Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
The Loro Parque in Tenerife, home to seven orcas.
They are living in four pools, built with 22 millon liters of sea water,
the highest animal management standards in the world.
All animals are captive bred except one: Morgan, who was stranded half dead off the coast of Holland.
She was rescued and brough to Loro Parque but she was not behaving like the other orcas.
Her behaviour showed us that she is not picking up maybe any sound.
It was for us very important to have Morgan's hearing capacity perfectly well measured and
that's the thing that we are doing now.
For that purpose an international team of scientists was invited to Loro Parque.
During the next few days everything was focused on Morgan's well-being.
Is important for orcas to be able to hear well at least in the frequencies at which
they
echolocate and the frequencies in which they have social communication.
Orcas use echolocation for finding food. If they are unable to hear at the frequencies
at which they echolocate they may not be able to find food very well.
The start of the hearing test. Morgan has been trained for months so she will not
become stressed. Sensors will now measure her brain waves.
The innear ear sends neuron's signals to the brain everytime we hear a sound. We are able
to measure
these signals on the skin as well. The sensors and electrodes integrated in suction caps
that are placed on the orca's head and back. To get comprobable results the other orcas
are also measured.
Real pioneer work, also for experienced whale and dolphin scientist. Suddenly the instruments
began recording the
first signals. It will take days until the scientists can interpret the data including
those from Morgan.
In the unique rescue mission in 2010 after she was discovered, Morgan was brough to Harderwijk
dolphinarium
and nurse back to health.
When she was strong enought she was brought to Loro Parque because here she can
stablish social links with other orcas.
A good decision. Meanwhile Morgan is completely integrated into the group of orcas. In the
meantime Morgan's
examination has been completed.
We tried to collect the auditory brain response from all the whales that we had access to.
We were able to record in every whale except Morgan for the highest levels of sound that
we were able to generate.
First of all, we have proved that all our suspicions of Morgan having a deficit were
right, she has a hearing deficit,
probably a strong hearing deficit because her behaviour showed us that she is not picking
up maybe any sound.
Bad news for Morgan but it could have been much worse.
The results from Morgan's hearing test will definetly be that bigger animals will have
to adjust to her
in the respect that we are very visually bridging her and working her so we might start using
flash lights
underwater as well to let her know that the behaviour is going to be terminated.
So that the other ones will have to adjust to that because they have to learn that as
well.
In Loro Parque experience keepers will work tiressly to ensure her wellfare, Morgan has
found the most important
animal a group of her own kind.