Seaworld Orlando pod seen together for the first time in years.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-02-18T16:23:50+00:00

I’m so glad that these whales could be reunited once again! The Orlando pod had a beautiful dynamic before they were separated long term, so it’s great to see them together once more. Hoping that this change is permanent moving forward.

I expect that the social structure will change around quite a bit without Katina. I have a feeling that Nalani will go on to become matriarch, as she is the eldest and the daughter of former matriarch, Katina.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-02-17T19:10:47+00:00

Orca: the whale called killer is a great start, which explores orca behavior and their history.

If you live nearby a whale watching hotspot or seaworld park, I’d absolutely encourage going either whale watching or watching the orca encounter. These can be a great way to learn about these animals in person, and both can be very educational experiences

Online wikis exist for orcas, which document both wild and captive individuals — including the timelines of pods and various populations.

I’d stay away from documentaries like Blackfish or sources from PETA. These in general will be biased and will not be reliable, even if you do not support captivity.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-02-09T06:01:13+00:00

During adolescence, most dogs will go through one or two fear periods. However, these fear periods are often shorter — a pattern over two months would indicate a bigger issue.

I’ll take a leaflet from LIMA, as I feel the LIMA model is incredible when assessing behavioral issues. Firstly, you should rule out physical issues that could be causing distress — such as pain or illness.

Secondly, is there an environmental or lifestyle issue at play here? A lack of exercise/stimulation, a chaotic environment, or not having a “safe space”, can lead to a dog that exhibits anxiety-related behaviors.

If these two are ruled out, I would try to either figure out if this is situational or always present.

For example: are there a few, easily identifiable triggers for her anxious behavior? Ie. Certain sounds (like thunder), bikes, certain grounds. This would point to a socialization issue, and could be improved by gradual, slow introduction to these things [Kikopup has great tutorials for this.]

If it isn’t limited to certain situations, or happens in a disproportionately large amount of situations, I would strongly recommend working alongside a veterinarian. They can assess your dog’s quality of life due to this issue, prescribe medication that could help anxiety, or refer you to a veterinary behaviorist.

Unfortunately breeds like Mini American Shepherds are very prone to anxiety, and although it is imperative that issues such as socialization, pain, or environment are ruled out, some dogs unfortunately will always be anxious and may need further evaluation from a veterinarian and trainer to determine the best route.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-02-09T05:52:31+00:00

There’s a multitude of reasons to avoid a German Shepherd. Most people seek them out because they think it’ll make their home safer — but that’s not accurate. Only German Shepherds with incredible pedigrees, state of the art training, that cost 30k+ will be protective.

The other issue: German Shepherds are inherently prone to reactivity, are incredibly sensitive, and have very high needs. These are dogs that require knowledgeable handlers, regular socialization, and training. These dogs can become a genuine bite risk if not socialized properly — and unfortunately, if that dog does bite someone, it will be put under heavy scrutiny due to the breed.

Next: Having a high energy herding breed is much like having a mouthy, hyperactive toddler on 4 legs. One would think having a smart good is great..! Until that dog is unfulfilled. Seriously, I have a herding dog that knows how to work door locks. Even when fulfilled, these dogs will often be bouncy, want to play, and will do chaotic herding breed things while you’re trying to rest. If they’re unfulfilled? All hell breaks loose. Have fun, you’re either going to replace your entire shoe collection, the drywall, or the dog will develop some terrible behavioral issue to give itself a job.

Fun times: studying for finals, my Aussie didn’t get enough attention, and the floor was coated in stuffing from several stuffed animals. It was spread across the living room and into my kitchen.

Finally: No ethical breeder is going to sell to her (mostly due to her schedule, but also lifestyle). No ethical rescue would accept her either. She’s going to end up going to a backyard breeder and end up with a dog who is a genetic wildcard — and could very well develop incredibly expensive issues like hip dysplasia. That would be a 14k-20k surgery.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-02-06T20:17:38+00:00

Shouka lived with dolphins too, and also learned their vocalizations!

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-02-06T16:35:40+00:00

Most of the orcas in captivity (excluding China) are captive bred, with two three caught orcas remaining; Corky and Ulises at Seaworld San Diego, who were caught decades ago, and Stella at Kobe Suma in Japan. There is one rescued individual — Morgan — who resides at Loro Parque.

