Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Gabe swim with Orcas?
Gabe swam with Orcas to highlight their dwindling food supply. The Southern Resident Orcas are starving. He chose to swim with the Orcas to call for the removal of the 4 lower Snake River Dams, which is the most expedient way to help Salmon recover, and thereby restore the Southern Resident Orcas’ food supply.
Aren’t these dams useful to the people of the PNW?
They were initially, but they have become obsolete. They are costing tax payers and rate payers 100’s of millions of dollars a year to keep them running, and are a fiscal money pit that every tax payer needs to know about. They need to be decommissioned on a purely economic basis, let alone their detrimental effect on Salmon and Orcas.
Is it dangerous to swim with Orcas?
There has never been an Orca attack on humans in the wild, only in inhumane captive environments like the Seaquarium in Florida. Being kept in such small confines amounts to torture, and Lolita needs to be released. That said, being in open water with a 12,000 pound whale that can swim 35 mph is not without its risks.
What was it like to swim with Orcas?
It was humbling, it was awe inspiring, and it was a little bit terrifying. Orcas have an intelligence and awareness that is very palpable.
Do you recommend it to others?
We do not recommend that others try to swim with Orcas. There’s no telling what could happen. What we do recommend, is that people contact their elected officials and call for the removal of the dams. Visit their offices in person if you feel called to.
Was Gabe afraid?
The Orcas command the utmost respect, and as Gabe says: “ I would be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t a little bit terrified. But what’s scarier than swimming with Orcas, is the prospect of loosing them because we were too slow to act.”
Why should people care?
People should care because these dams are costing them as tax payers and rate payers quite a bit of money. But aside from the financial cost, it will be a great tragedy if the Southern Resident Orcas go extinct because of bureaucratic red tape. The Army Corps of Engineers completed a 23 million dollar study in 2002 that concluded the 4 lower Snake River Dams should be removed, but they have done nothing.
How do dams hurt Orcas?
Dams hurt the Southern Resident Orcas because they kill the Salmon on which the Orcas rely for survival. The dams make it harder for spawning salmon to find their way up river to their spawning grounds, they create reservoirs that heat up in the summer sun to temperatures that are deadly to Salmon, they help invasive species thrive that feed on Salmon fry as they descend the river back towards the sea, and passing through the turbines is incredibly damaging to the baby fish.
Aren't the dams making green power?
Hydropower is a renewable form of energy, but it is not green. If it damages the web of life so extensively as to cause the extinction of the Southern Resident Orcas, it is not green.
How do you think the Orcas feel about swimming with humans?
Gabe: “I have no idea how the Orcas felt about swimming with me, but my impression was that they were curious, and were unbothered by my presence. They can swim 10 times faster than I can, and thus were in complete control of the interaction. What I am certain of though, is how they feel about their dwindling food supply, which is our fault, and our responsibility to remedy the situation by removing these dams.”
Why are they called Killer Whales?
They are called Killer Whales because they are one of Earth’s apex predators. They have recently been observed hunting and feeding on great white sharks, in addition to seals and salmon. There are few animals on Earth that command as much respect as the Orca.
Why should we save the Orcas?
We should save the Salmon and the Orcas because they are an integral component of the great Web of Life, and because they are sentient creatures that deserve to live, breathe and thrive just as much as we do. Our technological advancement doesn’t make us superior to the natural world, it makes us responsible for our impact on the natural world.
Did Gabe break the law?
He did not break the law governing the distance watercraft must keep from Orcas. He was about 200 yards away from the Orcas when he jumped in the water, and the Orcas chose to come swim with him.
Do the local tribes support his actions?
The local tribes have been stewarding this land and the Salish Sea for millennia, and we cannot speak for them. What we do know for sure is that they hold the Orcas in the highest regard, and strongly support removing the 4 Lower Snake River Dams.
Why should people care?
Because we are damaging Earth’s life support systems beyond repair, and it is our children and their children who will suffer greatly as a result. The Orcas are an indicator species, a warning call.