Orcas for Sochi

Details: Published on Wednesday, 29 January 2014 11:24; Written by editor

Two wild orca whales have been captured and are on their way to the Sochi Olympics, all so Russian company, White Sphere, can cash in on the Winter Games.

Tell White Sphere not to display wild orcas at the Olympics.

Two wild orca whales have been captured by Russian hunters, and are on their way to be displayed for human entertainment in a dolphinarium at the Sochi Winter Olympics.

White Sphere, the Russian company behind this, is just looking to make a fast buck from the tourists who will be descending on to Sochi during the Games. It couldn't care less that the orcas were stolen from their ocean home.

The mammals, which can grow up to 22ft long and swim 100 miles a day, are set to be kept in a “small concrete tank” after a 4,614-mile flight from the far east of Russia. Animal experts say that transporting orcas causes them stress, that keeping them in captivity shortens their life and can even turn them dangerously “psychotic”.

Tell White Sphere not to display these wild orcas for entertainment.

Reports have surfaced that the whales are, right now, bound for Sochi's 'Aquatoria', whose officials have remained quiet on the topic. Reporters’ requests for comment sent to the International Olympic Committee, Aquatoria, or its Moscow-based managing company White Sphere have not been returned.

This isn’t the first time White Sphere has done something like this -- reports say that it has captured eight wild orcas in the last year alone, all for public display. And according to Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), the Russian Federation’s attempt to catch orca whales over the years has resulted in several animals being killed.

The spotlight is now on Russian President Putin and the International Olympic Committee -- neither of whom can afford more embarrassment. Putin is putting his personal reputation on the line by hosting the Sochi Olympics, but he hasn’t done a great job of it so far. If we draw attention to White Sphere’s despicable behaviour now, just a week before the Games begin, there’s more chance that Putin and the IOC will take notice and that we win this.

Demand that White Sphere drops its plan to display the orcas.

The Sochi Winter Olympics has been embroiled in controversy. Over 400,000 of the SumOfUs community have already petitioned Coca Cola, as a sponsor of the Winter Olympics, to speak out on Russia’s brutal anti-gay laws. Now, thousands more of us are protesting the display of the wild orcas. We have one week left until the Sochi Olympics open. Let’s make sure our voices are heard.

Thanks for all that you do,

Hanna, Martin, Kaytee, and the rest of us at SumOfUs

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More information:

‘Blackfish’ glitch: Did plan to fly orcas to Sochi for the Olympics get caught up in Moscow?, Raw Story, 16 January

Killer whales cruelly snared by hunters will be put on display at Russia's Sochi Winter Olympics, Mirror, 12 January

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