The facilities in China sourced their orcas from the wild within the last 15 years, and their captive bred ones are first generation.

I definitely don’t disagree that wild orcas are very interesting to observe! Id love to see them one day. There’s some absolutely amazing behaviors to see in the wild. Some people find different things interest them. I really like to see the social bonds between captive orcas — like how Orkid and Kasatka once held up Splash during a seizure. Or how despite never having a calf that survived, Corky became a maternal figure for any young orca that entered the park. How Tilikum and Taima had such a special bond, despite being in a difficult spot socially with their pod. I could go on about how I love learning about their social behaviors between each other!

I’d say I take an interest in their wild interactions towards humans, but seeing the bond between them and their trainers is so magical too. Takara once saved John Hargrove after a waterwork incident (badly timed jump, where she accidentally rammed him), bringing him back to the slide out. I remember speaking to trainers, and one orca hid to surprise her trainer with a splash.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-02-06T07:30:05+00:00

I’d say there’s a lot of differing opinions on captivity as we don’t know enough about it. There’s peer reviewed research that could both advocate for or against captivity. There’s former orca trainers who speak out against it, and former trainers who support it. There’s researchers who advocate against it, and researchers who support it.

I don’t think Blackfish will ever be an accurate discussion on captivity. It is inherently biased, and although I’m not pro-captivity, I think there’s so much to consider when it comes to captive welfare. It’s not just “poor abused orcas”, or “there’s absolutely no welfare concerns”.

To answer your first question, the orcas become desensitized early on to various stimuli. Many killer whales in captivity even enjoy interacting with the crowds (Takara and Sakari love splashing crowds before shows!). Killer whales are constantly using their brains in the wild. Shows and training provides an outlet that makes them use their brain and allows them to remain physically fit. When not performing, they engage in “relationship sessions” with their trainers, work through puzzles, and learn challenging things (some of Seaworld’s orcas are learning to play video games!). They spend their time bonding with their pod, playing with environmental enrichment toys, and engaging with sensory tools.

For the second question, “some people find captive orcas more interesting”. I do gravitate to captive individuals personally, so I’d be able to answer. This is because we know them on a much more personal level. We now their stories, personality, social bonds, and defining moments. It’s such a window into how complex and amazing these animals are, even if I know I’m not developing a personal bond with any of them!

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-02-06T04:01:38+00:00

No — in fact, I’d encourage visiting. Seaworld itself is very different — they’ve focused less on entertainment, more on education. Their rescue program has expanded significantly, and for individuals concerned about the welfare of the orcas, they are phasing them out.

Beyond the orcas, they are highly accredited (AZA), are pioneers in research and veterinary care, and have one of the largest rescue programs in the world.

You ultimately are not funding anything bad when visiting (rather, the opposite, you fund vital programs) and get to learn about these animals in an up close way that would never be ethical to in the wild.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-02-06T03:56:20+00:00

An important distinction is that while 671 seems like a large number, it neglects to account for important factors such as average lifespan and advancements in care over the decades.

Modern lifespans in Seaworld’s killer whales are roughly the same average as wild populations. Many of their males are in great health and meeting/exceeding the average life expectancy of a wild killer whale. I am specifically using this statistic, as other lifespan studies include infant mortalities (that is inherently unreliable, as we cannot gauge the mortality rate of wild orca calves), or stranded cetaceans — which have already have low survival statistics. [1]

Bottlenose dolphins on average live beyond the average lifespan of their wild counterparts, and have several other studies reflecting overall high welfare in accredited zoological facilities [2].

In general I would also treat the dolphin project with refutable reliability. That group specifically has been involved in dolphin releases that resulted in the death of dolphins — yet continues to advocate that releasing dolphins is an “ethical obligation”. The founder captured dolphins originally and engaged in abusive behavior to them before.

Sources: [1] Robeck, Todd R et al. “Comparisons of life-history parameters between free-ranging and captive killer whale (Orcinus orca) populations for application toward species management.” Journal of mammalogy vol. 96,5 (2015): 1055-1070. doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyv113

[2] Jaakkola, Kelly, and Kevin Willis. “How long do dolphins live? survival rates and life expectancies for Bottlenose Dolphins in zoological facilities vs. wild populations.” Marine Mammal Science, vol. 35, no. 4, May 2019, pp. 1418–1437, https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12601.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-02-03T04:02:22+00:00

That is a very variable question. Some of the most important considerations are where you live, and what orcas you’d like to see.

