Orcas Are Held In Captivity For Exploitative/entertainment Purposes Despite The Health Conditions It Causes: Pros And Cons

Should orcas be held in captivity for exploitative/entertainment purposes despite the health conditions it causes?

Orcas have been held in captivity for over 5 decades at first our intentions were to observe the majestic creatures but now have been turned into an exploitation for entertainment industry. The first capture was in 1961 by Marine land of the Pacific in California. Two days after the orca’s introduction into her tank, she smashed her rostrum head-on into the tanks’ wall and died. Since 1961 over 156 orcas have been placed into captivity, 129 of these are now dead. Many assure that the orcas have passed from natural causes such as old age or ongoing medical conditions that couldn’t be prevented. Although this could be true, it becomes a rarity in these circumstances. The average lifespan of the common orca (in the wild) male; 30 years (maximum 50-60 years) and females; 46 years (maximum 80-90 years). This number declines sharply in captivity, averaging at just 19 years! Many health issues impact the fate of the orcas, health issues that occur in captivity at much higher rates including broken teeth (bad dental health), kidney diseases, pneumonia, west Nile virus (mosquito born disease) and general infections. The containment of wild orcas causes both psychological and physical stress on their bodies, leading the orcas to show aggression toward each other and humans that is unforeseen in the wild. So the question arises, why are we still funding a multimillion dollar company that exploits orcas in hopes that we can be entertained?

What defines intelligence? The dictionary defines it as “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills”. Many scientific studies have been conducted to test the intelligence of these animal and it has been stated that they (Delphinoidea, specifically Orcinus Orca) are the one smartest oceanic family groups. Research conducted has proven that killer whales are so smart, so intellectual in fact that they are able to learn/mimic the language of another species. On the subject of communication, all captive whales are not from the same region thus the problem with miscommunication and tension arises. Due to the fact that they have complex social bonds, many scientists have argued that it is not humane to keep orcas in captivity. It certainly is true that upon observing killer whales, both in the wild and in captivity, that they exhibit a range of emotions from joy, fear, frustration, and anger, as well as self-awareness. Orcas have complex emotions similar to that of humans, and have been found to show symptoms of depression and anxiety. Many orcas are separated from their mother in captivity at a young age, much earlier than that of the wild orcas. An orca first years are crucial as its mother teaches them everything from how to find it food to simply communicating with its pod. Evidence shows that 46/54 of the killer whales involves in aggressive incidents were separated from their mothers before the behavior started. Restricting highly sociable family orientated animals to small artificial pods causes great distress to an already stressful situation

Orcas have shown aggression in levels much higher than what is observed in the wild. There have been 153 recorded incidents in captivity, this includes the 3 deaths at the hands of these captive orcas. A prime example of aggression shown to the trainers is infamously known Tilikum, as he was counted responsible for these deaths.

The underlying issue with captivity is the confinement, the fact such large predators are being restricted to such a small space. Many say that the equivalent for humans would be to spend the rest of our lives in a bathtub. In no way, shape or form will these tanks ever be enough to support the natural behaviors of the orcas

Tank size comparisons and human ignorance

• Bathtub sized to humans
• Poor diets (fed fish, although many orcas diet regulations in the wild consist of squid, seals small sharks and whales
• Boredom in tank, causes them to chew at tanks (impacting dental health)
• Health issues the high density of it being found in captivity vs wild
• broken teeth (bad dental health), kidney diseases, pneumonia, west nile virus (mosquito born disease) and general infections

References that I have used/ will be using

The documentary’s on captive orcas and their struggles including:

• Inside the Tank (2017)
• Blackfish (2013)
• Voiceless (2016)

CREDIBLE websites (google scholar and Murdoch library)

• Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity authored by David Kirby
• Orca: A Whale Called Killer, The Performing Orca – Why the Show Must Stop both written by Erich Hoyt

Bibliography

1. https://us.whales.org/our-4-goals/end-captivity/orca-captivity/ (3rd march 2019)
2. http://www.orcahome.de/orcastat.htm (3rd march 2019)
3. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/03/orcas-captivity-welfare/ (3rd march 2019)
4. https://www.dolphinproject.com/resources/about-dolphins/about-orcas/orcas-in-captivity/ (20th march 2019)
5. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/mms.12225 (20th march 2019)
6. http://www.oers.ca/journal/volume5/issue2/caseReport_vol5iss2.pdf (24th march 2019)
7. https://www.inherentlywild.co.uk/aggressive-incidents
8. http://greymattersjournal.com/killer-whales-are-non-human-persons/
9. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/6/8/49/htm
10. https://www.inherentlywild.co.uk/statistical-analysis
11. https://www.seaworldofhurt.com/features/seaworlds-tanks-will-never-be-enough/