...killer whales being kept in captivity. Some of the differences between the two environments are the whales behavior, how they eat, and their dorsal fins. Killer whales are amazing creatures that can live up to 29 years. What exactly determines how long they live? The main factor is usually if they are kept in captivity or in the wild. In the wild, killer whales’ swim up to 100 miles a day. They socialize with other members of their pod and usually have close ties with their families. Most whales are very playful and rely mainly on their hearing. In the wild, whales spend close to 90% of their time under the water. Whales eat various types of fish throughout the day. This animal is around hundreds of different species of marine life throughout a single day. Whales dorsal fins, in the wild, usually stick straight up....
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...Ever since I was a little girl I have always had a love for marine animals. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always answered with a SeaWorld trainer. Of course I never realized how controversial captivity was. This topic has raised some eyebrows of officials and even me. After seeing the “Blackfish” documentary, my opinion about Killer Whales and Sea World in general have completely flip flopped. I believe it is selfish for humans to keep killer whales in captivity where they don’t belong. There are many differences between Killer Whales in captivity compared to those in the wild. According to “Sea World of Hurt” Killer whales in captivity have shorter life spans and many complications. Killer Whales in the wild have a life...
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...spectacular stunts that are performed by the killer whale and his trainer may leave you speechless. Killer whales have spent more than 50 years in captivity, and has caused much controversy as to whether they should be freed. What some people don't think about is what the effects are of having killer whales in captivity versus keeping them in the wild. Some things that differ wild killer whales from captive killer whales are how much they travel, the diet of the whales, amount of injuries, and their family dynamics. Killer whales that are in the wild travel many miles every day alongside their families, also known as pods. Infact, “Southern Resident Killer Whales travel on average of seventy five miles a day.” (“Center for Whales”). They can also reach speeds as fast as thirty miles per hour. Killer whales in the wild are free to roam wherever they desire with their families. On the flip side, killer whales that are captive are trapped and ripped away from their families. Also, killer whales have a lifespan in the wild of about fifty to eighty years, while in captivity the killer whale’s lifespan is much shorter, being twenty to thirty years. This is caused by stress and not being cared for the...
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...Raising killer whales in captivity has been disputed for decades. Over the years, activists have countered SeaWorld with the production of the documentary “Blackfish”, articles, and more. In the article written by Dr. Rose, she discusses how living in captivity poorly affects the well-being of the whales. Michael Scarpuzzi refutes on CNN and claims that Blackfish poorly portrays events at SeaWorld and their animals are in exceptional care. Killer whales do not belong in captivity because their conditions lead to severe depression and boredom, along with the fact that they lose all primitive instincts by living in aquariums. First of all, the animals become so unhappy that they become more susceptible to illness or even death. According to...
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...Killer Whales are not Pets Why are humans keeping killer whales in captivity when people know the consequences? Keeping killer whales also known as Orcas in captivity is wrong. In captivity killer whales life spans are reduced, cut in half or even less. Killer whales are very social animals and live in pods and they are basically what a family is to humans. Killer whales in captivity live very low quality lives in captivity. This not only harms them but also the people caring for them then why do we continue to keep them in captivity. Killer whales should not be held in captivity because they are meant for the wild, there health is greatly affected, and leads to dangers. Killer whales are not meant for captivity. They are huge animals and live very socials lives in the wild. Michael McCarthy says that killer whales are very intelligent and even have their own communication system (Mccarthy). They become very lonely and distressed when they are alone. An example of this is when In 2002 Keiko the whale that was in the Free willy movies was released but was never able to find a pod to live in and died 18 months after off the coast of Norway (Mccarthy). The only reason undomesticated animals should ever be in captivity is for their own safety if they are...
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...The capturing of orca whales for entertaining and performing purposes originated in 1964 when the first SeaWorld park was opened in San Diego, California. The exploitation of these animals in amusement parks quickly grew into a widespread phenomenon in the United States. America quickly fell in love with “Shamu”, the Killer Whale that became the face of Sea World. These wild creatures live their entire lives in captivity. In order to take a stand, parks like SeaWorld need to be shut down and forced to release their orcas into the wild, where they can live freely the way they were intend to. When orca whales are held in an unnatural environment for their entire lives, it causes a variety of problems for them. The wild animals become increasingly aggressive, suffer health issues and are ripped away from their families in the ocean....
