Round, full but not fat. Heavy.
Oh we are living in the last days, the end times, stuck in our own houses peering mournfully out the window terrified of our fellow man and the diseases in his lungs. But doesn’t it make you slightly wistful for simpler times when we could become very angry about genetically modified foods or Killer Whales who had been enslaved for our entertainment?
Blackfish, the 2013 documentary, struck many nerves with its depiction of apex-apex predators with sad, droopy fins. Even the world’s greatest surfer Kelly Slater became affected, writing on Instagram, “Have you seen the film #Blackfish yet? I assumed a lot about #Orcas’ intelligence but had no real knowledge on the subject. Adults spend their entire lives in pods alongside their parents and swim up to 100 miles/day. They’re one of the most intelligent and self-aware species in the world (making them highly inquisitive and unsuited for captivity).”
Well, the film led to a lawsuit and, as a result, new photographs just became released today.
Shall we peek?
Disturbing photos released during the ongoing SeaWorld vs Anderson Court Case-
Seen in the photo, two trainers stand on the backs of two orcas (Taima and Malia) beached in the medical pool, posing and smiling for a photo. You may notice how large the male trainer may seem – he’s standing on an 18-month-old calf, pushing her head almost entirely under the water. At such a young age, the cervical vertebrae in Malia’s neck and the thoracic vertebrae in her back wouldn’t have been fully fused or formed and would’ve been susceptible to irreversible damage.
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While it was a common sight to see trainers standing on the whale’s rostrums and backs during performances, these stunts were only performed when the whale’s weight was supported by the water. Beached in the medical pool, Taima and Malia lack this support and are vulnerable to the pressure of their own weight, as well as the additional weight of their trainers. While it wasn’t an immediate threat for Taima and Malia, a cetacean’s own weight will begin to crush its internal organs if left beached for a prolonged period of time. Short term, it must’ve been very uncomfortable for the pair – something these trainers should’ve considered before prolonging their suffering further by taking photos.
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Potential harm to the animals aside, perhaps the most alarming aspect of this photo is how comfortable the trainers seem to be with disrespecting their animals – comfortable enough to pose for a photo nonetheless.
Does this make you sad or do you think everyone is having much fun here including the baby Killer Whale?
What would Kelly Slater say?
My only real wonderment is why the well-muscled trainer with large buttocks is on the baby Killer Whale while the petite woman is on the full grown Killer Whale.
Do you know?
Any guesses?
More as the story develops.
That lady (most likely Dawn Brancheau, her ponytail and smile) would’ve made the photo less disturbing if that guy didn’t come in stepping on Malia’s head.
Let’s go track that fuckface dude down. Sorry Dawn (if that’s you) had to get caught up in this crap.
I think this photo pretty well shoots to hell the widely-held belief that marine mammal trainers have any care or concern for their charges, beyond their paychecks! They don’t give a bloody damn about them, and this photo proves it. The idiot on the left, and the cameraman, should be fired. The idiot on the right, standing on the baby orca, should be executed, preferably by the mother whale. What a cruel bastard!
Is that guy jerking off? or fiddling with the dolphin.. This is as disturbing as the Orca stompers.
these new thicker and wider fun boards have gone too far
Wouldn’t ever condone hitting a woman but I hope the mumma orca flipped over and gave both of them a good slapping aka rust and bone, ohhh Marion, never did a woman in a wheelchair look so inviting, yummy.
Start Em young! No adult learners at sea world. What we see here is an adult killer whale forcing their infant to dedicate their life to surfing in the hopes of securing a lucrative sponsorship deal. Par for the course these days I’m afraid.
This is JEEP’s fault. #isurforcasandhighways
Guy on the right has some Elo style going on.
blubber is Elo’s new coat of armour
I think the whales enjoy it
Like when Thai girls stand on my back it feels pleasure pain.
I think you’re right here. A painfully pleasurable adjustment.
Hopefully a happy ending to this story.
I think it’s only fair now that the adult Orca gets to stand on the man’s baby in a surfing-style pose.
with the same poo-stance too
fuckface on the right has awesome style (that pinkie finger is sublime). FF on left riding SUP should be ashamed of self.
Fuckface on left is too happy.
Fuckface on Right is pushing out some sort of stiff turd, and probably has that wetsuit on backwards, even if it’s the right-way round.
The positive is that this brings awareness to the fuckfacer’s plight.
I don’t want that kook on the Oatbran Team.