|
See SeaWorld's Shamu the Killer Whale pictures and learn about killer whale training techniques! Updated April 14, 2008. Related info--- HOME :: Latest News :: Shamu the Killer Whale :: Shamu Show "Believe" :: Shamu training techniques :: Dolphin attractions :: Sea Lions attractions :: Other animal attractions :: Other SeaWorld Shows :: SeaWorld Rides :: Behind the Scenes Tour :: Sea World FAQs :: Dining with Shamu :: Shamu Buffet Photos :: Christmas at SeaWorld Shamu's Happy Harbor Memories :: SeaWorld Contact Info :: SeaWorld Discount Tickets :: SeaWorld Hours :: Shamu the Killer Whale Pictures and Training TechniquesFirst, enjoy a photo slide show of Shamu and his trainers!
In the slide show above, you're viewing pictures of Shamu the killer whale and his trainers which were taken at various performances of the "Believe" show at Sea World San Diego. You can see pics of this popular killer whale interacting with his trainers---by feeding him and performing tricks with him. On this page, you'll discover a few of the ways that Sea World's trainers teach their beloved animals and create the shows that thousands of visitors enjoy every month at the park. Whale-training at the SeaWorld parksOn this page, you can look at pictures of Shamu the Killer Whale (and his friends) from SeaWorld, and learn a little bit about whale and dolphin training at SeaWorld. (I say "little bit," because training whales and dolphins takes quite a bit of time, patience---and love! Any one-page summary of the process is going to make the whale training process sound less complicated than it actually is in real life!) When I refer to "Sea World" on this page, I'll be meaning Sea World Orlando and Sea World San Antonio in addition to Sea World San Diego...because all 3 of the Sea World facilities train their killer whales, dolphins, sea lions and other animals by the same methods. Are killer whales intelligent? Sea World trainers think so! SeaWorld trainers know that if Shamu the Killer Whale and his friends WEREN'T intelligent, then they wouldn't be able to learn the many tricks that they do! Scientists, however, still haven't developed a method for specifically testing the intelligence of killer whales or other sea animals. Scientific killer whale research continues in this area. One reason that scientists do feel that killer whales may possess a greater intelligence than many other animals has to do with the anatomy of the killer whale's brain. The brain of a killer whale features a cerebral cortex with many folds. (The outer part of the brain is called the cerebral cortex, and is the site in the brain where "thinking" occurs.) This folding of the cerebral cortex creates more surface area in the brain...more room for the "thinking cells" to go. Other intelligent animals, such as the dog, the elephant, and humans--of course!--have brains featuring a cerebral cortex full of folds. As you can see in the killer whale picture to your left, Shamu's teeth are rather thick and short, but pointed. In the past, the teeth of killer whales in captivity were filed down to make them flat instead of pointed and fang-like. The new trend is to let the killer whales keep their teeth in a "natural" state. Shamu the Killer Whale Pictures & Training -- The First Step
To your right, you see a beautiful picture of Shamu doing a back flip. Isn't this killer whale graceful!The first step that trainers use at Sea World to train killer whales, dolphins, sea lions, and other animals is to "build trust" with the animals. Strange as it may seem, a multi-ton killer whale is much like a little lap dog or a small human child in one sense---a killer whale "doesn't care how much you know, he wants to know how much you care." It's true---Sea World trainers get MUCH better cooperation from their animals during the training process if they actually LOVE these animals! The killer whales seem to KNOW when they're loved---and respond accordingly. Shamu the Killer Whale Pictures & Training -- The Second Step
The second step in training killer whales and dolphins is to "reward positive behavior." That means, if a killer whale performs the action that the trainer wants (or even if the killer whale comes CLOSE to performing the action correctly), then the SeaWorld trainer needs to reward the killer whale immediately.What types of rewards can a Sea World trainer give to a killer whale? A nice bucket of fish makes a good reward! Surprisingly, a back rub is another reward that killer whales at Sea World like! Of course, their backs aren't the only thing that killer whales like rubbed---they like their heads rubbed, their fins rubbed...and even their tummies scratched. Don't they sound just like the family dog! No wonder so many people think the Sea World killer whales are so adorable---not only are they cute to look at, but they also act just like the family pet, at times! Shamu the Killer Whale Pictures & Training -- The Third Step
