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Penn Cove orca captures: Difference between revisions
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On August, 8 1970 a group of orcas were spotted in Penn Cove, a calm inlet on the eastern shore of Whidbey Island. The orcas were a pod of southern resident killer whales, a genetically distinct population of orcas that inhabit the waters of the Pacific Northwest. At the time, the southern resident population was relatively unknown, and there were no laws or regulations governing their capture. | On August, 8 1970 a group of orcas were spotted in Penn Cove, a calm inlet on the eastern shore of Whidbey Island. The orcas were a pod of southern resident killer whales, a genetically distinct population of orcas that inhabit the waters of the Pacific Northwest. At the time, the southern resident population was relatively unknown, and there were no laws or regulations governing their capture. | ||
A team of capture boats quickly descended on the pod, using nets and explosives to herd the orcas into a small area of the cove. | A team of capture boats quickly descended on the pod, using nets and explosives to herd the orcas into a small area of the cove. During the next few weeks, dozens of orcas were captured, with some estimates putting the number as high as 60. <sup>[citation needed]</sup> | ||
The captured orcas were loaded onto trucks and transported to holding facilities in Seattle and Vancouver, where they were trained and prepared for their new lives in captivity at theme parks and aquariums around the world. The captures were met with outrage from local residents and conservationists, who saw the [[Orca - Orcinus orca|orcas]] as an iconic symbol of the Pacific Northwest and were appalled by the cruelty of the capture methods. | The captured orcas were loaded onto trucks and transported to holding facilities in Seattle and Vancouver, where they were trained and prepared for their new lives in captivity at theme parks and aquariums around the world. The captures were met with outrage from local residents and conservationists, who saw the [[Orca - Orcinus orca|orcas]] as an iconic symbol of the Pacific Northwest and were appalled by the cruelty of the capture methods. | ||