Orca Whales Should Not Be Held Prisoner In Tanks Animals of all species are held in captivity around the world, from giant African Elephants, to tiny Tree Frogs from the Amazon Rain Forest. There are many reasons for humans to hold animals captive. Some animals such as tigers or pandas are held in captivity to ensure that the species does not go extinct. Some others are being rehabilitated or are not capable of being released back into the wild due to an incident occurring in their past. These animals are given the proper care, in sanctuaries, to live out their lives since they would not be able to survive in the wild. On the other end of the spectrum, many animals are being held captive without any benefit to the individual animal or the
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In the wild, orca whales eat many sea mammals such as sea lions, seals and even other smaller whales (National Geographic). In captivity, these animals are restricted to a diet of frozen fish and preservatives such as gelatin. Accompanied with the unnatural food, once the orcas are fed easy meals on a daily basis, it is nearly impossible to release them back into the wild at any point (Blackfish).
Orca whales are very large creatures and the largest one currently in captivity is Tilikum a 22 foot long bull (Blackfish). The show tank in SeaWorld, which happens to be the largest, is 36 feet deep, 180 feet long, and 90 feet wide. These numbers may sound quite large, but when taking the size of the animals into account, it is not adequate size. For a 6 foot tall human, this would be like living an entire lifetime in a box that is 10 feet tall, 50 feet long and 25 feet wide. During the night and when the whales are not showing, they are held in much smaller tanks. Biologists have even linked a collapsed dorsal fin to the inadequate space these orcas have been forced into. In the wild less than 1% of orcas have a collapsed dorsal, and in SeaWorld EVERY male orca has a collapsed dorsal fin …show more content…
Although some may think these animals are cool to watch in captivity it is not in the best interest of the animal (SeaWorld). Consuming an unnatural diet, living in tight quarters with unfamiliar whales, and being forced to perform in front of large crowds puts a lot of stress on orcas. In the wild, these are animals are not known for being aggressive towards humans in any way, shape, or form (Blackfish). This aggression is shown mainly by orcas in captivity because they do not belong there and it causes stress. Furthermore, this stress could ultimately be diminished if they were left in their natural habitat with their families (Blackfish). Humans can try to train a wild animal, but at the end of the day, a wild animal is still
In the wild, orca whales eat many sea mammals such as sea lions, seals and even other smaller whales (National Geographic). In captivity, these animals are restricted to a diet of frozen fish and preservatives such as gelatin. Accompanied with the unnatural food, once the orcas are fed easy meals on a daily basis, it is nearly impossible to release them back into the wild at any point (Blackfish).
Orca whales are very large creatures and the largest one currently in captivity is Tilikum a 22 foot long bull (Blackfish). The show tank in SeaWorld, which happens to be the largest, is 36 feet deep, 180 feet long, and 90 feet wide. These numbers may sound quite large, but when taking the size of the animals into account, it is not adequate size. For a 6 foot tall human, this would be like living an entire lifetime in a box that is 10 feet tall, 50 feet long and 25 feet wide. During the night and when the whales are not showing, they are held in much smaller tanks. Biologists have even linked a collapsed dorsal fin to the inadequate space these orcas have been forced into. In the wild less than 1% of orcas have a collapsed dorsal, and in SeaWorld EVERY male orca has a collapsed dorsal fin …show more content…
Although some may think these animals are cool to watch in captivity it is not in the best interest of the animal (SeaWorld). Consuming an unnatural diet, living in tight quarters with unfamiliar whales, and being forced to perform in front of large crowds puts a lot of stress on orcas. In the wild, these are animals are not known for being aggressive towards humans in any way, shape, or form (Blackfish). This aggression is shown mainly by orcas in captivity because they do not belong there and it causes stress. Furthermore, this stress could ultimately be diminished if they were left in their natural habitat with their families (Blackfish). Humans can try to train a wild animal, but at the end of the day, a wild animal is still