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OrcaLab News |
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Incredibly, December 11th 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of Corky’s capture on a stormy winter night in Pender Harbour, British Columbia, Canada. Corky’s life since then has been full of additional trauma and loss, including the deaths of all of her babies and all of her captive kin; but somehow, she has managed to survive while so many other captive orcas have died. Corky’s survival to this point is a testimony to her strength and resilience; it is also encouraging to people around the world who have long wanted Corky to return to her ancestral home, so she can once again feel the ocean around her, and hear the sounds of her family and community once more. Here is a link to a short video that marks this sad day:
Click here to download: http://www.babywildfilms.com/orcalab/Corky_40th_Web.mov Years ago, our dream for Corky was to reunite with her mother Stripe (A23) and resume her interrupted life as a member of the “A5” pod, the family Corky was born into; but after her mum’s death in 2000, and so many more years in captivity, our hopes have become focused on the wish that she be allowed to “retire” to a facility in the ocean where she would be cared for, and where she would be able to “visit” with her kin and community when they are nearby. Two sites in Blackfish Sound are perfect locations for Corky’s retirement home; one is a small bay on Hanson Island, known locally as Dong Chong Bay - it’s where Springer was held briefly in 2002 before her release & reunion with her family – and the other is Freshwater Bay on Swanson Island. Both are protected from winter storms, both have deep water, and both have adjacent land that can be used to house support infrastructure and crew accommodations. It will be costly to set up and maintain, but our feeling is, Corky has done a lot for people, and she deserves no less than a “golden” retirement. At 44 years of age, Corky is approaching the average 50-year lifespan for orca females in the wild. Her 40 years as a captive makes her the longest surviving captive orca, with Lolita at the Miami Seaquarium close behind. Both Corky and Lolita could live for many more years in captivity, but should they live out their lives, however long, surrounded by concrete walls? In fairness, the answer has to be a resounding NO. Forty years is too long. Some suggestions for helping Corky: Call Sea World if you are in North America: 800-257-4268; option #4 gets you to a real person, who probably knows nothing about Corky, but will at least record your comment. Please be polite; it’s not her/his fault that Corky is still being held captive. Definitely, do not go to any Sea World parks. Let them know why. How to contact Sea World: Make a patch for Corky’s Freedom Banner: paint or stitch your message for Corky on 50cm x 50cm patches of cloth. Send finished patches to P.O. Box 510, Alert Bay, B.C. Canada V0N 1A0. Sections of the banner are 25m long and have 150 patches stitched together (3 rows of 50 patches). If you know of schools or teachers who would like to become involved, please contact us via email at info@orcalab.org. Tell your friends and family about Corky! Look for further suggestions at http://www.wdcs.org/story_details.php?select=514. Thanks to Kelly Keagy-Bullock for her photos of Corky!
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