Orcas In Captivity

Premature DeathsA human can live anywhere from 70-100 years. Orcas have similar lifespans. On

average, a male orca living in the wild can live anywhere from 50-60 years. Females

usually live longer, from 80-90 years. However, in captivity,

they live 10 years on average. Since 1961, 148 orcas have been captured from the wild. 126 of those whales are now dead. The longest surviving orca, Corky, was captured in 1969 and is now living in Sea

World, San Diego (Fate of Captive Orcas, 1).

The most common reason as to why orcas should not be held captive is the size of their tanks. In the wild, orcas are swimming up to

100 miles a day and dive down 200 feet (Orcas in the Wild, 1). The tanks that whales

are being kept in in captivity hardly allow them to swim. The smallest pools are at the Miami

Seaquarium which is 60 feet long, 38 feet wide, and 10 feet deep. Marineland Cote D’

Azur has the largest pools out of all 12 parks. Their back pool is 210 feet in length, 100 in

width and 40 in depth (Current Facilities, 1). It is significantly larger than the Miami

Seaquarium, but you can’t compare 210 feet to the ocean.

!!!!!!!!!!

Orcas are very social, family-oriented mammals. They spend their entire lives never

separating from their mothers. Each family swims in a group called a pod, with usually

1-3 maternal groups. The only two things that ever separate a mother and her child are

death and captivity. Calves who are born in captivity are usually transferred to different parks by the time they are six months old.

Unlike the wild, whales are generally in tanks with members from different pods which can

create a series of problems (Current Facilities, 2). Each pod has its own behavior and

language, so when they are trapped in a tank with whales from other pods they don’t always

get among (Blackfish). Whales are often isolated by themselves as well. Trainers usually do this if the animal is acting out

(Current Facilities, 2).

Length (ft) Width (ft) Depth (ft)

San Diego 150 80 15

Orlando 70 N/A 25

San Antonio 115 69 25

This graph is showing the sizes of all of the back pools at Seaworld parks

(Current Facilities, 1).

The majority of people have noticed that in captivity, the male orcas dorsal fin is bent. Because there is no room to swim, the tissue in the fin gets less of a workout (Dorsal Fin Collapse, 1).

The water pressure from whales swimming so many miles is what

keeps the tissue healthy and straight. Age and stress can also cause the fin

to bend in captivity and in the wild. However, collapsed dorsal fins are not as common in the wild as in captivity.

If humans had to spend their entire lives in a small room, don’t you think they would get a little crazy? Orcas feel the same way, and they act out in aggression towards humans and other whales because of

it. !

To show dominance against each other, the whales might ram into each other. They also use their teeth to “rake” the other whales.

Which often results in one of the whales not being able to perform because parks can’t let the pubic see the orcas in these conditions.

Due to stress, the whales also ram their head into the tanks. This action can cause serious damage like nose and skull fractures.

Another act due to stress is “jaw popping.” Whales bite down on the steel gates used to keep them in their pools. This can cause broken teeth and severe pain (Laws Concerning Orcas, 2). All of these acts of aggression are due to stress from performing, being housed with

other whales, and living in small tanks. !

The most common misconception with orcas is that they are “killers.” Orcas are not typically aggressive animals, towards each other or other humans. However, captivity causes whales to act out against

their nature. In captivity, there are almost 150 occurrences of attacks on humans, some critical (Human and Killer Whales, 3). But in the wild, there has not been a single recorded attack on any human.

!Orcas have attacked humans many times in captivity. They often

grab at the trainers arms or legs, lunge aggressively towards them, and there have even been instances where trainers have gotten dragged underwater. At Seaworld San Diego, Ken Peters was

grabbed by the foot by one of the orcas, Kasatka. During a show, she pulled him underwater for over a minute. She then brought Ken back up to the surface, let him catch his breath, and then took him under again for another minute and a half (Near Death at Seaworld,

2). Luckily, Peters was able to survive. However there have been several cases where the trainers were not so lucky. One of the most talked about cases was Dawn Brancheau. On February 24, 2010, Seaworld’s most famous whale, Tilikum pulled Dawn into the water. Media made the attack seem like it was Dawn’s fault. Seaworld told the media that she should not have had her hair in a ponytail and

that is why Tilikum attacked her. But the truth is that Tilikum grabbed her arm. He then dragged her under watch where he drowned, skald

and broke many of her bones. Tilikum also swallowed Dawn’s arm. What is even more chilling than Dawn’s seath is that she was the

third trainer Tilikum killed (Seaworld Trainer, 1).

One of the most con traversal topics of this day is orcas in captivity. Since 1961, theme parks have

been using killer whales as their main attraction to bring in money. But, do these magical creatures

really deserve this life of stardom? What is in it for the ocras? The honest answer is nothing. There is not a single benefit to locking up these massive

whales in tanks. They are being confined into tiny pools, rather than swimming their usual 100 miles a day. They are being forced to do tricks for food that

isn’t even in their normal diet. Orcas are being separated from their families and forced to live with

whales from different pods. Their lifespans are being cut short, and their health and sanity is at serious risk. Do people really find any of these

things “entertaining?”

by: Jasmine Gutierrez

Abstract

Graph showing all of the horrible truths to keeping orcas in captivity

(www.us.whales.org)

Dorsal Fin

A captive orca with it’s dorsal fin bent (www.elizabethbatt.com)

Showing the difference of environments between the wild and captivity (www.seaworldofhurt.com)

Environment

Behavior

Dawn Brancheau and Tilikum before

2010 attack (www.flickriver.com)

"Awesome Orcas - Keep It Wild!" Awesome Orcas - Keep It Wild! N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2015. !"8 Reasons Orcas Don't Belong at SeaWorld - SeaWorld of Hurt." SeaWorld of Hurt. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2015. !"Facilities." Welcome to Orca Freak! N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2015. !"The Fate of Captive Orcas." WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2015. !"Final Report: SeaWorld Trainer Briefly Broke Free of Tilikum." Tribunedigital- orlandosentinel. N.p., 28 Apr. 2010. Web. 15 May 2015. !"Full Title Name:  Detailed Discussion of Laws Concerning Orcas in Captivity." Detailed Discussion of Laws Concerning Orcas in Captivity. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2015. !"Incidents between Humans and Killer Whales in Captivity -a Longer List than the Parks Would like to Tell You!" Incidents between Humans and Killer Whales in Captivity. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2015. !Kennedy, Jennifer. "Why Does a Killer Whale's Dorsal Fin Collapse?" N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2015. !Kirby, David. "Near Death At SeaWorld: Worldwide Exclusive Video." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 15 May 2015.

Bibliography