How Does SeaWorld Masturbate their Stud Killer Whales? Rocker Tommy Lee Says “Cow Vaginas” And He Is Almost Right.
Tommy Lee wasn’t totally wrong when he mentioned cow vagina use for SeaWorld’s artificial insemination program. His information was simply dated. In a letter he shot off to SeaWorld on December 7th, the Motley Crüe drummer has written to the president of Florida marine theme park, SeaWorld, to complain about the way they are treating one of their Killer Whales.
In the letter, published on TMZ.com, Lee complained that the Whale, named Tilikum, “is being kept away from people and in a tank that is much too small for him”, because he is their “chief sperm bank”.
Fred Jacobs, SeaWorld’s VP of Communications fired back at Lee the following day citing “The process of collecting semen for [artificial insemination] doesn’t differ in any meaningful way from the techniques employed in managing livestock or other species for zoological display.” Mr. Jacobs adds: “Whatever his views on SeaWorld, Mr. Lee would be wise to spend more time checking his facts.”
So what are the facts? The Orca Project consulted with some former SeaWorld killer whale trainers to learn about SeaWorld’s Artificial Insemination Program (AI) and to find out just how they obtain the prized samples, or “white gold” from their orcas.
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We all know that AI is a process in which male sperm is collected and inserted into the cervix of a female human or animal, for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sex. In humans, it is used as assisted reproductive technology.
Artificial insemination is widely used for livestock breeding, as used by cattle breeders. The practice of AI was developed by SeaWorld for the purpose of increasing its captive stock of Killer Whales. This has allowed the company to avoid the unpopular and illegal practice of harvesting Orcas from the wild and purchasing them from the market, from countries like Japan. It also eliminates the costly need to transport orcas between parks for the pupose of breeding.
As far as killer whales are concerned, the semen is collected from an adult male trained to voluntarily ejaculate. The male, positioned belly up and adjacent to the edge of the pool, is trained to present his penis. After collected, it allows the sperm and ova of captive killer whales to be stored by a technique known as “genome resource banking.”
In the early years of Killer Whale Artificial Insemination (AI), SeaWorld DID use cow vaginas. That said, they may very well have been artificial cow vaginas. The first mention of cow vaginas and SeaWorld’s artificial insemination program seems to come in an article titled, “The Killer In The Pool,” by Tim Zimmermann of Outside magazine: http://outsideonline.com/outside/culture/201007/killer-whale-behavior-trainer-death-seaworld.html
“Early in the morning, the animal-care crew would take hot-water-filled cow vaginas and masturbate the males in the back tanks,” says John Hall, a former scientist at SeaWorld. “It was pretty interesting to walk by.”
Today, cow vaginas are no longer used, just good old latex gloves and KY Jelly. One former SeaWorld orca trainer who spoke with TOP on the condition of anonymity, shared their experiences:
“It was rustic, latex gloves and KY Jelly, as I recall. The animals already know how to roll over. It’s a basic requirement for accessing their tails and genital slits, and other husbandry. It’s a well rewarded behavior, and the whales are usually cooperative in rolling over. Once they are “over”, the initial approximations involve manually stimulating the genital area (applying pressure around the slit where the penis “lives”). When I was there, sometimes other whales were brought into the pool to stimulate the whale undergoing the AI session. Interestingly, it was usually another male orca. If a bulge, and later an erection occur, this is rewarded with food and manual stimulation. The whale eventually figures out you’re stimulating it in an erotic way. Through many many sessions, the male is eventually stimulated to ejaculate. The ejaculate is stored in a bag or Nalgene plastic bottle.”
SeaWorld states “a critical component of a successful breeding program is maintaining genetic variability.”
1. His known and documented aggression towards humans – which has led to the deaths of 3 people over 20 years.
2. The number of stillborns and short-lived progeny compared to his surviving offspring.
3. Two breeding moms died while giving birth to Tilikum’s calves in very similar circumstances.
4. The lack of genetic diversity in SeaWorld whales if the company continues on this path with Tilikum and Tilikum’s progeny as its main breeding animals.
It is highly irresponsible to continue breeding Tilikum despite these known facts. No reputable breeding program in any other animal industry – beef cattle, dairy cattle, race horses, dogs, cats. etc. – would continue to use an animal as their main breeder considering this information.
Trackbacks
- Tommy Lee Started With Cow Vagina–But He Raises A Serious Question « Tim Zimmermann
- Tilikum, reproducteur “en chef” des orques de SeaWorld…
- Seeing is Believing: Tilikum’s lonely life after Dawn. « The Orca Project
- 4 of the Most Outrageous Things that Seaworld Trainers (and Cetaceans) Have to Deal With | Cetacean Inspiration
No coment is possible…this is just scandalous. Give Tilikum back to real life.