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...Orca whales that are kept in captivity tend to have more problems than in the wild. Imagine an individual being taken away from the home they live in and being put into a small a tank, forced to perform for food and medical care. Whales that are kept in captivity have a greater risk for medical and emotional problems. Orcas kept in captivity have a higher amount of social anxiety compared to orcas in the wild. Whales should be banned from public entertainment because it causes the whales to have greater amounts of problems compared to those in the wild. Health and emotional risks generally occur more in whales who are kept in captivity.Whales whom are kept in captivity have higher emotional struggle, which causes the whales to go insane because of this whales have killed three trainers at Seaworld (Whales and Dolphin Conservation) This proves that whales who are kept in captivity have a greater emotional problems than they do in the wild. Ninety two percent of whales in captivity do not live past the age of twenty-five while in the wild they can live up to be between eighty to ninety years in age (WDC). This means whales have better health which allows them to live longer.Whales obtain a greater stress when they are kept in captivity....
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...captive SeaWorld orca whale named Tilikum brutally drowned a forty-year-old veteran trainer named Dawn Brancheau during a live show performance. In one quick motion, Tilikum grabbed onto Brancheau’s arm and dragged her into the million gallon tank. With a blood-curdling scream, Dawn was dragged to the bottom of the tank and tossed around. In the autopsy report, Brancheau suffered an enormous amount of blunt force trauma due to the massive force of the twelve thousand pound animal slamming on top of her. The violent attack even scalped a layer of Dawn’s head right off. Yet, it was noted that the cause of death was drowning with “approximately four milliliters of fluid in her sphenoid sinus” (Autopsy...
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...Killer Whales: Abused & Mistreated While many people have experienced the majestic showcasing of trained orcas in public displays at recreational parks such as SeaWorld, few have heard of the tragic events that these killer whales go through while in captivity. It is ironic that such family oriented companies like SeaWorld, who pride themselves in giving families experiences that they will never forget, can just tear families of killer whales apart and abuse them while training them. And although these public displays of trained orcas seem extraordinary through the audience’s eyes, it is time that the untold stories of these whales and the true dangers of training whales comes out into light. Killer whales are the most intelligent marine creatures, due to their perceptive senses of sight and hearing, and also their heightened emotional behavior. But many of these killer whales that have been held in captivity have had limits on their freedom and enjoyment of life. In captivity, many orcas suffer from poor mental and physical health. In their natural habitat, killer whales can easily travel 50 to 100 miles a day. However, in captivity like the whales at SeaWorld, a typical tank is only twice their size, forcing these animals to swim in small circles or drift aimlessly. The stress of captivity can drive killer whales to display neurotic behaviors that can lead to tragic consequences. Science has even confirmed that in captivity, whales suffer from high mortality rates...
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...repeatedly swimming around her pool at high speed and ramming into the sides” (Smith). Killer whales are a very large and powerful animal like any other wild animal, they can be unpredictable. Killer whales are beautiful creatures. The experience of seeing a killer whale for the first time is breath taking. My grandparents took me to SeaWorld in Orlando was I was 8, and after seeing a killer whale I was hooked. After going back many times it influenced me to want to become a whale trainer. As years have gone on I have learned killer whales in SeaWorld means they are in captivity. Why are these amazing animals spending their whole lives in a small swimming pool? Killer whales have been taken out of their habitats and put into captivity for research to be done on these amazing animals. An associate director of the Environmental Group Earth Island Institute Mark Berman says trying to incarcerate an animal as large as a killer whale or an animal with a large brain it’s proven it does not work (Pete). These killer whales need the freedom to travel wherever they’d like, not to have a routine day after day for the whole lives. The killer whales swimming in pools of aquariums builds frustration and aggression. Lori Marino is a neuroscientists says when whales in captivity are thrown with other whales that are no in their pods it could result in hyper aggression (Blackfish). Killer whales are meant to be free in the ocean swimming with their pods and families, not to be separated and...
