Library:OrcaStories from Baby Wild Films Presents The Killer Whale People (video)
Summary
The video is a segment from the 1999 special "Baby Wild Films Presents: The Killer Whale People," which was hosted by Nancy Wilson and featured original music by composer Tim Truman. The segment showcases restored color 16mm film footage of the Penn Cove orca roundup that occurred in August 1970, where six Southern Resident orcas, including Lolita, were captured and at least three died in the process. The special includes an interview with diver John Crowe, who was involved in the capture and disposal of the drowned orcas to avoid counting them in the capture quota.
The Penn Cove capture footage was nearly lost but was discovered in 1993 in the archives of KING Television. Later, KING 5 News used unauthorized killer whale footage owned by Michael Harris' company, Baby Wild Films, leading to a licensing fee settlement. To settle the debt, KING granted full rights and licenses of the Penn Cove footage and other orca capture footage to Baby Wild Films. Harris restored the Penn Cove film and used it for a successful public service announcement campaign in 1997 to raise awareness about orca captures and Lolita's captivity.