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Orca Captivity

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Killer whales, known as orcas, are the top predator in their ecosystem. Their beauty and intellectualism has thrilled humans for ages, but for many orcas in captivity limits their freedom of the ocean. People still profit from these killer whales regardless of the harm to the Orcas or to the people. The use of these marine animals in parks needs to be diminished because it damages the mental and physical health of these animals, as well as threatens the lives of the trainers.

In the ocean whales can travel many miles, however in captivity the tank is only twice their size. Due to the tank size it can cause physical and mental stress to these Orcas. Out in the wild they have a free range to swim. If they are in a small tank, especially if with other orcas they are more likely to show aggressive behavior. This aggressive behavior can lead one orca to hurt another orca, leading them to need treatment from the injuries. Many people may argue that they can get the special treatment they need in these parks, but don’t realize that they have a less chance of injury out in …show more content…
The sound waves bounce off objects and travel back, telling the orca what is around it. In captivity, tanks are made of solid concrete, which causes sound waves to bounce off the walls, making it impossible for orcas to locate food. Many captive killer whales die young, with the average life at about ten years. In the wild, they live between 50 and 80 years. Captive female orcas give birth very young, leading to both high adult and high infant deaths. The most common reason of death for captive orcas is infection. Stress may be an important factor in weakening the animals’ immune response. Also captive orcas have poor dental health compared to wild whales, which may be another factor to fatal infections. There are many factors that can lead to illness or even death for these orcas. Out in the wild these animals live healthier and longer

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