Thanks for posting this.
I think SeaWorld is so desperate to increase their population of orcas that genetic diversity is secondary right now. Orcas are dying faster than they can breed and they are on a treadmill of breeding at any cost.
And poor Tilikum continues to suffer. He has endured so much and he has made SeaWorld so much money. Its time to give him something and retire him. Give him some years where he can just be and live as an orca in his natural home.
he didnt preform for a year and if they relese him into the wild he will die coz he is so used to having the food handed to him
they have sucssecfully released trained and captive orcas into the wild by teaching them how to act wild again like in the case of the whale who played willy in free willy : http://www.keiko.com/about_us.html
Actually. Keiko was the ONLY whale to be trained to return to the wild. Even then he was travelling for miles to seek human company and was not really staying with the pod. Tilikum was only barely over a year old when he was taken from the wild, not even old enough to leave his mother’s side or to catch fish. Since Tilikum and most of the other captive orcas have never been in wild waters or know how to catch their own food; releasing them to the wild will be a death sentence.
Free Tilly!!!!!
There is one problem with freeing Tillikum to the wild: immunity to the diseases and other illnesses. Yes he is from the wild, but he did not live out there long enough to gain the immunity he needs to survive illnesses and diseases. So basically if you send him to the wild you are sending this animal to his death. Do you understand what I am saying?
No one is saying release them into the wild. There are many natural seapens that are perfect for releasing orcas back into their home waters. They are very large and the orcas could be observed. They would have to be re-taught how to fish or taught if they were born into captivity, but nothing is impossible. There is a perfect seapen off the shores of San Juan Island in the state of Washington. It used to be used as a holding pen when aquariums used to capture orcas from the wild. It could very easily be set up again and would be the perfect home for Lolita, as he family (L pod) spends their summers here every year.
I believe that there’s no worst thing for wild animals than to live and die in captivity. Not only Kilikum but all killer whales and dolphins should be set free. So I now ask you Naomi, if you were in prison, receiving medicines but you were offered to be free risking to catch a disease and die sometime soon… Would you still would want to stay in prison? I don’t think so.
Is it a fact that Tilikum is their main breeding animal? Just wondering because I’m skeptical at what Tommy Lee says.
@No doubt. If you read the article again – at the bottom it says, “yet 8 of the 9 calves born since the 2 successful AI births are blood related to Tilikum. -Ikaika, Skyla, Trua, Nalani, Malia, Sakari, Katina’s new calf, Adan (Kohana’s calf).” It’s pretty clear to me that he’s their main breeding animal. )-:
Tilikum has been their stud for many years. A huge reason he was brought in from Marineland in Cananda all those years ago. And now — he just sits there all alone at Sea World with nothing to do and no one to mingle with. It’s a sad state of affairs all the way around for this poor soul.
Jenny
They have had used Keet and now-deceased Taku, but both only have sired one viable calf. Ulysses is another bull but he’s suspected to be infertile, considering he’s been surrounded by females since being moved to SW San Diego in ’94 and has yet to produce any offspring.
Keto is suspected to be the father of Adan, the calf that Kohana gave birth to in October, but that has yet to be officially confirmed.
Taking all these into consideration, Tilikum is SW’s default sperm “donor.”
edit: Taku has sired two calves. But one is a product of inbreeding, SO. :U
Tekoa is too young to have impregnated Kohana.
Kohana’s baby is also inbred as Keto and Takara, Kohana’s mother, have the same dad.
Tekoa, Skyla and Kohana are all calves of Tilikum’s. Keto and Skyla have the same mom, Kalina.
Tekoa and Keto are the only two orca at Loro Parque who aren’t related. All calves born at that facility will be inbred like Kohana’s calf.
Oy, thanks for clearing that up (:
Ulysis has actually produced two offspring that have survived. One is here in America and the other is in France.
This kind of invasion on such an intelligent animals is morally wrong. Although keeping these beautiful beings in captivity is unethical in itself, this process is too bizarre to ‘BELIEVE’!!
Some people will do absolutely anything for money. Just sickens me.
“UNBELIEVABLE” on every level; Tilikums whole existence is abuse; the breeding programme is unviable given the small gene pool they now have. No other animal breeders would continue with such a small gene pool – its irresponsible beyond words and smacks of just one thing GREED!! This animals are clearly unhealthy psychological if not physically under stimulated. I find it abhorent that anyone who truely loves animals could wish to work for such an organisation. What a shame they can’t concentrate on doing the things they apparently do quite well ie their contribution to manatee rescue.
