Shamu's Shameful Situation

How Bored Whales Play

Two interesting whale stories this week. The first reported the discovery of spindle neurons in the cortex of humpback whale brains. Unusual because the only other mammals with these are primates, you, me and the great apes.
The speculation is that whale intelligence may be much more sophisticated and complex than previously suspected.
The other story seems to support that notion.
A killer whale named Kasatka performing at Sea World San Diego twice held a trainer by the foot and dragged him 36 feet below the surface for a few moments before returning him to the top.
Now why would an intelligent 5,000 pound 14 foot animal throw such a snit?
Couldn't be the eight shows a day, 365 days of the year.
Couldn't be 7 killer whales sharing 7 million gallons, split into 5 pools. Thats a 23 foot tall aquarium built on a football playing field.
Couldn't be 30 year old Kataska finds her environment cramped, her lifestyle boring, predictible, lacking challenge and her future bleak with no change in sight.
Now that would show real intelligence, the kind we great apes pride ourselves on.