Keet – No. 5
Editor: Now that SeaWorld has announced it will no longer maintain an Orca breeding program, we thought it would be timely to repost the following about “The San Diego 10 – the Captive Orcas of SeaWorld”, originally posted on May 28, 2014.
Originally published on May 28, 2014.
Over the last several weeks the OB Rag has been running a series of articles in which San Diego SeaWorld’s captive Orcas – “the San Diego 10” – have been introduced.
Author Cara Wilson-Granat explored and examined each orca’s personal history and helped to tell their story – the story of the longest-held captive orcas.
Ikaika – No. 8
Plus human advocates – one for each orca – were also introduced. They ranged from Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez to Zach Affolter, a high-schooler who organized a petition drive against his high school having proms at SeaWorld.
Cara Wilson-Granat – who once wrote ads for SeaWorld years ago and who changed her perspective after watching the film “Blackfish” – allowed each advocate to tell why they were so passionate about saving the captive orcas.
So, once again, all together, here are “the San Diego Ten“:
Corky – Orca Profile #1 and Advocate Martha Sullivan
Kasatka – #2 and Advocate Diana Ferrari Parker
Ulises –#3 and Advocate Ellen R. Ericksen
Orkid –#4 and advocate Pamela Slater-Price, former San Diego County Supervisor.
Keet – #5 and advocate Doni Lantow.
Advocate: Ellen R. Ericksen for Orca #3
Shouka – No. #6 and advocate Steve Christianson
Nakai – No. #7 and advocate Zach Affolter.
Ikaika – No #8 and advocate Heather Heffernan.
Kalia – No. #9 and advocate Liz Jacobelly.
Makani – No. #10 – and advocate Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego.
(hat-tip to Martha Sullivan for helping to arrange the series.)
(The OB Rag published the series along with our sibling online media partner the San Diego Free Press)
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you Cara for writing this and thanks to the OB Rag for hosting the series!
One minor correction: The goal of my petition is not to change the prom at the neighboring school, Mt. Carmel, but to remove future activities to SeaWorld within jurisdiction of the district (which does not include prom venues).
Thank You, OB Rag and SD Free Press, for providing this very valuable forum to tell the stories of The San Diego 10 — all of the orcas currently held in captivity in California — highly intelligent and socially sophisticated marine mammals exploited for profit by SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. A publicly traded corporation which reported revenues of $1.4 Billion last year, but which has only given $9 Million to conservation over the past 11 years.
Thank you, Zach, for your input and correction. You’re calling attention to a very important aspect of this effort in that future activities planned as SeaWorld venues must be looked at and considered carefully for what their goal and ultimate message may be–especially those schools within the “jurisdiction of the district.”
And, a special thank you to Martha Sullivan, for her brilliant input, patience and stellar editing skills of these articles. Double thank yous to the OB Rag and San Diego Free Press, for publishing this entire series. We are all so grateful to you for supporting us and only pray that they will find their way into the hands of those who hold the key to these precious captives–and ultimately free them at last.
OK, we are ON for this — Saturday, July 26th from 11a to 1p (with an hour for complete setup and an hour after for takedown), we will hold the historic, LONG Corky Freedom Banner along SeaWorld Drive, before the entrance into SeaWorld San Diego. The amount of banner we display (shipped in 24 boxes from San Juan Is., WA here) is limited only by the number of people on hand to hold it. So please “Join” to commit as a Holder of Corky’s Freedom Banner, and Invite others to join us! https://www.facebook.com/events/1439623166312858/1444008999207608/?comment_id=1444021125873062&ref=notif¬if_t=event_mall_comment.