The original capture of the wild orcas is sickening. These are animals that spend their entire lives living in a family group. And the continued enslavement of them for “entertainment” saddens me. Sea World is just like every other greedy corporation in America doing whatever it has too in order to keep those dollar bills flowing in. But the real problem is The sick people who pay to go see the shows. I would like to round them up, take them away from their families , cage them in tiny Quarters, and make them perform unnatural tricks. Yet that would be against the law, yet it is okay to do the same to the orcas. they are intelligent, social creatures just like we are and we as humans have no right to torture them to satisfy our own sick wants. I wonder how many of the seaworld park visitors are pretending to be god fearing people? IGNORANCE IS BLISS.
If you believe that releasing all of these orcas back into the wild is the best thing than go ahead that is just sentencing them to death
While visiting MarineWordl Africa in Vallejo California, a friend and I took in the Whale andDolphin show. As the animals entered the pool, we each began to cry. I never understood why until I began to learn how the captivity of these mammals affects their lives. Now I’m amazed at my ignorance. I will never again support any organization that keeps these beautiful creatures in captivity. As much as I have always wanted to see a Sea World show involving dolphins and orcas, I can now say unequivically I will never ever again contribute to the exploitation of these creatures. Shame onthe money mongers. From now on I consider it my responsibility to discourage everyone I know from ever contributing to organizations that hold wild animals in captivity. Please do the same.
Well, at the rate we are destroying the ocean sea life, I believe the days of large sea going carnivore are numbered. SW maybe the only hope for long term survival, much like zoos.
At this time point fishermen in parts of the world are killing off dolphin and seals because they are eating too much fish. We have reached the point where natural predation of fish stocks can no longer be tolerated. We need those fish and damn anything that gets into our way.
S.Bressler I had a similar experience when I took my daughters to Marineland Canada back in 2006. I was numb watching the whales put on their show…I wanted everyone to stop clapping and cheering. I couldn’t stay there any longer. We then went to the underwater viewing area and that’s when I started crying. It was so sad…you can feel the animals aura emanating through the walls… their sadness pouring out of that place was unbearable and a reality they face daily. We have vowed to NEVER watch animals in captivity again no zoos or water parks. My children are 10 and 13 and they can grasp the fact that captivity is wrong.
I love whales, I’ve always have had an affinity for animals and as a child living in San Diego went to SeaWorld on many occasions, because I loved seeing the animals there so much.
The awareness they raise and the lessons they teach children and adults about whales and other sea life is a great thing, no matter how much you want to cry about captive orcas.
They were also teaching us about how important it is to take care of the environment over two decades ago, way before it became chic. Captivity of animals is not wrong, zoos and aquariums teach people so much about the animals we share the world with.
All of this hate should be turned to the Japanese whalers and the Indian tribes given permission to hunt whales with a .50 caliber machine gun (just like their ancestors did). I know what I’m saying isn’t going to change anyone’s mind, and honestly I don’t care, but I can’t just sit here and read these miss guided hippie rants without commenting.
This is called The Orca project so are you surprised if we’re ‘crying’ (as you put it) about orcas in here? Because of these marine mammal park captures there are areas where orcas were hunt close to extinction and pods wiped out completely or almost completely. That teaches us a lot about protecting environment doesn’t it?
Most of the information gotten about orcas has been gained by studying them in their natural habitat not in these tiny tanks, that can’t teach us any new VALUABLE information about orcas anymore. And all this teaching they do they can be done without making cetaceans suffer and live shortened lives in these tiny, pathetic tanks.
And you can’t seriously compare holding some of the biggest, most intelligent, long distance migrating animals to some animals in zoos. Okey, sure there are big animals in zoos as well but their demands are quite different compared to orcas and can’t really be compared. Some animals can adapt to captivity sure. But not these social creatures. Holding them captive just proves how money can turn people into monsters.
I’m not saying holding animals in zoos and aquariums etc is bad, people should just think what animals they keep captive and in what kind of conditions. And clearly orcas aren’t the right animals to be held captive in these tiny tanks.
Hippy-Shmippy! Who are you fooling, Tom?
While considering the shrunken member of the aging Tilikum ..note the shrinking number of pro-captivity support in the above comments. As passe’ as the hippy movement, there was a time when sticking these massive marine mammals in their own toilet tanks for display to observe imprisoned behavior had an educational component. Of course, that is so terribly old school backwards in the current information age. The world is no longer naive and the children who were impressed with the giant splish-splashy whales are growing up while the marine circus business is falling by the wayside. Sea World PR such as yourself, is busy making fools of themselves as they try to keep the business floating and not looking like the floppy dorsal fin of their ‘prize’ enslaved whales. Executives are wisely exploring diversification into other areas .. BUT .. they better clean up their act QUICK!! Word of their greed over morality bodes them ills which will fall to lethal whacks from global media .. including books such as, ‘Death at Sea World’ http://www.facebook.com/DeathAtSeaworld .. CNN already promotes it. Bye Bye KILLERS !! (and thinking hippies don’t mean whales)
Tilikum’s “documented aggression” has not led to the deaths of 3 people.
