Orca Whales In Captivity

Orca whales have been in difficult circumstances ever since the first orca was captured in 1961. The first orca captured lived two days in captivity then died and the reported cause of dead was pneumonia. Many things come to mind when people think an orca is in captivity. Many people tend to believe they are being treated, they will enjoy life more, and they will live longer due to the fact they are receiving food and care. These statements are told to spectators at seaworld, marineland and many other water parks around the globe. The facts disagree with these statements. Orca are very friendly animals, there have been no recorded attacks of orcas hurting any human being in the wild. Most of them will come up to fishers boats and be petted and fed. Although in captivity numerous orcas have attacked humans. Average life of an orca in captivity is between twenty to thirty years in the wild their life span are three times longer between fifty to eighty years. Although during shows spectators sea orcas swimming in huge pools of water most of the time they are in the back of the arena’s in small confined spaces, which is unacceptable because in the wild orcas swim sixty to one hundred miles a day, searching for food and exercising daily. Whales should be free from captivity because, they are more aggressive in captivity, they live less in captivity and they don’t have great living conditions and are kept for profit.

Orcas in captivity have shown more aggression then they ever have in the wild. In fact “There has not been any orca attacks recorded in the wild but many in captivity” (pg1). There are over one hundred and fifteen reported cases of orcas attacking trainers in captivity. No matter the experience of the trainer or connectio...

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... this still happens because it is what the audience wants to see and what they pay for. Holding whales in captivity does not benefit them it has proven many things such as the whales are aggressive towards there trainer although in the wild they have not hurt a single person intentionally. It has also proven they live shorter lives. Not just shorter lives but thirty to forty years shorter life expectancies in captivity. There living condition small not large enough for them to receive there exercise and hunt for their food like they would in the wild. These are just some of the many ways whales are mistreated and they don’t deserve any of it. The way to stop this is simple. Don’t visit theme parks where Orcas are forced to do tricks they do not want to do. Support organization that are there to actually treat and release the whales not hold and profit off of them.