tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323230110130171735.post8632444372862238965..comments2023-04-11T02:18:42.243-07:00Comments on Fifteen Feet: Sea WorldKthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18123389684717009285noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323230110130171735.post-59082872750234904742013-01-23T17:31:28.108-08:002013-01-23T17:31:28.108-08:00I ended up researching animals in the wild. Worki...I ended up researching animals in the wild. Working with captive animals was a dream come true...for me. But I got tired of seeing them constantly man-handled, no matter how good a zoo's cause may be.<br /><br />You don't have to have a phD to work in the field, just the willingness to get dirty and the patience to build experience. A volunteer job is a great way to get your foot in the door, and there are plenty of them out there, although ones that deal with big animals like orcas or elephants are not as common.<br /><br />But more than anything I think that you should match your work with your values, because if you don't truly value what you're doing, after the initial excitement of the job wears off, what's left?Kthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18123389684717009285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323230110130171735.post-64758104908565709802013-01-10T00:19:35.435-08:002013-01-10T00:19:35.435-08:00Very interesting, you pretty much just articulated...Very interesting, you pretty much just articulated my entire thought process about Sea World to a T! I am facing quite a similar dilemma at the moment. I would love nothing more than to work with these amazing animals close up, but without places like Sea World what else is there? Or than spending years to get a phD in marine biology only to do research, there seems no options. And the pay is pretty bad for trainers too. Agh! Any ideas? What else did you end up doing?Scalesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323230110130171735.post-64181287395084969792007-06-28T22:57:00.000-07:002007-06-28T22:57:00.000-07:00Oh, Kt, I am so proud of you. And for so many rea...Oh, Kt, I am so proud of you. And for so many reasons! I mean, just applying to Sea World takes a kind of guts I think most people would never have.<BR/><BR/>Of course, I am more proud of you for turning the job down. I just know there has be better ways to teach chiildren to love and respect sea life than at that corporate animaltainment site. Those watery friends are not living the good life. Thanks for recognizing that fact.<BR/><BR/>Also, just think of all the damage your skin and hair would take in the water and sun all day!Wendy Wagner;https://www.blogger.com/profile/16341499181581331264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323230110130171735.post-3299782724005172452007-06-28T21:54:00.000-07:002007-06-28T21:54:00.000-07:00Character building, but dang annoying sometimes......Character building, but dang annoying sometimes...<BR/><BR/>Black and white, b-v? Like an orca? You made a pun, yay!<BR/><BR/>In the course of my life I've had a turtle, as well as snakes, a gecko, frogs, and hermit crabs, but after the last one I decided I would not get a pet unless I could 1)cuddle and bond with it, or 2)give it a life equivalent to what it could have in the wild. My turtle, Applesauce, lived in a 10-gallon terrarium for most of his life, with the exception of occasional outside walks. He died prematurely, as most pet reptiles do, I suspect. I was a kid and didn't know any better.<BR/><BR/>I see it as a quality-of-life problem. A terrarium offers nothing, but if you could provide a really nice set-up with plenty of roaming room, something more than a glass box, I don't think you'd have to worry about ethics. I have friends who keep iguanas and a boa loose in their house like one would keep a cat or dog, and they thrive. Of course, unlike mammals and most birds, reptiles like to be left alone. Turtles are more tolerant of handling than most, but it's also extremely difficult to read their level of happiness, and even harder to catch red flags on their health.<BR/><BR/>So yeah, depending on the lengths to which you're prepared to go, I think you could definitely keep one in good conscience. Just a terrarium might be risking it, though...Kthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18123389684717009285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323230110130171735.post-417562598092992962007-06-28T20:54:00.000-07:002007-06-28T20:54:00.000-07:00When I attempt to do anything other than a cannon ...When I attempt to do anything other than a cannon ball...I end up with the classic belly flop which leaves me gasping for air and gives me a pseudo sun burn. I appreciate your discussion about sea world. There seems to be few things that are purely black and white anymore. I too think about the ethics of my actions and the implications of them. <BR/><BR/>Here's a question for you. And I would appreciate your honest opinion on this. You know animals and are passionate about them, something I really appreciate about you. My brother is taking care of a friend's snapping turtle for the summer. Me, being a sucker for animals (gee..maybe I should be a vet) loves the guy, "Dino" is his name. The thought has crossed my mind of maybe getting a painted turtle or something similar, but I was wondering how ethical it is to keep a turtle in a terrium for its entire life. I haven't done much research or taken any steps on getting a turtle...(I would before I actually had one of my own and had determined it was ethical). I was just thinking about it and wondering what you thought. Thanks! Keep up the good writing.bearded vethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14473843177831191118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323230110130171735.post-72780145388213977242007-06-28T20:34:00.000-07:002007-06-28T20:34:00.000-07:00Guess who was doing backwards dives off the dock a...Guess who was doing backwards dives off the dock at Garfield today? Yep, and the alligators didn't get me! Nice post, KT. I'm kinda glad I haven't been in that position yet about making an ethical job decision, but hopefully someday. It's character building, right?TSOldtimerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01796518913827331806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323230110130171735.post-1762324548776587462007-06-28T17:43:00.000-07:002007-06-28T17:43:00.000-07:00Too fast, MLS! You got to it before I could fix a...Too fast, MLS! You got to it before I could fix all the typos! (Yeah, I post and then repost until everything's perfect. I'm one of those.) Thanks for taking the time to read the whole honkin' thing, tho.<BR/><BR/>I missed you diving at Lake Garfield. It's nice to know I'm not the only one grappling with the concept.Kthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18123389684717009285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323230110130171735.post-83188808162744730022007-06-28T16:48:00.000-07:002007-06-28T16:48:00.000-07:00Kt,Seriously! You need to have a weekly column in ...Kt,<BR/><BR/>Seriously! You need to have a weekly column in the paper...this was so awesome! Thanks for always sharing your experiences with such an interesting insight. I loved the thought of you flailing into the water from the diving board, because I too am that graceful. Were you ever at Lake Garfield with us when I was trying to learn how to dive? Ha ha...sad sight.Monster Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08103231391384064406noreply@blogger.com