From the New York Times bestselling author of Evidence of Harm and Animal Factory—a groundbreaking scientific thriller that exposes the dark side of SeaWorld, America's most beloved marine mammal park Death at SeaWorld centers on the battle with the multimillion-dollar marine park industry over the controversial and even lethal ramifications of keeping killer whales in captivity. Following the story of marine biologist and animal advocate at the Humane Society of the US, Naomi Rose, Kirby tells the gripping story of the two-decade fight against PR-savvy SeaWorld, which came to a head with the tragic death of trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010. Kirby puts that horrific animal-on-human attack in context. Brancheau's death was the most publicized among several brutal attacks that have occurred at Sea World and other marine mammal theme parks. Death at SeaWorld introduces real people taking part in this debate, from former trainers turned animal rights activists to the men and women that champion SeaWorld and the captivity of whales. In section two the orcas act out. And as the story progresses and orca attacks on trainers become increasingly violent, the warnings of Naomi Rose and other scientists fall on deaf ears, only to be realized with the death of Dawn Brancheau. Finally he covers the media backlash, the eyewitnesses who come forward to challenge SeaWorld's glossy image, and the groundbreaking OSHA case that challenges the very idea of keeping killer whales in captivity and may spell the end of having trainers in the water with the ocean's top predators.

A scientific thriller that exposes the dark side of America's most beloved marine mammal park. It centers on the battle with the multimillion-dollar marine park industry over the controversial and even lethal ramifications of keeping killer whales in captivity. Following the story of marine biologist and animal advocate at the Humane Society of the United States, Naomi Rose, the author tells the story of the two-decade fight against public relations-savvy SeaWorld, which came to a head with the tragic death of trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010. The author puts that horrific attack in context: Brancheau's death was only the most publicized among several brutal attacks at marine mammal theme parks. This book introduces real people taking part in this debate, from former trainers turned animal rights activists to the men and women that champion SeaWorld and the captivity of whales. As the story progresses and orca attacks on trainers become increasingly violent, the warnings of scientists fall on deaf ears, only to be realized with the death of Dawn Brancheau. Finally the book covers the media backlash, the eyewitnesses who come forward to challenge SeaWorld's glossy image, and the groundbreaking OSHA case that challenges the very idea of keeping killer whales in captivity.

*Now a New York Times Best Seller* Over the course of two decades, John Hargrove worked with 20 different whales on two continents and at two of SeaWorld's U.S. facilities. For Hargrove, becoming an orca trainer fulfilled a childhood dream. However, as his experience with the whales deepened, Hargrove came to doubt that their needs could ever be met in captivity. When two fellow trainers were killed by orcas in marine parks, Hargrove decided that SeaWorld's wildly popular programs were both detrimental to the whales and ultimately unsafe for trainers. After leaving SeaWorld, Hargrove became one of the stars of the controversial documentary Blackfish. The outcry over the treatment of SeaWorld's orca has now expanded beyond the outlines sketched by the award-winning documentary, with Hargrove contributing his expertise to an advocacy movement that is convincing both federal and state governments to act. In Beneath the Surface, Hargrove paints a compelling portrait of these highly intelligent and social creatures, including his favorite whales Takara and her mother Kasatka, two of the most dominant orcas in SeaWorld. And he includes vibrant descriptions of the lives of orcas in the wild, contrasting their freedom in the ocean with their lives in SeaWorld. Hargrove's journey is one that humanity has just begun to take-toward the realization that the relationship between the human and animal worlds must be radically rethought.

On February 24, 2010, Tilikum, the largest killer whale at SeaWorld, suddenly dragged Dawn Brancheau, his trainer, into the pool and killed her. Journalist Tim Zimmermann set out to find out why. His riveting account of Tilikum's life, and the history of killer whale entertainment at marine parks, dives into the world of the ocean's top predator. It chronicles Tilikum's capture and separation from his family, and the physical and psychological stress he experienced in marine park pools over some 30 years. It explores Tilikum's involvement in two previous deaths. And it details the inherent risks of using captive killer whales for human entertainment. Ultimately, Zimmermann explains how the life of Tilikum came to mean the death of Dawn Brancheau.

The theory presented in this writing, "SeaWorld Absolved," about the death of SeaWorld trainer, Dawn Brancheau, is in contrast to the theory presented in the film, "Blackfish," which states that the reason for the attack on Mrs. Brancheau by the orca, Tilikum, was due to Tilikum's hard, long, life in captivity that turned him into a "killer" whale. Instead, the theory of this writing holds that the attack on Dawn Brancheau was due to a behavior unknown at the time of the attack, a behavior to be called "teeth baring," that orcas use as a call for their territorial privacy, a warning that they are being pushed to a point that they are demanding their privacy. It is this teeth baring behavior that Tilikum does at Mrs. Brancheau just prior to his attack on her, and Mrs. Brancheau accidentally aggravating this otherwise behavior of warning, due to her absence of knowledge about this display, into the next level of aggression for the whale, which resulted in Mrs. Brancheau's death. As this behavior was unknown until the time of this writing, then this lack of knowledge not only explains how the death of Mrs. Brancheau occurred, but this same lack of knowledge about this behavior also, necessarily, absolves SeaWorld, releases SeaWorld, from any condemnation related to this whale's attack on their trainer, Dawn Brancheau.

Taking the reader deep inside of the circus, the zoo, and similar operations, Fear of the Animal Planet provides a window into animal behavior: chimpanzees escape, elephants attack, orcas demand more food, and tigers refuse to perform. Indeed, these animals are rebelling with intent and purpose. They become true heroes and our understanding of them will never be the same.

Hailed conservationist Carl Safina examines animal personhood as told through the inspired narrative portraits of elephants, wolves, and dolphins

Millions of Free Willy movie enthusiasts have been led to believe that Keiko's return to the wild was a triumph. But according to author Mark A. Simmons, director of the Animal Behavior Team on the Keiko Release Project, the whale's story is one of unnecessary tragedy. Killing Keiko unveils the evolution and collapse of the whale's rehabilitation, covering his final trek across the North Atlantic to his death in Norway.

Drawing on interviews, official records, private archives, and the author's own family history, this is the definitive story of how the feared and despised "killer" became the beloved "orca", and what that has meant for our relationship with the ocean and its creatures

ORCAPEDIA presents a sobering look at the current imprisonment of a highly intelligent, socially complex, non-threatening species—orcas—by an industry strictly for profit. Many remember the movement to release Keiko, the orca who appeared in the family drama Free Willy, into the wild. Today, there are dozens of other orcas still in captivity. Readers are introduced to more than 60 orcas by name along with colored photos, personal history, and notable incidents that have occurred during their captivity. The text makes it clear that captured orcas are imprisoned “inmates” and instills a full understanding of the injustices being perpetrated. Five pages of headstones of deceased orcas graphically illustrates the problems they face. Resources and recommendations on alternative interactions with orcas are provided. One of the authors, Captain Paul Watson, is the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and has worked on the front line for decades trying to protect the ocean’s wildlife.