Jenna Deedy
Bio
Zoo and Aquarium Professional, Educator, Cosplayer, Writer and B.A. in Psychology whose got a lot to share when it comes to animals, zoos, aquariums, conservation, and more.
Instagram: @jennacostadeedy
Stories (122/0)
Poison Worries Over The Whale “Sanctuary” Project
For the last few years, I’ve expressed my concerns about a proposed marine mammal “sanctuary” that would be operated by animal rights extremists in Nova Scotia. Many of these concerns I’ve expressed were about the negative effects the pen would have on both local wildlife and the resident animals who would live there.
By Jenna Deedyabout a year ago in Petlife
Thanks to SeaWorld, Christmas Comes Early to Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
It’s been a month since Clearwater Marine Aquarium suffered the loss of their beloved dolphin Winter from an intestinal torsion after thriving under their care for sixteen years. She has left behind an incredible legacy that has proven to be beneficial to both people and animals alike.
By Jenna Deedyabout a year ago in Petlife
Whale of a Holiday
The following article contains links to shops for which I might receive a commission upon purchase. The holidays are here and it’s that time of year when everyone is sincere, people are bundled up to battle the bitter cold temperatures, drinking down that hot chocolate, watching Christmas movies, singing carols, and of course watching anything that has to do with StarWars.
By Jenna Deedy2 years ago in Petlife
Winter: A Tribute to the “Little Dolphin That Could”
Winter, the adult bottlenose dolphin whose unlikely rescue inspired a generation of people worldwide after losing her tail and becoming a two-time film star, passed away on November 11th, 2021. Her passing occurred just sixteen years after she was rescued as a two-month-old calf.
By Jenna Deedy2 years ago in Petlife
Whale “Sanctuaries” Over Right Whales?
On October 29th, 2021, the anti-zoo group known as “The Whale Sanctuary Project” (WSP) announced the opening of its visitor center in Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia. The group claims the public wants to see zoo and aquarium-housed cetaceans live in sea pen-based “sanctuaries” rather than in pool-based inland facilities or in lagoon facilities not operating under a donation/tax-payer income model. The visitor center is a small in-house exhibit containing anti-zoo propaganda that discourages people from visiting modern zoos and aquariums that display cetaceans (The Canadian Press, 2021).
By Jenna Deedy2 years ago in Petlife
Show Behaviors are Natural Behaviors.
Probably the one big myth that animal rights extremists like to put out there is the misconception that marine mammals in modern zoological facilities are “forced” to do “unnatural tricks”. In reality, the behaviors you see in a training session or a theater-style show do not differ from any surface behavior they would normally display out in the wild.
By Jenna Deedy2 years ago in Petlife
Concerning Miami SeaQuarium
Sarah Newcomer is an online business owner who specializes in creating cetacean-inspired merchandise. Like myself, she also has a history of working with animals at zoos and aquariums and spent some time in the field between 2006 and 2012. She has since moved on to focus on her online business. When she read the June 2021 inspection report on the Miami Seaquarium, it upset her, as it seemed like the staff was not listening to their veterinary team. Yet, she realized she was incorrect.
By Jenna Deedy2 years ago in Petlife
A Tale of Two Rescues: How Experience and Resources Derived From Marine Mammal Facilities Drives Success in Whale Stranding Operations.
On July 11th, two self-titled “conservation” groups took charge of a beached killer whale calf off the coast of New Zealand under the authority of the New Zealand Department of Conservation. One group is Dr. Ingrid Visser fronted Whale-Rescue.org, and the other is Project Jonah, a group that previously had ties to the radical Sea Shepherd Organization in the late 2000s and early 2010s. For those who are unaware, Dr. Visser has led campaigns that target accredited marine mammal facilities that house cetaceans. This includes her efforts with the Free Morgan Foundation, which is dedicated to the release of a rescued orca under human care with documented hearing loss and an inability to hunt for herself. Sea Shepherd spearheads Operation 404, which has the following tagline on its skull and crossbones logo: ‘If You Support Captivity Sea Shepherd is Coming for You’.
By Jenna Deedy2 years ago in Petlife
Shark Jaws and School Kids
For the last few weeks, I have been working on Saturdays at the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts. My job is to educate people about the various animals that call the ocean their home and answer their questions if I can do so. However, one of my favorite things to do at work is using bio-facts at the various animal habitats to educate people about the species that call ocean and freshwater habitats home. This is because as someone who grew up learning visually, I believe people will make a difference in this world if they see things with their own eyes. We can do this by seeing live animals at a habitat at a zoo, or aquarium, and with the bio-facts, they get to see during their visit to either a zoo or an aquarium. Here, well, from my personal experience, it’s really both.
By Jenna Deedy2 years ago in Petlife
The Lecture: A Reflection
Over the weekend, I conducted a “virtual” lecture on Discord where I talked about the future of modern facilities like SeaWorld, and the benefits behind close-contact interactions for animals in zoological settings. Before we got started on the subject, I introduced myself to my “virtual” audience, how I got involved with marine mammals, and what I was now up to. Then, we proceeded with our conversation: the benefits of waterworks and other close-contact interactions between zoo professionals and their animals.
By Jenna Deedy2 years ago in Petlife
