Stø would be an ideal location for the site of a net pen. Morgan could be transferred there to continue her rehabilitation and would be able to possibly interact and communicate with any orca pods that frequent the areas around the tiny community. This would be an ideal place for her to find her family! Another hopeful constituent was that Morgan would not be the first captive orca in which a rehabilitation and release was conducted...

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Keiko, the star of the Free Willy movies undergoing rehabilitation in Newport, Oregon. Photo courtesy ©Stephanie Langer Ayers.

Keiko the orca may arguably be the most famous orca in the world. He was captured in the late 1970's off the coast of Iceland at the age of about two-years-old. Many orcas were being caught for the marine theme park business in Iceland after captures in the pacific northwest became impossible for the industry. Keiko spent his younger years primarily in an theme park in Mexico City called Reino Aventura. In 1992 his life took an incredible turn. He landed the starring role in a Warner Bros. movie called Free Willy. In the summer of 1993, the movie hit theaters and was a huge box office success. The movie was particularly popular amongst children who fell in love with Keiko. It was this love of the huge cinema star that fueled his rescue and release. 

After the movie cameras were turned off, Keiko's situation was still the same. He was living in one of the smallest orca tanks in the world and he was alone save for a couple of bottlenose dolphins which also shared his tank. Health-wise he was in deplorable condition. He had a papolma virus which covered parts of his body in nasty, painful, and unsightly lesions. The virus was severely aggravated by the warm artificial chlorinated salt-water he was forced to live in. Orcas are certainly not accustomed to living at high altitude, but Keiko had spend much of his life in Mexico City which is over 7,000 feet above sea level. Because of the elevation and his small tank size, Keiko's energy level was very low and he could scarcely hold his breath for more than three minutes. Wild orcas can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes. People felt that Keiko deserved better. Many felt that he should be able to have the chance to be a wild whale again and because of thousands of letters, phone calls, donations, and pleas, Reino Aventura agreed to donate Keiko to the newly formed Free Willy-Keiko Foundation to begin his reintroduction back to the wild after 20 years in a barren concrete tank! It was a tremendous, selfless gesture on the part of Reino Aventura and the Mexican people to say good bye to an animal they loved so much and who was obviously a star money-maker.

Keiko was moved to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport to begin his rehabilitation.

Keiko at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

He spent two years in Oregon and all the while his health improved, he grew in size, and he began learning the basics of hunting for fish. After a short layover at his Oregon "halfway house" Keiko was then moved back to Iceland where he was placed in a net pen and then, over time, was introduced to wild orcas. One summer day in 2002 he permanently swam off with a group of wild whales. He was tracked via satellite tag making a journey of over 1,000 miles across the Atlantic to the coast of Norway. Here he was found alone, without his new orca buddies, and the people of Taknes Fjord were happy to welcome their new movie star resident. Keiko seemed to have made his choice. He wanted to be with people. His caretakers relocated to Norway to care for the whale and they remained there for the rest Keiko's life. Many people consider Keiko's release to have been a complete failure simply because he never did swim off into the sunset with his family. However I feel otherwise. I believe that Keiko deserved a choice. He was given the opportunity to have a wild life, but in the end, he wanted to be with people. And I think it is very important not to overlook the fact that Keiko lived the last years of his life in the ocean where he could dive down deep, leap up high, swim for great distances, and have the ability to fully utilize his acoustic senses once again. He would not be able to do any of that if he had remained in his tiny, barren concrete tank in Mexico. Perhaps he was not the best release subject, but I'm glad he was given the opportunity. I believe he is proof that even after spending years in captivity, these animals can learn to survive in their wild habitat once again. When comparing Keiko with Morgan and the aspects of her situation, her chances of fully reintegrating with her family are much better...

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The FMF and the dolphinarium in Harderwijk entered an intense legal battle over the summer of 2011. The judge's decision would then determine Morgan's fate - either she would be sent to Loro Parque in Spain to join SeaWorld's captive orca collection or she would be moved to Norway to begin her journey toward freedom. The FMF did an incredible job tirelessly battling for Morgan's right to live a natural life. Not only did they come up with a very detailed and plausible release plan, they also had the support of many high-profile marine mammals scientists from around the world who testified to the fact that the success of Morgan's release had a high probability. On the other side of the fence, the dolphinarium protested stating that Morgan's survival in the wild was not feasible and she would be much better off remaining in captivity. On November 22, 2011 the Dutch judge had made a decision. In an article written by the Washington Post, Judge M. deRooij who presided over the case stated that Morgan's chances of surviving in the wild were "too unsure" and that "Morgan can be transferred to Loro Parque for study and education to benefit the protection and maintenance of the species."

