Mass Gathering for Lolita April 3rd, 2011

From www.savelolita.com.... Reposting for them. Please see their site HERE

Mass Gathering for Lolita April 3rd

IT’S TIME FOR A MASS GATHERING!!
11am to 1pm Protest at Miami Seaqaurium!
ALL FOR AWARENESS ABOUT WORLDWIDE CAPTIVITY!!!!!
We Need To END IT NOW!!
RIC O’BARRY WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE TOO!
CAPTIVITY HAS TO STOP WITH LOLITA!!
LOCAL & INTERNATIONAL! LET US KNOW YOUR EVENT DETAILS!
_________________________________________
WORLDWIDE EVENTS APRIL 3rd
MAIN MASS GATHERING LOCATION
Miami – FL – USA
Contact Bob Timmons
ArtistfortheOcean@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=160505420671014

COME AND JOIN US! SUNDAY APRIL 3RD – 11 AM ! FOR LOLITA and All the Animals that reside in the walls of the Seaquarium!!
11am to 1pm Protest
1pm to 3pm Beach Vigil
4pm to Late Evening (below)

4 Bands Will Play For Us:
Sand Bar and Grill in Coconut Grove
3064 Grand Avenue
Miami, FL 33133

Bob Timmons
ArtistfortheOcean@gmail.com
BRING YOUR FLAG!! Country, State, Province!
Show HERTZ THE WORLD IS WATCHING!!

Other Locations:
Melbourne, Australia
Contact: Gwen Williams
Email: asuka.12@hotmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=170951436290697

Seattle, WA
Contact Audra Beavers
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=201434309886408

Toronto – Canada
Contact : Sarah Elizabeth, Brenda LaFleshe
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169881803061713
Yerba Buena Island – The Bay Bridge
Contact: Lorrie Barton Morris
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=205916432756945

San Francisco, CA
Contact Robin Leigh Adams
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=199231783434401

San Diego, CA
Contact: James Madison, Alison Banks
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=197589253607242

MIAMI SQ. NEEDS TO SEE INTERNATIONAL GRASSROOTS ACTION IN FRONT OF THEIR BUSINESS!

BRING SIGNS! BRING NOISE! BRING SPEAKERS! BRING A BAND! BRING HORNS! BRING

LOUD YELLING VOICES! BRING FAMILY AND FRIENDS!
ITS TIME FOR A MASS GATHERING!!!

SPREAD THE WORD!!

LOLITA NEEDS TO TASTE THE OCEAN ONCE AGAIN BEFORE THE CAPTIVITY KILLS HER!!!

Day of Mailbox Suprises!!!!

What a great day of surprises!!!!

First, this WONDERFUL gift from a friend shows up on my doorstep! What a beautiful book! This is the companion book that goes along with the Disney movie, "Oceans". Such a wonderful, and beautiful documentary!

 I opened the book to this exact page! Of all the pictures in the book! :)

 And, finally! I have been waiting to read this book forever! I bought a used copy of Amazon recently, and it arrived today! The copy is a little loved, but you can't buy a new version of this on Amazon for less than a very pretty penny... so I got lucky! Sorry the picture is a little dark... but as you will see below, I was very happy with my "loved" copy of this book because...

It was autographed by the author, and one of my heroes, Ric O'Barry. Awesome.
What a great day of mailbox surprises!


Until Next Time.... (you'll find me reading....)

Tilly's Return to Performing....

The killer whale responsible for trainer Dawn Brancheau's death last February returns to the waters tomorrow... to start performing once again. Tilikum, otherwise known as, "Tilly", is scheduled to appear in an 11:30 a.m. showing of SeaWorld's "Believe" show- which is not the new show that they had originally planned to roll out starting this spring/summer. This will be Tilly's first performance since the death of Brancheau.

According to an article by the Orlando Sentinel online, (3/29/11, it was stated that "Tilikum, an adult male who has sired more than a dozen calves over the years, is by far the largest of the roughly two-dozen killer whales in SeaWorld's corporate collection. He had been involved in two human deaths before Brancheau's, including a trainer at a British Columbia aquarium in 1991 and a homeless man who snuck into SeaWorld Orlando's killer-whale complex after hours in 1999."