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...killer whales; also known as the orca, (Orcinus orca) first to put in a cage for the world to see. The view of the killer whale has shifted from a dangerous killer to a cuddly animal. Theses whales have gone from a sea creature shot at by humans, to the star money maker at theme parks. Both images become one-sided, putting the creature into stereotypes. Orcas resemble humans, very complex, intelligent, and also taken advantage of. As of today, they stand as the largest animal and predator to be put in the smallest captivity. The killer whales beauty has mesmerized humans for years, but captivity not only breaks down the physical and mental health of these creatures, and also puts others in danger. Studies have shown the life expectancies of an orca in captivity remain well below the life of a wild counterparts. Industries claim that the achievements in veterinary care and nutrition have made a life of orca far better, but studies prove that the whales act much better in the wild. In 2007, SeaWorld responded to questions asked by KGTV and stated “We have often said that 30 years is a good estimate of average killer whale lifespan as we can exceed that age, as evidence by one of ours, Corky. She is at least 40 and perhaps as old as 42. Biology of Marine Mammals said that female killer whales in their studies group had a mean life expectancy of 31 years and males just 19 years”(Rose). The average whale can live up to 100 years old in the wild. In captivity the average whales life...
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...animals, whales and dolphins, that would be better off in the wild than trapped in tanks and forced to perform. The safety of both the humans and the animals would be better if separated. SeaWorld shouldn’t be able to have whales and dolphins in their parks because it hurts the life expectancy of the animals, the peoples safety is in danger, and the health of the animal can be affected greatly. The life expectancy of orcas in captivity is nowhere near the wild life expectancy. The life expectancy for an orca is very low compared to in the wild (wild male, about 30; female, about 50). The orcas are losing their lifetime in captivity as for orcas in the wild are trying to live life to the fullest. Out of 160 whales that died in captivity,...
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...Free Orcas How much do you really know about whales in captivity? Do you think the whales at sea world enjoy being there? Imagine you're walking down the street with your family when out of nowhere you're trapped in a net and being taken away from them. This happens to young whales almost everyday and is very unnecessary. Orcas should not be kept in captivity because it causes premature death, anxiety, and violent behavior. Many people would consider these results to be animal abuse. It has been confirmed that whales in captivity have higher mortality rates than those in the wild and these rates have only worsened over the years. According to the report “Killer Controversy: Why Orcas Should No Longer Be Kept in Captivity,” "Captive female orcas give birth too young and too often, leading to both high adult and high infant mortality." Also, the chronic stress of being confined weakens their immune system which leads to infection. This is the most common cause of death for captive orcas. The average life expectancy of a wild orca is 30-50 years. Orcas who have died at Sea World have an average age of death of 13 years old. The shocking fact is that over 161 whales have died in captivity, and it can easily be prevented by leaving them in the wild where they belong. Another outcome of the confinement is anxiety. Orcas who are not compatible with one another are placed in relatively small tanks which results in anxiety and tension. This tension often leads to brutal fights...
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...Martha Sugalski states, “Seaworld’s whale performances may never be the same”( Documentary). Orcas named as Blackfish are highly intelligent and the largest member of the dolphin family. A documentary about blackfish produced by Gabriela Cowperthwaite. The main purpose of this documentary was to focus on the consequences of keeping Orcas in captivity for entertainment purposes. After viewing the Blackfish documentary and reading articles about Orcas, the argument against killer whales in captivity is justifiable because of Orcas treatment, the dangerous work environment, and the physical and psychological well-being of the Orcas. Killer whales in captivity are justifiable because of the Orcas treatment. In the documentary, Orca Researcher Howard Garrett stated, “So the adults without young went East into cul-de-sac. And the boats followed them...
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...we would see commercials of SeaWorld, showing us Killer whales entertaining the crowd by performing tricks never seen before. Tourists can leave the park being reassured that killer whales in captivity in fact enjoy performing and are living the lavish lifestyle. Their living standards are far more superior to anything found in “dark, scary ocean.”( a term used by SeaWorld’s executives to defend okra captivity.) Yet when the doors are closed we do not see what really goes on. “Blackfish” documents and exposes the inhumane treatment of Orcas and their trainers inside SeaWorld’s corporation. This documentary talks about a major incident that occurred in 2010, the death of...
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