Skydiving & Beluga Whales

Life is wonderful - and full of distractions.

Aside from my awesome husband and super cool 19-month old son, I have added a new layer to my life by starting a new job. In June of last year, I began working at the River Center as an Environmental Educator. While I love what I do, this new commitment does seem to keep me away from many things I also enjoy - writing, continuing my education, quality time with my family.


So, I've decieded while it is still January, I can catch the "Resolution Train" before it gets too far away for the year. Part of that is to return to my former M.O. of embracing every day of my life. Why is it that so many people fall into the trap of a daily routine that does not make them happy? Everyone should seriously be able to love what they do for a living. We are all so different that every type of job out there makes somebodyhappy. A career choice will excite one person while simultaneously causing someone else in that same room to recoil and wince.

A good example in skydiving:

Person #1 (that's me): Skydiving is amazing! After a jump, I've got a bad case of perma-grin for at least a week!
Person #2: Why would anyone jump out of a perfectly good airplane?


I actually had that conversaiton with one of my favorite authors, Steve Alten. I was shocked to learn that a writer capable of bringing adventurous thrills to life on paper felt that way about one of my greatest adventures?! Not to worrk, I still acquire each new book of his as soon as they are in print, and have autographed copies of his entire published work. It is possible to share some passions with others without sharing all of them.

To answer the question posed by Person #2, it is not actually a perfectly good airplane. Jump planes typically have no seats (save for the pilot's) and even most of the instruments are gone; after all, you only need an altimeter and a radio to take off, drop your "cargo", turn around and land anyway. No IFR flying in those skies.

I took my husband skydiving for his birthday this past summer. That was my 3rd jump and the moment I stood up and unhooked from the chute I was already bouncing around thinking about my next jump. It's addictive and any instructor you jump with had better love what they do!




But I digress...

I have to remind myself now that even with work and house and family and bills, there must be time to have some fun. My husband is excellent at reminding me how life is only worth living if it is a fun place to live, at least some of the time. The "work hard / play hard" mentality is a great philosophy, and probably how many awesome things have been developed throughout human history.

For my birthday, I was treated to SeaWorld Orlando during a record cold snap @42 F. We suited up (wet-suited, that is) and entered 55 F saltwater for a training session with Beluga whales. I have loved these cetaceans for years, ever since reading the book Beluga: a farewell to whales by Pierre Beland (1996, Lyons & Buford). That was the book that inspired me beyond a love for marine animals and into the world of conservagtion. Before that book, I had only dreamed of being a killer whale or dolphin trainer and did not understand the dangers face by wild ocean animals every day. A full review of this book will be done eventually. I want to re-read the book with fresh eyes and research the current situation of the belugas in the St. Lawrence River. I hate to admit it, but 1996 was a long time ago and we all know things change.


I leave you today with a couple of photos from my experience at SeaWorld. Don't discount my simply because there is a goofy grin on my face, okay? I have decided with this new year that is just fine for me to feel and act like a kid on regular occasion - we are forced to be grownups, facing too much tragedy wihtout enough emphasis on triumph.



Have a great weekend and enjoy the playoffs!

-Callie

Tragedy at Sea World

Typically, I try to keep this blog a good place for objective feedback. Today, I'm going to soapbox a bit... a few days ago, tragedy befell Sea World Orlando as one of their trainers was killed by an orca. Part of why I am personally and deeply saddened by this incident, aside from the loss of life, is how it will impact the way zoos and aquariums are viewed by many. More importantly, perhaps, is the reaction people have to animals being trained to perform for human entertainment. And so the debate begins...

I stand on the PRO side for the existence of zoos and aquariums. As an environmental educator, nothing reaches people, especially children, the way a live animal does. In my experience, the closer and more intimate the encounter, the longer lasting the impact is on that group or individual. Not every facility can provide fence-free views like the Australia Zoo's Koala exhibit, nor should they, but each place no matter the size has individual opportunities for a personal experience. In addition, these places often serve as hospitals and rehabilitation centers to rescue and release (when possible) animals that would otherwise die - in many cases directly because of irresponsible human behaviors. These permanently injured animals make for wonderful ambassadors too.
Most people would never see an amazing animal, like a whale, in the wild under any circumstances. Too many never see the ocean or even learn how to swim, so being able to bring a live animal into context for a landlocked individual is priceless. When it comes to conservation, many negative environmental impacts come far from coastal communities; that leaves the mass uneducated completely apathetic to a cause that is as relatable as life on another planet. The ocean and its creatures literally mean nothing to a vast majority of humans on earth, so how else do we make them care enough to protect it?
Also, much of what we know for many rare and endangered species is based on captive animal research. Most AZA accredited facilities are involved in wildlife research and conservation directly as well by funding the researchers, and trust me - when it comes to funding, non-profits and non-medical research becomes cut throat competition for very few dollars.
... which brings us to the "entertainment" portion of the conversation...
The masses want to be entertained, and while this is not a gladiator arena of blood and dirt, training intelligent animals to perform tricks is an attention grabber. People pay good money for it. As discussed before, this money is hard for rescue efforts to come by at all, and Sea World funds many important projects. Take away "shows" and you are reducing the funding and footage for research, conservation, documentaries, and education. There is a trend toward "natural behavior" shows, and THIS will be the future for animal programs. But teaching the humans to forget about the thrill of these spectacular shows as future generations come along will be difficult to do without chastising or dousing the fragile compassion harbored for wildlife (i.e. when I was a kid, we used to ride on the sea turtles backs as they crawled around the beach *gasp!!*).

Check out the article below for details on the accident and the trainer, and let me know where you stand on these issues.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-seaworld-orlando-shamu-injury-20100224,0,6076530.story


I decided to include a photo and video from a performance a couple of years ago because admit it... THIS is why we go to Sea World. You can see great rehabilitation efforts and thousands of fish often inaccessible or too dangerous to be around in the wild... but everyone wants to see the cetaceans vaulting through the air, out of their element and into our lives.

So, knowing the intelligence of killer whales... what does it mean that we as humans keep them captive and teach them to perform tricks on command? As long as they are captive, training keeps an intelligent animal engaged and helps avoid depression; but if an animal can get depressed, should it be captive at all? Personally, I think killer whales need not be captive. If I remember correctly, the sea lion and otter show was just as entertaining and not nearly so dangerous for the trainers, at least. As many little marine-biologists-to-be... I wanted to be a dolphin trainer as a kid, then I thought the sea lions seemed just as smart and way more fun. Now, I am passionate for sea turtles. But the ocean is the calling for me, not the species.

This topic is so deep, I could carry on all day, but instead- I will go watch Planet of the Apes for the millionth time and ponder these questions with popcorn in hand.

-Callie