At least 19 orcas have been taken from the wild and put into captivity since 2002. When killer whales were first put on display, the image of this black and white icon was seen as a fearsome killer. Killer whales are beautiful, majestic creatures in the wild, however, this is not always displayed while in captivity. Captivity can change these magnificent creatures to a creature that some people may fear. Captivity has been proven to cause negative physical and social effects on killer whales and their trainers.
The physical effects on killer whales in captivity are detrimental. Killer whales are much more likely to die in captivity than they are in the wild. To Illustrate, “The latest data show that orcas are more than three times likely …show more content…
In the documentary “Blackfish” they reveal an unbreakable mother and daughter bond between Kasatka and Takara. Kasatka was a loving killer whale who was never vocal and never displayed violent behaviors, when her daughter Takara was taken from her, her trainers explained that for days Kasatka screeched, crying out for her daughter (Cowperthwaite). Killer whales usually stay with their young for life, when Takara was taken from Kasatka it broke the mother and daughter bond. “there would be times during certain sessions that Tilikum would be covered from head to toe in rakes” (Cowperthwaite). When killer whales are put in cages together they don't understand each other. Former trainers explained it to be like shoving people who don’t speak the same languages together and make them get along and communicate.Tilikum was a male killer whale who was captured in Iceland and was brought to SeaWorld in 1983. When he arrived he didn’t understand any of the tricks that trainers where making him do so the other whales would attack him and beat him down because SeaWorld trainers would punish all of the whales if one couldn’t do the trick. The killer whales don’t know or understand each other so they can’t even begin to try and create the social bonds there species have in the wild. “ (killer whales) have a more complex social …show more content…
Dawn Brancheau was a trainer at SeaWorld and on February 24, 2010 she was dragged down into the water and mauled by Tilikum, a 12,000 pound killer whale who had a history of being aggressive (Cowperthwaite) . Tilikum was captured just at 2 years old. Many killer whales in the wild are not aggressive or hyperactive, so while being in captivity Tilikum adopted these traits causing the death of Dawn and many others. This was a wakeup call for many trainers. They wanted SeaWorld to do something, Dawn was a loving person that they lost because of Tilikum becoming aggressive in the conditions that captivity provided him. The trainers work alongside these mammals everyday. “Those are not your whales. Ya know, you love them, and you think, I'm the one that touches them, feeds them, keeps them alive, gives them the care that they need. They're NOT your whales. They own them!” (Cowperthwaite). They form bonds with them, like they would a pet. When the killer whales become aggressive, it takes a toll on the trainers too. They also see and understand that they are splitting up families and forcing these animals to be in cages that are too small for them. Throughout the years there have been numerous accounts of killer whale trainers being injured or killed (Halverstadt). The killer whales in captivity are hostile and looking for someone to blame.
The physical effects on killer whales in captivity are detrimental. Killer whales are much more likely to die in captivity than they are in the wild. To Illustrate, “The latest data show that orcas are more than three times likely …show more content…
In the documentary “Blackfish” they reveal an unbreakable mother and daughter bond between Kasatka and Takara. Kasatka was a loving killer whale who was never vocal and never displayed violent behaviors, when her daughter Takara was taken from her, her trainers explained that for days Kasatka screeched, crying out for her daughter (Cowperthwaite). Killer whales usually stay with their young for life, when Takara was taken from Kasatka it broke the mother and daughter bond. “there would be times during certain sessions that Tilikum would be covered from head to toe in rakes” (Cowperthwaite). When killer whales are put in cages together they don't understand each other. Former trainers explained it to be like shoving people who don’t speak the same languages together and make them get along and communicate.Tilikum was a male killer whale who was captured in Iceland and was brought to SeaWorld in 1983. When he arrived he didn’t understand any of the tricks that trainers where making him do so the other whales would attack him and beat him down because SeaWorld trainers would punish all of the whales if one couldn’t do the trick. The killer whales don’t know or understand each other so they can’t even begin to try and create the social bonds there species have in the wild. “ (killer whales) have a more complex social …show more content…
Dawn Brancheau was a trainer at SeaWorld and on February 24, 2010 she was dragged down into the water and mauled by Tilikum, a 12,000 pound killer whale who had a history of being aggressive (Cowperthwaite) . Tilikum was captured just at 2 years old. Many killer whales in the wild are not aggressive or hyperactive, so while being in captivity Tilikum adopted these traits causing the death of Dawn and many others. This was a wakeup call for many trainers. They wanted SeaWorld to do something, Dawn was a loving person that they lost because of Tilikum becoming aggressive in the conditions that captivity provided him. The trainers work alongside these mammals everyday. “Those are not your whales. Ya know, you love them, and you think, I'm the one that touches them, feeds them, keeps them alive, gives them the care that they need. They're NOT your whales. They own them!” (Cowperthwaite). They form bonds with them, like they would a pet. When the killer whales become aggressive, it takes a toll on the trainers too. They also see and understand that they are splitting up families and forcing these animals to be in cages that are too small for them. Throughout the years there have been numerous accounts of killer whale trainers being injured or killed (Halverstadt). The killer whales in captivity are hostile and looking for someone to blame.