pool depth, 22, 40
and trainer compensation, 206
water treatment, 173
waterwork at, 65–7
sharks, 3, 109, 114
Shedd, Milton, 29
Sheets, Robbin, 44, 93–4, 97, 101
Sigman, Julie, 157–8
Silick, John, 165
Simmons, Russell, 230
Smith, Jonathan, 165
Solomons, Jim, 191
Spiegel, Dennis, 152
Stryker, Greg, 53
Surovik, Laura, 197–200
Takara (“Tiki,” female orca), 26, 50–1, 87, 150, 154
artificial insemination of, 155–9, 237
birth of, 130
dominance of, 131–4, 181–3, 207
Hargrove and, 119, 137–9, 140–2, 169–70, 213, 217, 219, 245–7, 249
incident with Ken Peters, 95–7
lineage of, 111, 130, 148
motherhood of, 134–7
naming of, 105, 130
physicality of, 94–5
preference for male trainers, 139
record for bows, 41
and “seagull jewelry,” 91, 115
and secondary reinforcement, 64–5
separation from mother (Kasatka), 102–3, 132, 155, 158–9
teeth of, 86
unforgiving nature of, 58
waterwork of, 129–30, 140–1, 225
Tilikum (male orca), 218
born in the wild, 111, 236
and death of Daniel Dukes, 98
and death of Dawn Brancheau, 7, 154, 167, 187–94, 196–201, 222, 228–9, 240–1
naming of, 105
size of, 7, 37
sperm of, 147–51, 155
Tollison, Tamarie, 92–4
Tompkins, Chuck, 158, 165–6, 191, 193, 196, 241
training and trainers
apprentices, 25, 31–2, 34–9, 41–4, 50–1, 79
associate-level, 42
compensation, 44, 205–7
diving, 21–2
dry-work (interaction from pool perimeters), 7, 206, 229
food preparation, 38–42
foot push, 46, 74, 173, 180, 204
HELPRS (husbandry, exercise, learning, play, relationship, show), 79
and shallow water blackout, 36
spotting, 31–2, 92, 95–6, 141, 184, 189–90, 205, 208, 212
swim tests, 17, 20, 22–3, 35–6, 215
wetsuits, 31, 44, 164, 179–80, 199
whistle, 3, 48, 61–3, 177–8, 191
See also behavioral psychology; deaths of trainers and park guests; Hargrove, John; waterwork
Veitz, Sharon, 207–9
Ventre, Jeffrey, 87, 218–21, 243
veterinarians, 85, 146–7, 149, 151–2, 174, 203–4
Visser, Ingrid, 5, 115–16, 232, 239–40
vocalizations, 96, 192
and aggression, 78, 163, 176, 178, 192, 205, 208
and excitement, 64–5
long-range, 103
and moods, 137–9
in residents and transients, 123
and separation, 70, 103
and socializing, 121, 125
of tribes/ecotypes, 110, 113, 116
Voice of the Orcas, 243
walruses, 29, 44, 51–2, 55
water. See pools
waterwork
ban on, 7
bows, 31, 41, 49, 130, 164
defined, 189
haul-out, 66, 184
human hurdle, 164
hydro hop, 45–8, 59–60, 66, 101, 211
levels of, 66
at Marineland (Antibes, France), 174–80
and Orca Welfare and Safety Act, 230–1, 233, 235
rocket hop, 45, 47, 66, 202–3
slide-overs, 162–3, 205, 225
stand-on spy-hop, 140, 183–4, 210, 212
surf ride, 50, 66, 101, 212
suspension of, 196–7
TNT, 182–3
and trainer compensation, 206–7
Webber, Joanne, 164–5
Welsch, Ken, 227–9
whales
beluga, 108
blue, 108, 114
sperm, 108, 114
“whale-ness,” 134
See also orcas (Orcinus orca, killer whales)
wild, orcas in the
and aggression, 116–18, 168–9
capture of, 27–9, 33, 73, 111, 126, 130, 158, 175–6, 200, 236, 239
dorsal fins, 37, 87, 232
fathers, 123
foraging 121–3
grooming, 125
hunting and prey, 91, 115, 123, 167, 201
life spans, 125–7
mating, 111, 113
motherhood, 123, 154
Northern and Southern, 111–14, 125–6
sleeping behaviors, 69, 120–1
sexual behavior, 124
socializing, 124–5, 166–7
Wilson, Ann, 230
Wursthorn, Michael, 233
Zimmermann, Tim, 220–2
Me and Corky performing a hula pec-ride in a show at SeaWorld of California
Credit: Melissa Hargrove
Injury sustained performing a fast foot push stage slide with 8,200 pound Corky during a show at SeaWorld of California
Photo credit: Blackfish (2013)
Me and Takara during a night show at SeaWorld of Texas, 2009
Performing a stand-on spy hop in a show with Corky at SeaWorld of California
Credit: Melissa Hargrove
Performing a rocket hop with Corky during a show at SeaWorld of California
Credit: Melissa Hargrove
Playtime session with Takara at SeaWorld of Texas, 2012
Credit: Daniel
Playtime session with Takara at SeaWorld of Texas, 2012
Credit: Daniel
Me and Takara performing a hula grab-on in a show at SeaWorld of Texas, 2009
Performing a surf ride with Takara during a night show at SeaWorld of Texas, 2009
Me and Corky during a show at SeaWorld of California
Credit: Melissa Hargrove
Me and Corky during a show at SeaWorld of California
Credit: Melissa Hargrove
Takara during a playtime session
Hugging and kissing Takara at SeaWorld of Texas, 2012
Credit: Daniel
About the Authors
John Hargrove has 14 years’ experience as a killer whale trainer. He worked both at SeaWorld of California and at SeaWorld of Texas where he was promoted to the highest-ranking Senior Trainer, which permitted him to work and swim with the corporation’s most dangerous killer whales. John also has an international reputation, having been a Supervisor with MarineLand in the south of France, where he trained killer whales that had never swum with human trainers before. He resigned his position with SeaWorld in August 2012 and currently lives in New York City.
Follow John on Twitter: @johnjhargrove
Howard Chua-Eoan was News Director of Time magazine from 2000 to 2013; he is now a Deputy Managing Editor at Bloomberg Businessweek.
BENEATH THE SURFACE. Copyright © 2015 by John Hargrove. All rights reserved. For information, address Palgrave Macmillan Trade, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
us.macmillan.com
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Hargrove, John (Animal trainer)
Ben
eath the surface : killer whales, SeaWorld, and the truth beyond Blackfish / John Hargrove with Howard Chua-Eoan.
pages cm
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-137-28010-7 (alk. paper)
1. Killer whale. 2. Killer whale—Habitat. 3. Captive marine mammals. 4. Aquatic animal welfare. 5. SeaWorld. I. Chua-Eoan, Howard. II. Title.
QL737.C432H3675 2015
599.53’6—dc23
2014039895
e-ISBN 978-1-4668-7881-5
First edition: March 2015
eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to [email protected].
Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, SeaWorld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish Page 26