A shocking video of a young whale beaching on a concrete slab in a suicide attempt has gone viral on the internet. The said orca, named Morgan, a once-free mammal was held captive at SeaWorld-owned Loro Parque in Spain.
The incident happened after a performance of Morgan. Tourists at the park were shocked after seeing the orca slumping motionless at the pool side for over 10 minutes. According to Earthables, in April, Morgan has previously attempted to kill herself before the beaching incident, banging her head against a metal gate to escape.
Free Morgan, a group that aims to free the young female whale, notes that Morgan was rescued and held captive in 2010 after being spotted swimming alone in the waters of Netherlands and was in frail condition. Under the "rescue, rehabilitation and release" permit by the Dutch government, Morgan was then transferred to a local theme park called Dolfinarium Harderwijk.
While in Dolfinarium Harderwijk, Morgan was trained institutionalized behaviors and "undignified tricks" and could only swim in a tank that's only big enough to display her in normal body postures. To fight for the rights of orca, a group of Dutch NGOs formed a coalition to ensure Morgan's rights, but the court dismissed the findings of experts regarding orcas and decided that the young orca will be shipped to Loro Parque.
“While we cannot explain the reason for her behaviour, the juxtaposition of a previously-wild orca against the stark backdrop of the park’s performance area is unsettling, to say the least," said Ric O’Barry of The Dolphin Project.
Independent notes that people who saw the video were engraged, with some calling for the SeaWorld-owned park to free Morgan.
In response to the social media outrage, Loro Parque said in a statement released by Sky News, "The orcas at Loro Parque are trained to leave the water on their own accord. This behaviour is used for manifold purposes, for example, for presenting the animals to the public, for conducting corporal check-ups, for inspecting their blowholes, as well as for testing hearing abilities of the orcas."
Currently, Loro Parque is keeping six orcas in its care. Orcas ocassionaly beach themselves. However, the danger lies when the animal beaches for a long time as its weight could crush its internal organs.
To watch the shocking video of the orca beaching herself, check out the video below:
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