Moby Doll - orca: Difference between revisions

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* Sex: Male
{{Infobox animal|name=Moby Doll|gender=Male|pod=Southern Residents (J pod)|capture_location=Saturna Island, British Columbia, Canada|capture_date=July 16, 1964|capture_age=Approx. 5 years|death_date=October 9, 1964|death_place=Burrard Drydocks, Vancouver|death_cause=Skin disease and drowning}}
* Length: 4.6m
* Weight: 2,700 kg
* Pod: Southern Residents (J pod)
* Location of capture: Saturna Island, British Columbia, Canada
* Date of capture: 16th July 1964
* Age at capture: Approx. 5 years
* Date of death: 9th October 1964
* Location of death: Burrard Drydocks, Vancouver
* Cause of death: combination of the skin disease and drowning


== History ==
'''Moby Doll''' was a male orca that was captured in 1964 off the coast of Saturna Island in British Columbia.
Commissioned by the Vancouver Aquarium, sculptor Samuel Burich was to create a life-sized model based on an actual orca for the Aquarium’s new British Columbia Hall. He was instructed to first, find and kill an orca.


A harpoon gun was set up on Saturna Island in British Columbia’s Gulf Islands. After two months of waiting, on July 16, 1964, a pod of 13 orcas was seen approaching the shore. Burich took the opportunity to harpoon a young whale within the pod, but the whale did not die.
In 1964, sculptor Samuel Burich was commissioned by the Vancouver Aquarium to create a life-sized model of an orca for their new British Columbia Hall. He was instructed to find and kill an orca for this purpose. After two months of waiting on Saturna Island in British Columbia’s Gulf Islands, Burich harpooned a young orca from a pod of 13. Despite several attempts to kill it, the orca did not die and was towed back to Vancouver.


It appeared to be stunned by the force, and was held up to the surface by two pod members until it regained itself and began to trash about, trying to get away from the harpooner. Burich tried to kill the whale by firing several shots from a rifle, but it still did not die. Instead, the 4.5 meter long, 1 ton whale was towed back to Vancouver, 16 hours “through choppy seas and blinding squalls.”
The orca was placed in a makeshift pen at Burrard Drydocks and became the first captive orca to be displayed in a public exhibit. The Vancouver Aquarium held a contest to name the orca and chose the name Moby Doll. However, Moby Doll was listless in her pen and did not eat for 2 months. Observers claimed that she seemed to be in shock and refused everything she was given.


She was placed in a makeshift pen at Burrard Drydocks, where she became the first captive killer whale to be displayed in a public exhibit. The Vancouver Aquarium held a contest to name the whale, and chose the name Moby Doll.
After 55 days in her pen, Moby Doll finally ate some lingcod. However, due to the low salinity of the harbor water, she developed a skin disease. A month later, after being held in captivity for 88 days, Moby Doll died due to a combination of the skin disease and drowning. Her autopsy revealed that Moby Doll was actually a young male.


Scientists, researchers, and many spectators flocked to Vancouver to see Moby Doll, but she was listless in her pen, and did not eat for 2 months. Observers claimed that she seemed to be in shock and refused everything she was given, from Salmon to horse hearts. Instead, she spent her time circling the pen day and night.
Moby Doll’s death received widespread media coverage and some of the first positive press regarding orcas. This signified a major change in public opinion toward orcas.


''"The whale seemed to be suffering from shock...For a long time, Moby Doll...would not eat. He was offered everything from salmon to horse hearts, but the whale only circled the pool night and day in a counterclockwise pattern."''
== See also ==
 
{{Template:Captive orca see also}}
After 55 days in her pen, Moby Doll was offered some lingcod, and took it, proceeding to consume about 110 pounds of cod that day.
[[Category:Orcas]]
 
[[Category:Captive orcas]]
However, due to how little was known about killer whales at the time, Moby Doll’s handler’s failed to realise that the low salinity of the harbor water had led the whale to develop a skin disease.
[[Category:Captive orcas - deceased]]
[[Category:1964]]
[[Category:Animal deaths]]
[[Category:Canada]]


A month later, after being held in captivity for 88 days, Moby Doll died due to a combination of the skin disease and drowning. Her autopsy revealed that Moby Doll was actually a young male. Moby Doll’s death was chronicled by newspapers all over the world, and he received some of the first positive press regarding Killer Whales. This signified a major change in the public opinion toward orcas.
== External links ==


== See also ==
* [https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-september-19-2016-1.3768458/how-moby-doll-changed-the-worldview-of-monster-orca-whales-1.3768461 How Moby Doll changed the worldview of 'monster' orca whales] CBC
{{Template:Captive orca see also}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U39Dc87G2yo Footage of Moby Doll - One of the first ever killer whales in captivity.] YouTube

Latest revision as of 09:39, 9 October 2023

Moby Doll
SexMale
DiedOctober 9, 1964
Burrard Drydocks, Vancouver
Cause of deathSkin disease and drowning
Captured atSaturna Island, British Columbia, Canada
Capture ageApprox. 5 years
PodSouthern Residents (J pod)
Capture dateJuly 16, 1964

Moby Doll was a male orca that was captured in 1964 off the coast of Saturna Island in British Columbia.

In 1964, sculptor Samuel Burich was commissioned by the Vancouver Aquarium to create a life-sized model of an orca for their new British Columbia Hall. He was instructed to find and kill an orca for this purpose. After two months of waiting on Saturna Island in British Columbia’s Gulf Islands, Burich harpooned a young orca from a pod of 13. Despite several attempts to kill it, the orca did not die and was towed back to Vancouver.

The orca was placed in a makeshift pen at Burrard Drydocks and became the first captive orca to be displayed in a public exhibit. The Vancouver Aquarium held a contest to name the orca and chose the name Moby Doll. However, Moby Doll was listless in her pen and did not eat for 2 months. Observers claimed that she seemed to be in shock and refused everything she was given.

After 55 days in her pen, Moby Doll finally ate some lingcod. However, due to the low salinity of the harbor water, she developed a skin disease. A month later, after being held in captivity for 88 days, Moby Doll died due to a combination of the skin disease and drowning. Her autopsy revealed that Moby Doll was actually a young male.

Moby Doll’s death received widespread media coverage and some of the first positive press regarding orcas. This signified a major change in public opinion toward orcas.

See also

External links

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