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There is a quote by Abraham Lincoln that I have always loved:

"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves."

Orcas and the captivity industry have been in the news a lot lately - not just in the case of Morgan, but also the legal battle between OSHA and SeaWorld and the brutal death of orca trainer Dawn Brancheau  (if you would like to learn more about these topics, click here to visit The Orca Project's website). I, along with thousands of others, feel devastated by the decision to have Morgan spend her remaining days in a tiny, barren, concrete tank. If we were to go back in time 25 years, you might be hard-pressed to find any member of the general public who disagreed with keeping orcas and dolphins in captivity. Things are different these days and word is finally getting out about the truth behind the flashy shows and happy displays one will find at marine theme parks. Here are just a few facts that have been uncovered:

• Orcas live an average of 8.5 years in captivity. Their average lifespan in the wild is around 50 years. Some animals, for example J2 Granny of the Southern Resident orca community in Washington, are estimated to be 80 to 100 years of age! The stress of living in a captive situation is more than likely a large part of the premature death of captive whales. These animals are forced to perform x number of shows per day in front of large crowds of people while enduring the intense sound of loud music being piped in during performances. If they don't do what they are told, they don't get fed. Orcas are extremely intelligent animals and frequently boredom overtakes them in captivity. As a result they spend hours simply swimming in circles like lions pacing in a small cage. They also chew on the concrete ledges of their tanks or on the metal gates dividing tanks which more often than not results in broken teeth. If an orca breaks a tooth, it then must be drilled out removing the pulp in a procedure called a "pulpotomy". The procedure is very painful for the whales. They are voluntary breathers and therefore anaesthetic cannot be administered or they would drown. The "pulpotomy" then leaves the tooth wide open for harmful bacteria to enter the body. The broken teeth of captive orcas must be flushed out several times a day for the rest of their lives to prevent infection. Captive orcas are also pumped full of antibiotics. Poor dentition in orcas, just as in people, can lead to a host of severe medical conditions and even death. To learn more about this, read this article compiled by two former SeaWorld trainers, John Jett and Jeffery Ventre.
• In the wild, orcas typically remain with their families and with their mothers for life. In captivity, babies are often stripped from their mothers and sent to other parks at very tender ages, sometimes as young as one year. For example, SeaWorld, the largest holder of captive orcas on the planet, frequently shuffle their animals from park to park. As a result the artificial pods in their tanks are upset and they must re adapt to the appearance of new individuals and the loss of other individuals. This sort of repeated mixing must be very distressing to an animal that is hardwired to remain with its family for life. The constant swapping of animals also creates a lot of aggression among captive orcas as they work out the dominance hierarchy. As a result many animals are injured, permanently scarred, or even killed because of these combative interactions. I have observed wild orcas for over a decade. Never have I observed hostility or fighting amongst wild killer whales.
• Orcas can swim as much as 100 miles per day in the wild. There is no way they are able to do this in a fish bowl.
• As I have mentioned before, one of the orcas' most important senses is their auditory/acoustic sense. Not only do they emit high frequency calls in order to communicate with one another, but they also use echolocation to navigate and find their prey. They have no need to use echolocation in a tank. The clicking noises they emit do nothing more than bounce off the walls surrounding them.
• Female whales in captivity may be forced to begin breeding at very young ages, sometimes as young as seven years. Wild orcas typically don't have their first calf until they are approximately fifteen years of age. Females in captive situations are also forced to become pregnant as often as possible. What do I mean by "forced"? Marine theme parks have learned how to artificially inseminate their animals. Many females do not become pregnant the old fashioned way. SeaWorld is also facing a very serious problem with their breeding program. The genetic diversity of the animals in their care is severely lacking so much so that fathers are possibly being allowed to have offspring with daughters. For example Kohana, one of SeaWorld's orcas that currently resides at Loro Parque, became pregnant with her first calf at the age of seven! It is rumored that Kohana's father (Tillikum) is also the father of her calf, Adan, who was born in late 2010. Not surprisingly, she rejected the calf however we don't know if it was because the calf is possibly inbred or because she is simply too young to be a mother. Also, it was just announced that Kohana is pregnant again. She is barely 10 years old. You would NEVER see an orca that young giving birth to her second baby in wild populations. Ever. It just further proves that SeaWorld treats their female orcas as baby breeding machines. It should also be noted that the majority of orcas in SeaWorld's care carry the genes of Tillikum who is their main breeding male. This means that if further breeding is allowed to occur in their "collection", inbreeding will run rampant. This is one of the many reasons SeaWorld is desperate to get their hands on Morgan.

