Orcas, also known as killer whales, are amazingly intelligent and are a top predator, much like humans. However, when the top predator of the ocean collides with the top predator of land, the situation can become fatal for both humans and the whales. Holding these incredibly massive marine animals in captivity is not only inhumane and detrimental to the whale’s health, but also a potentially fatal activity for humans to participate in. Orca trafficking is the equivalent of human trafficking: kidnapping a child or pup from the mother to be used for the entertainment of others. Killer whales are family oriented, and all of a mother’s offspring stay with her their entire lives (spong). When a pup is being taken or captured the entire family of orcas follow until they cannot keep up anymore. Transporting the young orca is terrifying to them; they do not understand why they have just been taken from their family and they are kept in shallow water without any light with other orcas who they have no family ties, which causes psychological stress (Killer Whales in Captivity). Some of the orca pups died from the stress of being captured and they were cut open and filled with rocks so they would sink to the bottom (Blackfish). Taking any child away from its mother is immoral no matter the species, especially to be used for the enjoyment of others. When an orca pup is taken away from the ocean and away from its supporting family and sent to a small chlorinated pool with strangers it can cause many potential health hazards for them. The most noticeable health related problem is whale on whale aggression. Hardly any of the killer whales in captivity are related by blood, therefore, most of them are all strangers and will fight or even kill e... ... middle of paper ... ...ho live in very close families in the wild. However, when humans interfere they disrupt the lifestyle of these majestic animals by kidnapping the orca pups and bringing them into captivity to entertain a crowd of humans. The stress of bringing them into captivity causes many health issues and also brutal sometimes fatal attacks on humans. Captivity of killer whales should be phased out until there are no more of these beautiful animals left to be tortured in captivity. Works Cited Blackfish. Dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite. Magnolia Pictures, 2013. DVD. Jett, John S., and Jeffrey M. Ventre. "Keto and Tilikum Express the Stress of Orca Captivity." The Orca Project. N.p., 20 Jan. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. "Killer Whales in Captivity." Killer Whale Facts and Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. Spong, Paul. "Orca (Orcinus Orca)." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
After watching Blackfish, if you could only take one thing from the film it should have been that orcas are being kept in captivity under cruel conditions for the sole purpose of their investments and profits off of them. The film starts off with a 911-phone call as the person on the phone explains what is happening. We hear two different calls, one call about a trainer being in the water when they are not supposed to and another call about a whale eating a trainer. At 00:35, the first call has a woman on the line saying, “We actually have a trainer in the water with one of our whales-the whale that they’re not supposed to be in the water
For 50 years SeaWorld has entertained park guests with numerous stunts involving the majestic sea creature, the orca, also referred to as the killer whale, and their human trainers. What the on-lookers don’t see at these shows is what goes on behind the scenes: how the whales got there in the first place, and the conditions in which they are housed.
The issue of keeping Orcas in captivity and under the care of man has been a controversial practice ever since the first dolphins and whales were taken into aquariums for the amusement of humans. In more recent times, the documentary Blackfish (which has been recently broadcasted on popular TV stations such as CNN) that focuses on Tilikum, an orca held by SeaWorld, has brought to light the controversy over captive killer whales. Orcas are majestic, beautiful, and intelligent creatures that should not be kept in captivity for our entertainment because of the harm it causes them.
Captivity is the state or period of being imprisoned, confined, or enslaved, according to Wiktionary. Every year, marine parks and aquariums, like SeaWorld, make billions of dollars through ticket sales. SeaWorld estimates about 70% of their total revenue is due to their performing killer whales (Jeffs). People visit from all over the world to encounter killer whales up close. “Their beauty and power, combined with willingness to work with humans, have made them legendary performers” (Gorman). In recent years, humans have gained the ability to tame and train these creatures. Killer whales should not be kept in captivity simply because it is cruel, unnatural, and dangerous.
