Well, let me tell ya ’bout this fella, Howard Garrett. He’s a man that’s been all up in arms ‘bout them big ol’ killer whales, the orcas, and what them folks at SeaWorld been doin’ to ‘em. Now, you know, most folks just go on with their lives, but Howard, he don’t. He’s all for the whales, and he ain’t afraid to speak up.
Now, I heard ’bout him from some of them folks over on Whidbey Island where he lives. They say he’s the one who started up the Orca Network, tryin’ to protect them whales. They’re real important to him, I reckon. This fella, he been fightin’ for years to get them whales outta captivity, and he’s got himself a whole bunch of folks backin’ him up. Ain’t no easy thing to be up against them big corporations like SeaWorld, but Howard, he don’t give up. No sir.
You might’ve heard about the story of Tokitae, or as some folks call her, Lolita. She’s the last of them southern resident killer whales stuck in a tank, poor thing. Howard, he’s been fightin’ for her freedom for a long time. Sadly, she passed away in Florida just not too long ago, and that just broke my heart. But, Howard, he don’t let that stop him. He keeps on goin’, keepin’ folks like me informed ‘bout what’s really goin’ on with them whales.
He don’t just talk to the big wigs neither. Howard goes out there, talkin’ to kids, teachin’ them all about the whales. He’s been known to do talks on ferries and at schools, tryin’ to make folks understand that these whales ain’t meant to be in no tiny tank swimmin’ round in circles. Ain’t no life for them creatures. And Howard, well, he says it don’t gotta be this way.
Now, you might wonder what’s so wrong with SeaWorld and them big theme parks. Well, let me tell ya, it ain’t just about the money they make, though they sure do rake it in. It’s ‘bout the way they treat them animals. Howard says they ain’t been treatin’ them whales right. He talks ‘bout how them whales get sick, and how they’re stuck in tanks, when they should be out in the open ocean swimmin’ free like they’re supposed to. Ain’t nobody got the right to lock ‘em up for showin’ off to the crowd.
One time, Howard was tellin’ folks that SeaWorld made some kinda claim ‘bout one of their whales livin’ a long time. They said it reached the high end of a killer whale’s life expectancy. But Howard, he wasn’t havin’ none of it. He said the research they was usin’ to back up their claim wasn’t right. And he ain’t the only one who says that. Lots of folks agree with him, ‘specially them scientists that work with him, like that Ken Balcomb fella. They both believe them whales are sufferin’, and the more they speak up, the more people start listenin’.
But I reckon it’s gonna take a whole lotta work to change things. See, SeaWorld’s been around for a long time, and they ain’t too quick to let go of what’s been good for their business. But Howard and them at Orca Network, they don’t plan on backin’ down. They keep fightin’, keep standin’ up for them whales, even when it seems like nobody’s listenin’. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll make a difference in the end.
If you ask me, I think folks like Howard Garrett, with his heart in the right place, they’re the ones that make the world a little bit better. He’s workin’ hard to change the way folks think ‘bout orcas and how they should be treated. He’s got a long road ahead of him, but don’t expect him to stop anytime soon. He’s like a pit bull when it comes to these whales—he ain’t lettin’ go, no sir.
So, next time you see one of them whales at SeaWorld, or hear someone talkin’ ‘bout it, just remember what Howard’s been sayin’. Them whales need our help. And if enough folks listen, maybe we can make sure they’re free to swim like they ought to.
Tags：[Howard Garrett, Orca Network, Killer Whales, SeaWorld, Whale Advocacy, Orca Conservation, Tokitae, Lolita, Orca Rights, Animal Welfare]