In the image on your right, you see a Shamu performing a high jump at SeaWorld. The crowd loves Shamu and his tricks! Despite weighing several tons and reaching lengths up to 30 feet long (for a male), a killer whale swims and jumps with ease and grace.The third step in training a killer whale is to "re-direct" his behavior when he makes a mistake. Perhaps the killer whale has done the trick wrong. Or, perhaps the killer whale has ignored the trainer's instruction. Whatever the problem has been, the trainer must try to get the killer whale back on-track. First, the Sea World trainer will NOT reward the killer whale. Instead, the trainer does a "three second pause." That is, the trainer doesn't move or make a sound for 3 seconds. The killer whale knows he usually gets a bucket of fish...and notices that he isn't being rewarded this time. Another reason that the SeaWorld trainers don't punish the whales is that they don't want to damage their relationships with the whales. Since whales are sensitive and will only perform when they feel loved and content, it doesn't make any sense to make them feel angry! To get a whale back on track, the trainer might next ask the whale to perform an older trick...one that the whale DOES do well. Afterwards, the trainer can praise and reward the killer whale, and everybody's happy again! Shamu the Killer Whale Pictures & Training -- An example of training for a killer whale trick
In the picture on your left, you see SeaWorld guests observing killer whales through an underwater viewing window.How would a SeaWorld trainer teach a new animal---for example, young grandbaby Shamu---how to do a trick? Let's say that a trainer wants to teach a young killer whale how to jump over a rope. First, the SeaWorld trainers would place the rope down in the water where the killer whale could swim either under it or over it. After every time that the killer whale swims over the rope, the Sea World trainers would reward him with a bucket of fish---and soon, the young whale will come to understand the connection that, "hey, if I swim OVER this rope, I'll get a treat!" Next, the SeaWorld trainers RAISE the rope a little bit at a time. They keep rewarding the killer whale for swimming over the rope...but, in time, that means that he'll have to JUMP into the air and over the rope to get his reward. Of course, this is easy for a killer whale---killer whales jump naturally while they're "in the wild." So, actually, a killer whale doesn't really need to be trained in HOW to jump...just trained to jump when the Sea World trainers want him to do it! Finally, the Sea World trainers raise the rope so high that the killer whale is making spectacular leaps in the training pool. Trick accomplished! Even so, the killer whale will still get a nice reward EVERY time he performs the trick. Shamu and his trainers: further information
If you're looking for more information about Shamu trainers, you'll find interesting information on the www.SeaWorld.org website.Shamu training videos: Since the YouTube video website burst onto the scene, it's now possible to find information (and view videos & slide shows) at that website. Here's the link to a YouTube video featuring a SeaWorld San Diego trainer interacting with Shamu. While you're at the YouTube website, you'll see links to still other whale and dolphin videos you might enjoy. Photo note: Everybody loves Shamu the Killer Whale---even Southwest Airlines! One of the jets in the Southwest fleet is painted just like Shamu. The Shamu jet is really a sight to behold! Maybe if you fly Southwest Airlines into San Diego, you'll get a chance to ride on the Shamu plane! For further information about the Shamu Plane, use the following link to view the Sea World FAQs page of this website.
 MORE SEA WORLD SAN DIEGO PICTURES! ---> Use the button to your left to see photos of still MORE Sea World attractions and fun! Back HOME... Back to top of San Diego SeaWorld's "Shamu the Killer Whale Pictures & Training Techniques" Choose another SeaWorld page: Shamu the Killer Whale :: Shamu Show "Believe" :: Shamu training techniques :: Dolphin attractions :: Sea Lions attractions :: Other animal attractions :: Other SeaWorld Shows :: SeaWorld Rides :: Behind the Scenes Tour :: Sea World FAQs :: Dining with Shamu :: Shamu Buffet Photos :: Christmas at SeaWorld Shamu's Happy Harbor Memories :: SeaWorld Contact Info :: SeaWorld Discount Tickets :: SeaWorld Hours ::
|
But, before we begin talking about training Shamu, here's a question "just for fun." Have you ever seen a close-up picture of a killer whale's mouth? Well, to your left (in a photo taken at the Shamu "Believe" show,) you're viewing a picture of a killer whale's mouth! Shamu has a set of upper and lower teeth in his mouth---just like you do! (Not all species of whales, however, have teeth.)