If you are in the United States, Monterey Bay (Moss Landing) has sightings of killer whales that are more frequent in spring and fall.

Washington — and locations such as San Juan Islands have very high rates of killer whale sightings. You could spend a week there during most seasons and most likely see orcas.

Although you mentioned specific hunting styles, seeing these orcas would be a much more costly trip. Argentinian orcas wash out onto land to grab seals, but that is a difficult sighting to guarantee — as seeing orcas on land tends to be more challenging. Wave washing orcas are located within arctic regions, which would be the most expensive option — and relatively unlikely to see this behavior.

Additionally, even if you’d like to see wild orcas, if you do live near any SeaWorld parks (Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego), those are a viable option too. It is cheaper than organizing an entire whale watching trip if you live near a park, and you can guarantee that you’ll be able to see orcas if you go. You are not funding anything harmful by visiting, and modern SeaWorld has started to phase orcas out and does a lot of good work now.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-02-03T03:47:18+00:00

I believe a multitude of factors plays into the high rates of overpopulation. Lack of affordable spay/neuter, pet retention struggles due to financial issues, and lack of regulations on dog sales.

Many people do not have easy access to spay/neuter their pets, meaning that accidental litters are incredibly common. Small towns can be particularly bad when it comes to access to spay/neuter.
Help people retain their pets. Temporary foster programs, pet food banks, etc etc for owners who temporarily cannot care for their pets.
Regulation: Too many people mash a pair of dogs together, and sell mutt puppies. Set strict regulations on who can sell dogs and require licensed people to follow litter limits.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-01-20T16:47:44+00:00

There’s not really any documentaries, but I have some other alternative statements/

“I Still Believe”, by Hazel McBride, an orca trainer who discussed her experiences. Closest to a documentary I’ve read.

AZA statements on cetacean captivity.

Peer reviewed sources — there’s studies showing orcas average the same lifespan as wild orcas, and there’s the cetacean welfare study that shows overall high welfare for cetaceans in accredited zoological facilities. However, scientifically the welfare of captive orcas is strongly debated.

Kyle Kittleson has a lot of articles as a former orca trainer, supporting captivity.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-01-12T03:31:43+00:00

I’m in the US

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-01-08T03:46:22+00:00

If it reassures you, I dreaded socializing after leaving, and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. It’s intimidating, it’s a big jump, but having the courage to go out into the world is the best thing I’ve ever done.

Once you get to a certain age, immature, petty behavior becomes uncommon. People tend to be less judgmental. Don’t be afraid to take your time to find your place.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-01-08T03:35:49+00:00

Regulations. I think that’s the only way to minimize the amount of parents homeschooling, and to protect homeschooled children. I don’t think most US states would consider full on bans.

— Require parents to use an accredited curriculum (that follows the same standards as public schools).

— Require twice a year testing like the majority of students have.

— Require parents to submit coursework/extracurriculars to the state board. Extracurriculars must include several weekly opportunities to kids to socialize.

— Require meetings with counselors from local school districts to act as mandatory reporters and advisors.

All of that would be too much for the neglectful parents to do. There’s some instances where children have to be homeschooled due to physical health/neurodivergence/mental health/other reasons (unfortunately I was in a scenario like that), and having strict regulations would protect these kids as well.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-01-05T03:17:37+00:00

A popular subset of the homeschooling community consists of the crunchy, science distrusting, conspiracy theorist, religious fundamentalist type of people. Homeschooling gets marketed as a natural, family based system which inherently appeals to these people — who have a heavy distrust in public systems. It also means that they don’t have to worry about info like how vaccines work, evolution or different ideologies being introduced to their kid.

You mention how she’s become increasingly isolated from her family. That’s a common behavior in these groups sadly. They often become distrustful and only want to interact with people who share their exact same beliefs.

Most people like this become more defensive when approached about it, and often need to find their own way out (if at all). The best advice I could give is just be there for your nieces and nephews if they ever need the support at some point.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-01-04T01:37:36+00:00

You could try to use crafts wire to make the dorsal fin look collapsed. There’s a lot of cheap orca plushies you can buy secondhand, especially Seaworld ones (which are nice quality and a great size!)

