Meet the experts and participate in the discussion.

Saturday July 21st, 2012

Friday Harbor, Wa

For the second time in just over one year a diverse collection of killer whale (orca) experts & former trainers will congregate and share information regarding orca populations, including wild and captive animals. Superpod (SP) events are held during July in conjunction with the Southern Resident orcas which are swimming around San Juan Island chasing Chinook salmon. The combination of J, K, and L pods together is called a "superpod."

Superpod II is a face-to-face gathering of 3-4 dozen experts/enthusiasts in an all day event that will include presentations, movies, a book signing by author David Kirby of the soon to be released "Death at SeaWorld", and a benefit showing of the documentary film "The Whale".

These free public events will be held on Saturday, July 21st 2012 at Friday Harbor House in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, Wa. Drinks will be available for purchase. Some events have a separate sign-up (please see below).

Among the scientists who will be in attendance are Ken Balcomb, director of the Center for Whale Research, Dr Ingrid Visser, lead scientist and founder of the Orca Research Trust, in New Zealand, andDr. Naomi Rose, senior scientist for Human Society International (HSI). Naomi oversees HSI campaigns to protect wild and captive marine mammals and is a member of the International Whaling Commission’s Scientific Committee. Dr. Rose is also the lead protagonist in David Kirby's much anticipated scientific thriller called Death at SeaWorld.

Tentative schedule for public events Saturday, July 21st:

10:00 a.m. Attorney Steve Wise speak about the Nonhuman Rights Project. The "NHRP" is devoted to gaining rights for animals who have no voice.

"The Nonhuman Rights Project argues that some nonhuman animals should have the capacity to possess common law rights. What is the common law and why do we take that approach as opposed to using federal laws, which only provide for minimal protection of certain animals? ".

Noon to 2:30 p.m. Brown bag lunch and films, presented by Cara Sands of Friends of the Dolphins. Two films are scheduled which show the capture process of wild dolphins and whales, and which explore the consequences of captivity; "The Cove" and "A Fall From Freedom".

3 p.m. Young activist Ella Van Cleave, who recently gave a presentation at the esteemed "Ted Talks," will speak on the powerful youth movement.

3:30 p.m. Legal counsol to PETA, Jeff Kerr, will speak on recent legal challenges.

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5:00 p.m. Book signing of "Death at SeaWorld" by author David Kirby, plus panel discussion with Humane Society International marine mammal expert Dr. Naomi Rose and 3 former SeaWorld orca trainers; Carol Ray, Jeffrey Ventre & Samantha Berg. (Please sign up for this event here).

We hope to have at least one live "call in" Twitter event during David Kirby's book signing. Our understanding is that two documentary film crews will be on island capturing parts of Superpod II. So look for at least one film in 2013...

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7:30 p.m. A benefit showing of "The Whale" for the Center for Whale Research. Filmmakers Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit will present their heartwarming film, and signed posters will be available for purchase. All donations and proceeds from sales at the film showing go exclusively to support the Center for Whale Research in their continued efforts to save the endangered population of Southern Resident orcas. (Please sign up for this event here).

The Whale, a family film about a friendly whale

Benefit Event for the Center for Whale Research

Sell Tickets Online through Eventbrite

Some Background Information on the Orca Captivity Issue from Howard Garrett

"In 1965 a young male orca was captured in the town of Namu, BC. He was sold to Ted Griffin and towed in a pen to Seattle, where he was promoted extensively and made into a worldwide celebrity. Namu died after 11 months of captivity, but by then Sea World had captured their first Shamu from Puget Sound and the revenues from killer whale shows started a stampede to capture and sell orcas from Washington.

For ten years the captures were led by Don Goldsberry and Ted Griffin, who became public enemies after they tried to violently obstruct news coverage of their operations. They caught over 100 in that time, but claimed there were plenty of orcas here so the captures would make little difference on a population level. There was no science to dispute that until the mid-1970's when Canada and the US contracted with marine biologists Mike Bigg and Ken Balcomb, respectively, to conduct a survey to find out how many orcas there were in Washington and BC. They found only a few hundred, mostly north of Vancouver Island, meaning the captures had removed about a third of those resident to Washington waters.

Goldsberry, Griffin, Sea World, and the marine park industry in general disputed the scientists' findings and methods because they didn't like the results, and thus began a deep animosity toward field researchers on the part of the marine park industry. That dislike and disregard for the natural history of orcas that Bigg and Balcomb and many others revealed over the years became part of the marine park culture and continues to this day. The longevity of orcas, for example, was known from field research to be many decades longer than what marine parks told the public in their educational materials.

Needless to say, any organization that criticizes the captivity industry or that attempts to rehab, retire or release captives receives special scorn from the industry (which includes many people on Keiko's care team)."

"... and that's unfortunate because there could be some areas of agreement and cooperation if we could trust one another's information. But for those within the industry survival of the business is often more important than survival of the orcas, so rather than defend against these innuendos, unless there are disputed facts I'll try to give the background for the argument and leave it at that." From Comments by Howard Garrett

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Superpod II

Meet the experts and participate in the discussion.

Benefit Event for the Center for Whale Research

Candace Calloway Whiting