How is Tilikum doing? Anyone know?

[FloraFauna]

Something about that picture made me really sad. He looks so lonely and depressed. I'm wishing I'd never clicked on it.

Me too.

 

[SandrA9810]

Well looking at tilikumtrainer's sig, he seems to do that a lot.

The educator team that does all the talking at different locations... They were saying how the females are in charge and he was just behaving himself by hanging out in the middle of the pool. But I kinda took that with a grain of salt and left it as them not wanting to be bothered by too many questions. The only time I have seen him swimming around was when he was the only one in there.

 

[shamusgirl]

So glad to here hes ok been really worried x

 

[truck1]

Something about that picture made me really sad. He looks so lonely and depressed. I'm wishing I'd never clicked on it.

Beleive it or not, he does a lot of just hanging in the water like that.Long before the incident.Especially if there are 1 or more people walking or working around the edges of the pools.Hell just hang and watch.Ive seen him do that in the Dine pool,and the big pool next to it under the shade.He may look it, but hes not.Thats probably Taima, in the pool with him, his usual pool/pod mate.

 

[SandrA9810]

Taima is his pool buddy in that picture.

 

[Queen-Bee]

Tillikumtrainer thank you for caring about him. this probably sounds silly but the last time we made it down there was 2002 (job issues and fulltime school issues) well my youngest was just 22 months and he fell in love with Tilly to the point he thought he didn't need his ring in the pool and slipped himself out of it!!! needless to say he sunk and his dad grabbed him. We had to explain that when he was big like Tilly he could swim like him. and so he gladly put his ring back on. Well the short story is I was kind of hiding the whole incedent from my boys just for lack of how to explain it to them (my bad I know) well he snuck up on me when I was watching some of the you tube videos showing him stuck in that little pool and he was outraged that his "buddy" was stuck there all alone. Well the kiddo is 9 now and he just wouldn't accept a half explaination of why Tilly was alone. so I sat him down and told him that Tilly made a mistake and that Dawn had passed ( RIP Dawn) and they needed to make sure that everyone including Tilly was taken care of. Out of a 9 year olds mouth he spun around and looked at me and said "Mamma Tilly would never intentionally hurt his trainers, he's a good boy. I make mistakes you make mistakes". and I told him yes buddy we all make mistakes.
He was so glad to hear that Tilly would be back doing what he loved and soaking the crowd shortly.
So thank you for making my little boys day.

I had tears in my eyes reading this! Its so sad, It has affected so many people in ways i wouldnt have thought of!

 

[joyah]

Queen-Bee
He's a sensitive boy on the inside outside he's all boy.

I guess what got me was the difference in the way they looked when you had the other pic showing the both of them. Looking at the sig pic he seemed like he's just hanging out and the other his flippers( ?) looked droopy.

Tillikumtrainer thank you for the offer. He's mentioned Tilly a few times and I've told him he seems to be doing well and he's back swimming with his friends. He doesn't know about this thread but if he has any more questions I'll be sure to ask.

 

[FloraFauna]

Well looking at tilikumtrainer's sig, he seems to do that a lot.

The educator team that does all the talking at different locations... They were saying how the females are in charge and he was just behaving himself by hanging out in the middle of the pool. But I kinda took that with a grain of salt and left it as them not wanting to be bothered by too many questions. The only time I have seen him swimming around was when he was the only one in there.

You are so right Sandra--he is doing that in TillikumTrainers picture. I guess I never noticed it.

 

[Tillikumtrainer]

lol yep in my siggy, He's not Depressed about being at the surface, he's a lazy boy, if he feels like not doing anything he's not going to do it.Tilly was actually resting at the surface- i remember cause his eye was closed. Sometimes they do that when there's a trainer in the upper area, he watches them. When i worked with the dolphins they would do that for a time, especially when i was around.

lol just because ill add my video so you can see what im talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0GRkb0cWZI

 

[FloraFauna]

Thanks for posting the video. I enjoyed watching it so much.

I haven't been to SeaWorld Orlando in over 20 years. I would love to go back when we go to Orlando in June. My daughter and I are such animal lovers--I really would like her to see the underwater viewing area that you filmed your video in. How did ya'll do that? Is it for the public or is it an extra cost?

 

[xApril]

Thanks for posting the video. I enjoyed watching it so much.

I haven't been to SeaWorld Orlando in over 20 years. I would love to go back when we go to Orlando in June. My daughter and I are such animal lovers--I really would like her to see the underwater viewing area that you filmed your video in. How did ya'll do that? Is it for the public or is it an extra cost?

It's for the public and it's located nearby Shamu Stadium.

 

[BamaTigger]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-tilikum-whale-seaworld-20100318,0,4930240.story

SUCH A GREAT ARTICLE ON TILLI!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tillikumtrainer]

Posted today on Seaworld's Blog


http://www.seaworldparksblog.com/explore/blog/day-life-tilikum

not to mention a cute slideshow of him and taima here's a pic:

 

[BamaTigger]

Thats so awesome! Im so glad he is doing ok!

Im glad to see they are interacting with him and playing with him...I would love to see him play with that big ol frisbee! LOL

 

[hereyago]

Thanks Tilikumtrainer!

Glad to see him playing. I have always loved orcas. When I was young, in the 70's I would watch the Patridge Family and they had an episode about whales. I even wrote to the President sayng whales shouldn't be killed.

If you go to Youtube and type in Patridge Family Whalesong, that is the thing I saw when I was little.

 

[Tillikumtrainer]

no problem and yes i know what your talking about i believe orky and corky were the stars, i know the brady bunch did something like this also