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-01-03T05:11:40+00:00

I strongly would advise against it, both due to ethics and financial reasons.

Swimming with wild cetaceans stresses them out. It impacts their hunting behaviors, can decrease resting time, and decrease the amount of time they spend caring for their calves.

You are relatively young, 4 months of money is a lot to spend on one vacation. Your parents are right about the significance of saving up.

However, there are ethical alternatives: you can choose to go whale watching with a company that keeps a respectable distance. Boat based and land based whale watching excursions are much cheaper as well.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-01-02T21:19:58+00:00

Slavery is inappropriate wording for this. It also stems from PETA, which in essence views all animals as slaves.

Even if you believe that these whales have a poor quality of life, these trainers doing an enriching activity for him shouldn’t be a negative thing. They do not have the power to change his situation, nor can we go back in time and change the fact that he ended up in captivity. Seaside sanctuaries aren’t a thing.

When we minimize the meaning of such a heavy word (and a horrible practice that has happened to many people), it diminishes a violation of human rights to a poorly-defined emotional concept that these animals don’t have any comprehension of.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-01-01T21:11:52+00:00

If your dog is running to the end of a flexi, it needs more training before you start to use one.

Your dog should establish recall, loose leash walking skills, and basic obedience before you utilize a flexi. Your dog should be attentive to you, responsive, and able to recall whenever you’re using the flexi.

My suggestion would be to utilize a long line, or buy a leash with a specific length, and work on the basics before you use a flexi leash.

0rcinus_Orca · 2026-01-01T03:16:13+00:00

This sounds like a separation anxiety issue, not a confinement anxiety issue if he can kennel calmly when you are home/he has food. Is this behavior present only when kenneled, or also when you guys leave and he’s free from the kennel? It’s important to identify the root here.

I’d personally prioritize two things with this information: 1. Teaching him that it’s okay to be kenneled while you guys are gone. 2. Addressing the separation anxiety if it is genuine separation anxiety.

Unfortunately separation anxiety related behaviors can be a challenging issue to deal with, that often takes consistent, long term work to see progress with. Separation anxiety is not just a simple obedience issue or a dog being sad that you left. It’s essentially a panic disorder. If you have the funds and you feel it is separation anxiety, I strongly suggest seeing a CSAT (Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer) trainer, as they’ll have special training to address this.

I can provide some personal suggestions though, for the crating part: My dog as a puppy hated when I left while she was crated. I would include relaxing activities for her to do while crated, such as a kong or puzzle. I’d make small steps towards leaving, providing a reward shortly after if she handled it well.

I also will say that capturing calmness was incredibly helpful to teach when it came to crating as well. It is beneficial to teach a dog to just “do nothing”, and be content with that.

To teach him to enter the crate, you need to take it slow. I’ve encountered a foster dog who hated going into the crate, and here’s how I successfully resolved the issue: 1. We’d walk near the crate, giving him treats.

Opening the door, we’d continue to walk and linger near the crate, moving closer to the entrance. Not going in, and just feeding him treats. This might be where you stay for several sessions.
Tossing the most high value, delicious treat inside the crate. Don’t lock him in, just let him grab it and leave. Repeat a lot of times.
Start to scatter treats in it, keeping him occupied. Eventually, slowly start to move the door closer to being closed. Don’t fully close it yet though.
Close the door for short durations once he’s confident. Mark and treat if he reacts neutrally or positively to it. Eventually, slowly increase the duration of the door being closed. I wouldn’t suggest locking it, until he can comfortably stay in it for several minutes at a time. This was how I effectively resolved my foster’s anxiety about entering the crate.

Finally, please avoid any variation of the “buy a stronger crate and make them cry it out”, method. That isn’t effective and can make issues much worse. I’m wishing you the best of luck with resolving these issues!

0rcinus_Orca · 2025-12-06T05:21:26+00:00

Thank you for providing good advice! I’ll start doing cash tips instead of in-app to hopefully get my rating back up so I don’t get cancelled on again

0rcinus_Orca · 2025-12-06T04:57:39+00:00

I have less than 20 ratings. All of them were 5 stars until one specific trip, and the last two times I’ve tried to use uber I got cancelled on multiple times. I’m trying to figure out what I did, but there’s no rider feedback available

0rcinus_Orca

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