My personal conclusion on the captivity of killer whales

As you can probably see by the wealth of information on this site, as well as the books, articles, and sites I frequent, I have done a lot of reading and researching on these animals. The story of killer whales cannot be told without those living in captivity. They gave us a scientific look into the lives of these creatures, and what we saw was incredible.

After my many long hours, I have come to the conclusion that keeping cetaceans in captivity, in a concrete tank, especially but not exclusively for profit, is wrong and immoral. By bringing these animals into this environment, they have showed us precisely why they don't belong there. Orcas are so uniquely intelligent. They parallel no other creature. They love and feel. They are wonderful mothers, they speak language and they exist for family. A killer whale is made up of it's unique 'self', and of its social connections with others. Captivity destroys the things that define orcas. 

I know that these animals provide something of substance in captivity, or they did. Where else could you see a killer whale up close and personal but a marine park? How else would we learn about them? But what do you really learn in a marine park? 

Captive killer whales have suffered in indescribable ways. When a feeling, sentient creature dies a painful and preventable death because those who owned her could not see her humanity, what does a paying audience member gain? What did you learn, in the end, when their eyes flush red and they stop breathing? 

The bottom line is that orcas as a species are socially, mentally, and physically ill-suited to live in a captive environment. Many species of animals do well in healthy captive environments. Fish? They do great. Birds, reptiles, and small mammals? Under responsible care, they can all thrive in captivity. Cetaceans, however, do not. There is tangible evidence that captivity harms whale's health, and that they are not well-adjusted to their surroundings.

Dentition: Many whales in captivity today have drilled or broken teeth. Their feeding habits do not involve their teeth, which means that the whales are likely grinding their teeth together or on other surfaces as a sign of boredom, ultimately causing breakage and decay. Poor dentition can cause a host of other health issues.

Bacterial disease: Captive orcas are frequently given orally taken antibiotics to treat their infections. The majority of dead captive killer whales died of some form of bacterial infection.

Stereotypic behavior: these behaviors are defined as repetitive behaviors with no obvious outward function. Examples are teeth grinding, vomiting, swimming in circles, slamming into walls or windows, and self-beaching. Whales do these things to relieve boredom, but they can take a toll on their health, and even kill them if repeated for decades.

Social structure: Killer whales' natural social structure does not lend itself to captivity. In the wild, families live together for centuries, throughout their lifespans, not just in childhood. The notion that an orca could reach an age where separation from their mother wouldn't be harmful is simply not true. Their matriarchal system is understood by marine park owners, yet still animals are moved around for breeding or convenience purposes. Mothers are separated from their calves, which, as I said above, is psychologically and physically damaging for both whales. Today, worldwide, just eleven captive killer whales live in the same facility as their biological mother. The rest were separated by capture, death, or transport. 

Signs of stress: Captive cetaceans frequently exhibit behaviors or physical changes that, in wild whales, are signs of extreme stress, but in captivity, are normal throughout the animals' lifespan. These behaviors and characteristics do not occur in healthy wild killer whales. Some examples include aggression toward others. It's very rare for wild killer whales to attack each other, but in captivity, this happens all the time, causing injury and trauma. It's also very rare for wild orca moms to reject their babies, but in captivity this has happened a number of times, to Nyar, Tekoa, Sumar, Adan, Victoria, Halyn, and others. Wild whales do not have collapsed dorsal fins except when they are near death. All captive males and many females undergo dorsal collapse. 

Lifespan: The average age of death at a SeaWorld park is 14. In the wild, males can live anywhere from 30-40 years, and females into their 50s. Some select females live to be 80-100. That will never happen in captivity. It ages them a tenfold. 

Something else that is very important to me is a culture of respect and value towards cetaceans. Captivity, in many facets, is just inherently disrespectful to such intelligent and reverent animals. 

Furthermore, orcas are just so shockingly intelligent. Anyone whose worked with them could tell you that they have complex feelings and emotions. That they love and feel heartbreak and frustration. They can solve puzzles and figure out complex tasks. Is it right to keep such a smart, humanlike creature in a concrete tank for their whole lives, generation to generation? I don't think so. 

I think that the next step for us as a society is sea-pens. I would never advocate for a sick, old, or ill-equipped animal to be thrown into the ocean and left to fend for themselves. That is not rehabilitation. No one is advocating for that. These animals will need to be supervised, fed, medicated, etc, for the remainder of their lives. What a sea-pen returns to an animal is dignity. It returns to them their natural environment. It returns them to the ecosystem that they are biologically evolved to live in. It's where they're meant to be.

Everyone is free to make their own choices about what they believe and what they value. I don't think anyone wants these animals to suffer. For me, this conclusion has not been straightforward. The story of captive killer whales twists and turns. Nothing is black and white. Nothing so complicated can also be easy. 

I am certain in my love for them. If there is a better, more dignified, safer, and kinder option for them, I will advocate for it every time.