Essay On Killer Whales

Raiza Ruiz-Kline

Eberhardt

AP English 11, Period 4

10 April 2014

Killer Entertainers: Orcinus Orca in Captivity

Introduction

Since the dawn of time, man has been fascinated with creatures that live in the sea. Some of the first known records of interaction between man and dolphin date back to Aristotle. It was only a matter of time before man decided he had to capture these creatures to call his own. In 1861, PT Barnum purchased what are believed to be the first cetaceans in captivity: six beluga whales from the St. Lawrence River who were shipped in boxcars filled with seaweed to a museum. The animals all died within two years. But Barnum’s belugas opened the doors to a lucrative business: the capture of cetaceans continued throughout the 1800s until the first oceanarium opened in 1938. While up until the 1960s capture was limited to smaller cetaceans (bottlenose dolphins were popular), in 1965, Ted Griffin, an entrepreneur and aquarium owner, made an unprecedented purchase: a young male killer whale named Namu who had been captured in a fishing net off British Columbia; he was the first successful specimen captured and displayed. His capture and display at the Seattle Marine Aquarium marked the beginning of one of the most controversial animal husbandry practices in history: the practice of keeping large, highly intelligent creatures such as killer whales in captivity for the purposes of entertainment (Man & Marine Mammals). Following a handful of deaths and countless injuries at the hands of captive killer whales, as well as various scientific studies examining the effects of captivity on Orcinus orca, the debate over their captivity for entertainment has been split between those who believe the practice should continue and t...

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... such as sea pens, due to inability to become self-sufficient for various reasons, such as inability to hunt. Following the retirement of all orcas currently in captivity, no more should be captured and retired individuals should be allowed to live out the rest of their lives in semi-wild habitats. While it is indeed a process that will take significant amounts of time, dedication, and financial support, for the well-being of both killer whales in captivity and those who work with them, killer whale captivity should be banned and appropriate steps should be taken to ensure that whales currently in captivity are humanely retired and able to live out the remainder of their lives in an environment made of ocean water instead of a chemical cocktail, natural physical features instead of concrete walls, and other marine creatures instead of hordes of elementary schoolers.