1st incident- A trainer slipped and fell into a pool at a water park where trainers had never been in the water with the orcas. The trainer was first touched by a pregnant female orca, who then proceeded to toss her to another pregnant female orca and Tilikum’s mouths as if they were playing.
2nd incident- A homeless man was found floating in the tank with Tilikum after visited the park and stayed after it closed. He died from hypothermia, his skin was not broken at all and the few mild scratches were caused by the bottom of the tank.
3rd incident – Tilikum did drown trainer Dawn Brancheau in February 2010. Her death was caused by drowning and blunt force trauma (incl. a broken spine and several fractures)
Tilikum’s “documented aggression” seems to at best be attributable to only 1 death over his lifetime.
Personally, I’m inclined to agree with your conclusion, but the fact that your first premise is highly misleading really puts me off the whole article; it makes me a lot more weary and, in my opinion, undermines the credibility of what you’re trying to say. .
Considering SeaWorld did not allow their trainers to go in the water with Tilikum, I think even they recognized his aggressive behavior and his part in both deaths. I think you’re downplaying both of the incidents that involved Tilikum and resulted in death.
From Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whale_attacks_on_humans
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1st death:
On February 20, 1991, the three orcas that resided at Sealand of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia (Haida II, Nootka IV, and Tilikum) killed a young part-time trainer named Keltie Byrne when she accidentally slipped and fell into the tank. This facility did not allow the trainers to get in the water with the animals so the orcas were not accustomed to having people in their tank. It is unclear which orca initiated the assault but what is known is that one of the whales grabbed the trainer by the foot and dragged her deeper into the pool, the other two quickly joined in, pushing and throwing the young woman around the pool. All three animals barred her escape, continuously blocking her path and dragging her back into the center of the tank. Sealand staff tried unsuccessfully to distract the orcas with fish, noise, voice and hand commands. It was several hours before Ms. Byrne’s body could be recovered.
2nd death:
On July 5, 1999, at SeaWorld Orlando Florida, a deceased man by the name of Daniel Dukes was found nude and in one of the orca tanks draped across the back of the park’s largest male orca, Tillikum. An autopsy revealed that the man died of a combination of hypothermia and drowning. Dukes was covered in bruises, abrasions and bite marks, indicating that Tillikum had clear contact with the victim but whether or not Tillikum actually caused the man’s death could not be determined.
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Might not be conclusive but it seems pretty likely to me that Tilikum probably helped the man with drowning and hypothermia. Orcas may use their teeth to inspect foreign objects but they are very aware of the force they use. If they want to inspect, they know how to do it without so hard as to leave bite mark. They know what they’re doing. And if you consider the other 2 incidents, it’s pretty hard to argue that Tilikum had nothing to do with this death. Please. I think you’re in denial about this.
It’s only due to luck that these (and the death in Spain) are the only deaths caused by captive killer whales because attacks that don’t result in death are pretty common. Some pretty severe. They are very aware of the injuries they can inflict and the only reason most of those incidents didn’t result in death is only because the whales chose not to kill and let the trainer get away.
There are a few that can easily be found right on youtube.
Smith ..don’t be a victim to massive Sea World PR .. look deeper, or just stand by. The facts are rising.
By the way, Tilikum was not the reason one of those 3 deaths happened. The guy who snuck into his tank died of hypothermia. Daniel P. Dukes, was his name.
Paola you should read the comment above.
This is really gross. Masturbaiting a whale? gtfo SeaWorld.
This is just so sick.
Must everything devolve into masturbation???
Mankind…………..ain’t it grand?
Leave the poor animals alone!
(Can you imagine the thought-bubble of some orca
when a crew member grabs him there? Sick.)
I am very concerned about the inbreeding of the orcas that has been done at Seaworld. The 4 original orcas that were sent to Loro Parque were related….the 2 females were half-sisters to one of the males. And I’m sure that there has been & still is inbreeding being done in the parks here in the states. How will this affect the health, reproduction, and behaviors of the offspring? Will they be genetically impaired? In other species, it has proven to cause some serious health issues and birth defects. With all the other reasons that orcas in captivity is WRONG, can this also be added to the list?
Just wondering what a rocker knows about this… I mean- a ROCKER? Seriously?