Edward "Ted" Griffin
Edward Griffin, more commonly known as Ted Griffin, was an aquarium owner, entrepreneur and the first man to ever swim with a killer whale (orca) in a public exhibition.[1] In 1965 Griffin purchased, displayed and performed with the orca, Namu, at Griffin's Seattle Marine Aquarium (not to be confused with the contemporary Seattle Aquarium). Namu was only the second[2] orca to be captured and displayed in an exhibit and was the first orca to ever perform and swim with a person for audiences. Griffin also captured the original Shamu in 1965 and leased (and eventually sold) her to SeaWorld in San Diego. After Namu's death in 1966, Griffin, and his partner Don Goldsberry, continued to capture and sell many other orcas in and around Puget Sound until 1972.[3] In 1982 Griffin published the book, Namu, Quest for the Killer Whale a non-fiction account of his time with Namu.[4]
References
- ↑ PBS Frontline Online, "Edward 'Ted' Griffin, The Life and Adventures of a Man Who Caught Killer Whales" (link)
- ↑ The first orca displayed in an aquarium exhibit was Moby Doll.
- ↑ "orca captivity" at the dolphinproject.org
- ↑ Gryphon West Publishers (Seattle) ISBN 0-943482-00-3, ISBN 978-0-943482-00-2
- M. L. Lyke, "Granny's Struggle: A black and white gold rush is on", Seattle P-I, Wednesday, October 11, 2006 link
- "Captive orca whale Namu arrives in Seattle on July 27, 1965." (Washington State HistoryLink.org)
External links
- Lacitis, Erik, Remembering Namu: An Ex-Hunter Looks Back, No Regrets In His Wake, The Seattle Times 1997 November 23.