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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Of Man and (Killer) Whales

    Just three days after a six-ton killer whale battered and drowned his trainer in front of a horrified crowd, SeaWorld opened again this weekend in Orlando, San Antonio and San Diego. Tilikum, the Orca that did the killing, will continue life as a valuable stud who's fathered 13 calves — and as a performer.

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    By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    Just three days after a six-ton killer whale battered and drowned his trainer in front of a horrified crowd, SeaWorld opened again this weekend in Orlando, San Antonio and San Diego. Tilikum, the Orca that did the killing, will continue life as a valuable stud who's fathered 13 calves — and as a performer. Critics are asking challenging questions. Can human beings ever know what a killer whale is thinking? Should orcas be released to sea rather than held in captivity to entertain human beings? We hear from both sides and look at the controversy about dolphins kicked up by The Cove, a documentary nominated for an Oscar.

    The full episode

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    Should Whales and Dolphins Be in Aquatic Parks or the Open Ocean?
    1. 0:00Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Chicago Gun-rights Case
    2. 7:45Of Man and (Killer) WhalesYou’re reading this
    3. 44:13Could Saturday Mail Delivery Become a Thing of the Past?
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • KCRW placeholder

      Christian Bordal

      Managing Producer, Greater LA

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      Andrea Brody

      Senior Producer, KCRW's Life Examined and To the Point podcast

    • KCRW placeholder

      Karen Radziner

      Managing Producer, To the Point & Which Way LA?

    • KCRW placeholder

      Thad Lacinak

      former Curator of Animal Training, SeaWorld

    • KCRW placeholder

      Naomi Rose

      Marine Mammal Biologist, Humane Society of the United States

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      Louie Psihoyos

      Founder, Oceanic Preservation Society

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    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Should Whales and Dolphins Be in Aquatic Parks or the Open Ocean?
    1. 0:00Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Chicago Gun-rights Case
    2. 7:45Of Man and (Killer) WhalesYou’re reading this
    3. 44:13Could Saturday Mail Delivery Become a Thing of the Past?
    Back to To the Point