{"id":1415,"date":"2019-12-18T00:01:29","date_gmt":"2019-12-18T05:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zoocheck.com\/podcast\/?p=1415"},"modified":"2020-11-30T14:00:09","modified_gmt":"2020-11-30T19:00:09","slug":"ex-dolphin-trainer-jeff-ventres-wild-transformation-a-necrotic-tail-and-a-human-revelation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zoocheck.com\/podcast\/ex-dolphin-trainer-jeff-ventres-wild-transformation-a-necrotic-tail-and-a-human-revelation\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex Dolphin Trainer Jeff Ventre\u2019s Wild Transformation: A Necrotic Tail and A Human Revelation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Listen as Jeff shares his experience working at SeaWorld, which started only days after <\/span>John Sillick, a trainer, <\/span>was crushed by a killer whale. Throughout his eight years there, Jeff explains how he had the opportunity to work with all the species in their animal training department. Increasingly for Jeff, the appalling reality of life for the captive cetaceans began to dismantle the \u201chappy animal entertainers\u201d fantasy heavily marketed in the wildlife entertainment industry. He began to speak about these issues while still working at SeaWorld.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jeff reveals the pivotal moment of change for him: In 1996, while still at SeaWorld, he accepted a temporary position in Orca survey with <\/span>Ken Balcomb<\/span><\/a> at the <\/span>Center for Whale Research<\/span><\/a>. During his time there, he saw killer whales in their natural habitat:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like going through a one-way door. Once you see them in the wild… swimming in straight lines with straight dorsal fins… there\u2019s really no going back.\u201d – Dr. Jeffrey Ventre<\/i><\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Listen as Jeff explains that killer whales and dolphins share similar health and safety problems in captivity. He describes the story of the young dolphin Celeste, who suffered immensely in captivity, eventually dying from malnutrition. Her death, Jeff believes, was a direct result from her social setup with an artificial pod because more dominant dolphins would displace her to the point that she would chronically regurgitate her food as a strategy to keep them at bay. Before she died, Celeste, in another incident of bullying by her artificial pod members, met with a horrific injury when a portion of her tail was lopped off when it hit a PVC intake pipe of the water filtration system. Jeff describes how she essentially self- amputated. The team at SeaWorld tried to sew it back on the best they could, but Celeste\u2019s tail became necrotic, and she lived with that deformity until her death. Celeste\u2019s necrotic tail is emblematic of the disturbing reality behind dolphin captivity for the sake of human entertainment and economic profit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kathryn then questions Jeff not only about the safety concerns for the animals, but also for the humans who interact with them, recalling the time she herself had a disconcerting interaction with a dolphin who was displaying aggression. She recounts how during a swim-with-dolphins program, the young dolphin grabbed on to her leg and would not let go, even when being recalled by his trainer. Jeff validates Kathryn\u2019s concerns and describes how dolphin aggression toward trainers was a regular occurrence during his time at SeaWorld. Trainers get fluked, rammed, displaced, and dunked by dolphins on a regular basis, and due to the dolphins\u2019 agility, they can pose even more of a threat to a human in the water than a killer whale, Jeff explains.<\/span><\/p>\n

Next, Kathryn asks Jeff his view on the validity of cetacean captivity in the name of public education or scientific research. Jeff\u2019s reply: apart from an exhilarating experience for the human, people leave these facilities misinformed about the animals. As for cetacean captivity for the purpose of scientific research, Jeff acknowledges that in its early days, scientists gained some useful basic information. But, he believes that\u00a0 with the growing knowledge and accumulated experiences of the poor health and shorter life span of many captive cetaceans, the best research is now done observing them in their natural habitat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c [It] is just so invasive this life they lead: from the drilling of the teeth, flushing out their mouths to masturbating the whales. This is definitely not the glossy-like dolphin, smiling, swim-with-dolphins image you have for cetaceans when you visit one of these places.\u201d\u00a0 – Kathryn Sussman<\/i><\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Now you know!\u00a0<\/span>
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Be part of the change:<\/h3>\n

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