When speaking about the whales the speaker will blatantly lie about what is true. Some facts that they tell are: a collapsed dorsal fin is natural, life span of around thirty to forty years, and that they are getting better health care here. On average orcas have a lifespan of sixty to seventy years for males and eighty to one hundred years for females. Also a collapsed dorsal fin is not natural or healthy in the wild. As for health care, because of the shallow pools the orcas get sunburns that the trainers cover up with black zinc oxide which matches their skin tone and hides the burns. For someone who knows the real facts its easy to see that the animals are suffering more and more
Different from orcas in captivity, orcas in the wild will work together to herd and encircle small prey near the water’s surface. By staying in a tight formation, killer whales will work together to obtain a seal or sea lion perched on top of an ice cap. Together, the orcas will charge the ice cap to create a wave that will push the seal or sea lion into the icy waters. In order to obtain much larger prey such as a blue whale, orcas will target calves and injured or ill whales. The orcas will work together to wear out the much larger prey; biting, colliding into, and pulling on the whale’s pectoral fins. This particular strategy can last for hours until the worn-out whale drowns. Orcas have also been known to purposely beach themselves on shore in an attempt to catch prey such as seabirds, seals, and sea lions. The diet and habitat of an orca will determine the longevity of its life
Orcas should not be kept in captivity because of mistreating other orcas in captivity. For example corky killed kandu by fracturing it’s jaw
One common issue with Orcas in captivity is the “killer” aspect of the orca. Orcas are commonly referred to as Killer Whales because of their fierceness in the wild when catching their prey, yet there has never been a recorded incident of an orca attacking a human in the wild. In captivity, it’s a different story, “In front of a crowd of visitors, Tilikum dragged his trainer Dawn Brancheau
Captivity is holding animals whether aquatic or land and keeping these animals confined in areas that are not their natural habitat. Holding sea mammals captive for human amusement is completely unethical. In a report prepared by Naomi A. Rose she mentions that orcas are far too intelligent and family-oriented creatures that are never able to adjust to captivity. There are many reasons as to why sea mammals should not be held captive because these animals are not in their natural habitat, the animals overall health is jeopardized and animals can become increasingly aggressive which can cause death or serious injury to not only the animal but also human beings.
Some people think that the captivity is beneficial for whales for a few reasons, but the captivity has more consequences than benefits.
In captivity, there has been four reported deaths and over a 130 recorded violent incidents. Aggression associated with orcas held in captivity has been rising over the years. Orcas are frustrated by their daily activities and get bored, resulting in lashing out at the trainers. Placing these large mammals in confinement is harmful for both humans and the orcas. Marine mammal veterinarian Jay Sweeney writes from his paper . It is evident that orcas act aggressively when placed in confinement and it is extremely dangerous, therefor it is apparent that hostility associated with orcas in captivity is a major issue.
Orca whales do not like to be taken from their family, held captive for many decades and put with other whales that they do not know. No other living organism on this planet would like to be put through the same thing. Orca whales are highly social animals, they are very intelligent, and are very emotional. If they are kept away from other whales, fed intermittently and received little attention from staff makes them get very emotional and can lead to death of people and the whales. Orca whales should not be held captive; they are beautiful creatures that are not great for people’s amusement and if they are treated poorly, they will act poorly.
Orcas, dazzling and exquisite, become one with the azure lustrous waves of the ocean as the golden crepuscular ray slowly sets. Nonetheless, on the other side of the world, sixty-one killer whales have no memoir of the salty essence of the sea, where they rightfully belong nor the fiery red sunset. These magnificent marine mammals earned their scientific name Orcinus Orca from Orcus, the barbaric Roman god of the netherworld for their ability to advance on larger sea creatures. A killer whale’s diet mostly consists of fish, squid, seals, birds, and reptiles, consuming “approximately 3% to 4% of their body weight in food per day” (Marine). Strikingly, scientists found remnants of orcas in their stomachs. However, it is
Killer whales are captured alive and are then used in exhibitions. Attempts to capture killer whales can cause injuries and deaths to the whales. “In 1970, more than 90 orcas were stalked and herded into a three-acre net by deafening explosives, speedboats and airplanes at Puget Sound. Young calves were torn apart from their
First, the term killer whale misrepresents the Orca. It makes people think they are predators seeking to cause harm to anything or anyone they meet. This could not be farther from the truth. The myth is mostly due to some accidents that have occurred while in captivity. While it is true that accidents have occurred. The truth is they are playful creatures and there was no intent for harm to their trainer to occur. The result is some people thinking Orcas are