Of course I could go on and on if I wanted. The point is that this is what Morgan has to look forward to - a barren life in a box where she is forced to endure aggressive torment from other whales, perform as a slave, and to push out babies (the more, the better). How is that better than giving her an opportunity to be free? If you would like to learn more, Tim Zimmermann has written a very well-constructed piece about orcas in captivity for Outside Magazine. You can find the article here.
After considering all the facts it is very difficult to imagine that a life spent in captivity could be anything more than miserable for these animals. It is so far removed from a natural life. So why are these animals still incarcerated? The answer is one word - money. People have a fascinating obsession with whales and dolphins and when you think about it, a lot of our "love" for these animals doesn't make sense - they aren't fluffy, fuzzy, or furry. In comparison to their body size, they don't have huge, dewy, brown eyes. They don't have loveable floppy ears or tails that wag when they are happy. So what is it? Is it their beauty that makes them so popular? Or perhaps it is the permanent anatomical smile etched on their faces that always makes them look happy? Or could it be that they are so wonderfully intelligent and they have been proven to be self-aware, sentient creatures? I imagine for many people the love of whales and dolphins stems from a combination of all the above contentions. And therein lies the money-maker. Marine theme parks such as SeaWorld know they can generate HUGE profits by feeding this "love". People adore these animals and therefore want to be close to them. They want to have special, intimate interactions where they can touch, feed, hug, kiss, and swim with these incredible creatures. They also want to be dazzled by the astounding aerial displays where whales and dolphins seem to defy the laws of physics in order to fly through air. Just look at how many aquariums have "swim-with-dolphins" programs. Do you ever wonder how much they charge? Usually upwards of $100 for an insanely short half-hour play session with a dolphin. How about admission alone? SeaWorld charges an astonishing $73 just to get inside the gate!   In 2009, SeaWorld received a staggering 23.5 million guests to their parks. You do the math. Marine mammal entertainment is a billion-dollar industry. Do you really think they honestly care about the true well-being of their animals? If they did, the animals wouldn't be there in the first place. Nope. These theme parks and aquariums care about one thing - their bottom line. They "care" about their animals because the animals are what makes them rich. But of course aquariums never mention this. They claim that they are playing an important part in the conservation of the animals and the education of the public. Well what is so educational about watching a trainer being launched off the rostrum of an orca? What is so enlightening by being splashed by one of these 4-ton critters and then watching them stick their tongues out at you while they slide out on a cement platform? What is so instructive about watching an animal that can swim 100 miles in a day, lie for hours motionless at the surface of the water. I've never seen a wild orca do any of these things. Another argument the marine mammal industry will make is that most people will never be able to see these animals in the wild. Do you know that it can actually cost less for a family of four to travel to the pacific northwest and view wild orcas (doing what they do naturally, by the way), than it is for a family of four to travel to a SeaWorld park and pay the cost of admission to watch orcas flip around in an artificial environment? Again, it all comes down to dollars and cents. Marine parks will tell you whatever they can to paint a happy picture and keep you paying for a ticket to pile through the doors. Now you have to ask yourself what is the true cost of your afternoon of entertainment at a marine park? Are you happy to contribute to the abuse of animals? Or would you rather see them here...

...in the wild, where they belong.

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So what about poor Morgan?

Is she doomed to live out her life in a concrete box? I find it so disappointing that the Dutch made the judgement to condemn her to a life in captivity even after all the information available about how detrimental life in a tank is for orcas...even after all the information and recommendations supplied by marine mammal experts and scientists that her release to the wild was extremely possible and the most preferable option. I guess it doesn't matter when it comes to money and, boy, are there ever profits to be made. Morgan is just another innocent creature who has been sentenced to death to make a few bucks. Is it really worth it? I apologize I am ending on a depressing note, but the truth is not always happy. However, you can change the future of the marine mammal industry and the best way to do that is to simply refuse to buy a ticket to a park or an aquarium that keeps whales and dolphins captive. DON'T BUY A TICKET! Your actions speak volumes. Marine mammal theme parks are based on supply and demand just like anything else. The moment these parks can no longer make money by exploiting these animals, the more quickly they will fail and become an ugly blotch in history. I want to leave you with a wonderful video composed by The Orca Project. I hope it will make you think...

To find out more about Morgan and what you can do to help, visit the Free Morgan Foundation website by clicking here.

Sources for this blog post:

The Free Morgan Foundation

The Washington Post

The Orca Project

Orca Network

The Orca Homepage

The Tim Zimmermann Blog

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society