Hearings are set to begin April 25th, branching from which the article states, " a U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration citation issued last summer. The federal agency accused SeaWorld of willfully exposing its killer-whale trainers to danger without adequate protection, and it recommended that trainers never again be exposed to Tilikum."

To read the article in full, please click here.


Until Next Time....

$ea World, San Diego- Dolphin Exhibits Part 1

Sea World, San Diego. 
As I was looking through my posts, I realized that I never posted about the dolphin habitats I experienced while at Sea World, San Diego (Sept., 2010). If you want to see more about the Orca exhibits, please refer to later posts- complete with pictures.
First, I want to go over the exhibit that was BEHIND the dolphin stage area. I want to make it clear that I boycott all dolphin/whale shows- so, I in this particular park, I was not able to see the size of the tank the dolphins were housed in during the show. However, I am going to show you tanks that dolphins were in WHILE a show was going on. I was saddened at how small these tanks were- and these guys seemed to swim around and around and around. Well, what more could they do.

(PS- You can CLICK on a picture if you want to see it bigger on your computer) 

In this pic, you can see a dolphin swimming towards me. It's hard to tell from the shadows, but I counted about 3 dolphins in this pool, and there didn't seem to be an exit or entrance to the other pools you see in the pic. The all seemed to be gated off. It was only about 9:45 am, and it was getting HOT- I wonder what they do for shade for these guys. I mean, I understand they are in water- but that has to be a concern. Also, the pools are VERY close to the public, meaning, that I could see ANYTHING getting thrown in there. Just some concerns I had.

 Here, you can actually see 3 dolphins. 1 closest to the front, 1 with the dorsal fin out of the water, and there is actually one by the gate in the background. I watched these guys for a good half hour.

 In this one, this gives you a good example of how close you can get to them. I was using only a point and shoot digital cam- the zoom on it was really not of good quality. There is a fence around the pools, but it was one of those wooden type, with the 3 slots that even a small child could easily fit through. Scary!

 Here is the backdrop to the show- and you can see the crowd watching the show as well. If you look close, the tank is holding...I believe it was 4 dolphins. I see 1 on the right and left, and I believe there are 2 in the back playing by the gate.

 Better view of the backdrop to the show, some other dolphin pools, and the crowd that the show gathered. That stadium sure does look full. Yuck.

 In this pic- there are 4 dolphins for SURE in this tank. One on the left, one straight back by the rocks, one by the gate, and one mid-right (kinda hard to see). It just seemed like a lot of dolphins to be in one tank while the show was going on- When you see the space when I zoom out with my camera, I think it shows how much smaller it actually was. And, to have 4 dolphins in it- just seemed cramped.

For example, here's a good picture of the same tank- zoomed out- with the same 4 dolphins I have been showing you. The tank APPEARED to be closed off, gated closed to any other tanks. And, like I said- this was early a.m. hours, where it was getting hot. There was not a shaded area for these dolphins if they would be in this tank in the p.m. hours- and the access to them by the public was VERY easy. I would hate for some foreign object to get tossed in their tank- (food, etc).

Again, this blog is for me to show you what I am seeing at the parks- I am not claiming to be an expert, but I am giving you my opinion. In my opinion, overall, these animals should not be in captivity, so their homes in captivity are always going to be less adequate than their natural dwellings. I do not feel that they should be housed in "theme parks".

So, that's the condition of the tanks behind the dolphin stage that I saw. In the next post, I'm will post the pics from the "Dolphin Discovery/Encounter" area.


Until Next Time......

"The Cove" being released on Blu-Ray!

"The Cove" will be available on Blu-Ray, starting April 5, 2011. Reserve your copy! The film won an Academy Award for Best Documentary, and is what jump started my efforts to start this blog.

Until Next Time.......

Porpoise Rescued After Japan Tsunami

Who are the unsung heros after the tragic disasters which have struck in Japan?

One is this man, Ryo Taira, who rescued a tiny baby porpoise who was stuck in the shallow rice field water. After trying to make a make-shift stretcher, Taira went out and picked up the animal (which was very small indeed) and carried the animal to be released himself. The animal was released into the Pacific Ocean. To read more about the story, and to see a pic of the little guy/gal being rescued click here for an article. You can also Google about this- and many stories pop up about this subject! I would suggest just putting Taira's name in the Google (or whatever search engine you use) bar, and there you go! 


