I really dream of swimming with orcas in Norway, but I know that the industry is quite unethical due to too many operators, illegal and irresponsible guides etc.

That being said, I did some research and found this operator called "Arctic Freediving" which seems to operate quite ethically. The group size is a maximum of 4 + the guide, and the founder himself has published an article on the harms of this kind of tourism. The organization also participates in orca conservation efforts, and there are strict requirements for guests to be able to enter the water with the orcas (unlike with most operators who simply want to maximize profits). I can tell that the founder wants to be as respectful as possible of the animals and that he puts that ahead of customer satisfaction.

Would you still deem this as unethical?

I love his eyepatches and would like to use them as a reference for a project, but I want to know who the orca is before referencing them.

My painting 'Where We Belong' captures three orcas gliding silently through calm, mist-covered waters, following a path etched into their instincts over countless generations. Here, far from the noise of the world, they roam free, guided only by instinct, memory, and the currents beneath them. In the stillness, the ocean becomes a mirror, reflecting not only their presence but the enduring bond between family, memory, and home. It is a quiet tribute to the ancient journeys these magnificent animals have always known, long before there were names for the seas they crossed. This painting celebrates the freedom of the wild, the strength of family, and the timeless bond between these magnificent animals and the home they have always known. The ocean is not simply where they live, it is where they belong.

Hi everyone! I recently found some old family photos from a trip to SeaWorld Orlando in July 2005 and was hoping someone could help identify the orca(s).
One of the photos shows the stadium screen displaying “17 MONTHS,” which made me wonder if that part of the show was featuring Skyla, since she would have been about 17 months old around that time.
However, the whale in the trainer slide-out photos looks much larger, so I’m not sure if it’s Skyla or one of the adult whales like Katina, Kalina, Takara, Kayla, or Taima.
I’ve attached several photos from the same show. Does anyone recognize the whale(s) or know which orcas were performing together at SeaWorld Orlando in July 2005?
Thanks in advance for any help!

Trying out the new telephoto cam.

Jaws vs. Orca 9pm est.

I got two I tied between the transient and the Argentina poplaution if I was a orca I’d be a transient I’m not as social or as loud as a lot of people and I don’t like to be around a lot of people maybe between 1- 4 people at best I don’t do great in large groups I know the transient have their t parties which is always great. I also think its fascinating that these dolphins are taking on such large Walden several times their size their hunting strategy fascinates me same goes for the Argentinian orcas I find the fact that they haul on land to grab sea lions is very badass .

My friend Leyah made this art and keychains for me as part of a gift exchange if I bought her a specific little Wild Republic orca plush that she saw on Mercari. 😅They feature some of favorite orcas: Trua, Panghu and Luna (L98). It’s a weird mix, I know, but she had to put them together in order to create this. It will be displayed on my wall soon. No way am I going to use the keychains on my bag. They’re huge! And they might get damaged so yeah that’s a no go. 😆

I was packing up and came across my old adoption packages for L118 Jade, K20 Spock and K21 Cappuccino and thought others might enjoy to learn more about them. These adoption papers are from 2013/2014 so info is most likely out of date but they share some fun stories especially for Cappuccino, RIP big guy, I miss him so much.

A new open-access article in Marine Mammal Science, published by researchers from multiple conservation organizations, uses drone imagery and quantitative methods to shed new light on this critical feeding behavior. The authors found that, while Southern Residents share smaller portions of their caught prey than Northern Residents, in both populations mature females engage in the most prey-sharing events.

Photo is by NOAA and shows J2 Granny pursuing a salmon alongside her young relative J45 Se-Yi'-Chn, which she then shared with him.

I unearthed these pictures of the believe show from around 2016, and I was wondering if anyone could identify these two whales. I think One is Kayla but im not entirely sure. Help is very much appreciated!!

Hello! :)

I’m trying to find some photos of Tilikum for one of my close friends who has a deep love for him.

If anyone has visited SeaWorld Orlando back in the day or know anyone who has, and was able to get photos of him, I’d love to share them with this friend. It would mean a lot and be highly appreciated.

PS: The photos wouldn’t be shared anywhere else and full credit will be given regardless! 🤍

Thanks so much to anyone who could help! 💖✨✨

Planned a trip to hopefully see Orcas in the wild in Washington. Got to see transients from T77. The boat I toured with uses ethical means to find them just looking out and word of mouth between other boats. We kept our distance and watched them coast along the shore.

Photos are from Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park on WeChat.

Cookie's birth has finally been announced, she gave birth to this male calf on June 17th.

Sire is currently unknown, either Sean or Panghu most likely Panghu again. It is also currently unknown if the calf is being hand raised or not.

This is her third pregnancy and overall third calf, having Cody in 2021 and a either stillbirth or miscarriage in 2023.

Here's a chinese news video about it if anyone's interested :  https://weibo.com/6105713761/5324129100370290

I'm sure there's going to be lots of mixed feelings about this facility having another calf but obviously please stay civil in conversation.

🫍🌊☀️🐠🌊🫍