Until Next Time....

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Shout out to blog member Coleen, who went to visit the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society this past weekend. Too cool. I also wanted to pass along this awesome website Coleen shared with me, that she learned about while there, set up by the SSCS. You can find the link here, called: "For The Oceans".

Sea Shepherd's link through Animal Planet, can be found here, giving all the information about how SS works, who they are, and the incredible work they do. There are interviews, and a link to download full episodes of Whale Wars on iTunes.

Thanks Coleen for being an advocate to our ocean friends, and sharing such awesome info!

Photo copyright of Coleen Sootsman, 2011.

Until Next Time....

Thoughts Go Out to Those in Japan Tonight...

My thoughts go out to all those effected by the earthquake/tsunami in Japan this evening. What a horrific natural disaster, and my deepest condolences to all those involved.

For updates on the where abouts of those who were watching the safety the Cove at the time the earthquake struck- as well as members of the Sea Shepherd volunteers, and Ric & Lincoln O'Barry along with the Blood Dolphin$ Team, please click here to go to the savejapandolpins.com blog.

This blog also provides links at the bottom for tips on charitys that are helping out with what is going on is Japan, and how to locate a loved one in Japan- or if you have information on someone in Japan (for someone else who is trying to locate their loved one).

This picture from www.savejapandolphins.org is allowed to be used royalty free.

Ric & Lincoln...(Lincoln in the front, Ric in the hat) you're in our thoughts... as is the whole "Cove" crew and all of Japan.


Until Next Time.....

New Petition Added....

Check out the bottom of the blog....right hand side. There is a link for a new petition to retire Lolita from the Miami Seaquarium to her native waters, where her original pod awaits her. Before you sign, read the petition, because the plans aren't just to dump her back into the sea. This is a thought out plan of action... and there is a plan if in the worse case scenario, her pod does not accept her, (or, she does not accept her pod). The plans to retire Lolita are obviously more extensive than can fit on this petition, but at least you can get the idea... and a protected sea pen is a LOT better than the illegal size tank she is living in now.

As for her health, reports from sources watching inside the park say that they have been able to hear Lolita breathing and blowing through her air-hole the last few days. There is still a lot of security apparently in the park, especially around her tank- and no shows that I have heard of have been rescheduled. I read today on Orca Network via Facebook, (which has done a great job of keeping everyone up to date as best they can on her health via people that volunteer their time to go and watch Lolita and the atmosphere in and around the Miami Seaquarium), that Lolita was seen today jumping for trainers and that the steps around her tank were being painted.

Any more info that I find out, I will be sure to pass on... but for now, it seems that Lolita is holding on.


Until Next Time....
Keep holding on Lolita... We're looking out for you......

Hang on Lolita....

Over the last few days, there have been conflicting reports coming out of the Miami Seaquarium regarding the health Lolita. Lights on late at night. Cars in the parking lot at late hours. A helicopter flown in, with 4 people with backpacks rushing to Lolita's tank area. When trying to contact the press and/or the park, concerned people were given the run around, told everything from nothing was going on to an unconfirmed report of 3 drownings in the park (which is false to my knowledge).

Finally, someone got ahold of a photo of the helicopter being flown into the park, to prove to the press that there really was something going on within the park- whatever it was. All of Lolita's shows have been recently been canceled, and something strange was just going on.

Photo taken by: Sherri Ocaso

Finally, CBS Miami.com released this article. This article states, "The star attraction at the Miami Seaquarium is “being treated for a tooth infection, a recurrence of a dental issue she had in 1994,” according to a statement from the popular marine theme park. “The whale stadium at Miami Seaquarium is temporarily closed. Although she is not performing shows, she is eating normally and being treated with antibiotics,” said the statement."

Tooth infections are no small feat for a whale. There is no "whale Novocaine", and I pray that her infection does not go septic. Hang in there Lolita. And, let's hope that we can start getting some real answers from the MSQ without having to provide them with proof that we know something is going on first. Enough hiding, this whale has been through enough.


Until  Next Time.....