Advantages And Disadvantages Of Orca Captivity

Should Orcas Be Set Free? Many people can probably say they have been to a Shamu show at SeaWorld. They probably sat and watched how the magnificent Killer Whales do everything their trainer 's say. It’s amazing how well they listen and are able to learn all the different motions. In the 1960’s, Orcas began being hunted and sold to amusement parks for millions of dollars. They are pack animals, and travel together within their pod. Orcas are taken from their families, are underfed, and spend their life swimming in small tanks when they are used to swimming up to one hundred miles a day. These animals weigh several tons, and are trapped in a small pools for the rest of their lives for entertainment, and profit. Orca captivity is bad for the …show more content…
This can range from stress, aggression, and even in some studied cases, PTSD. The Orcas and their bodies are put under so much stress each and every day. Sometimes if the Orcas don’t do what the trainers say there is often physical abuse involved and food will be withheld. There is a lot of aggression, and whales and people have died because of this. There have been 3 reported fatal attacks with Orcas in captivity. In the wild there are no reported attacks. However, in captivity there has been 100’s of documented attacks. Well known former trainer, Dawn Brancheau, was killed in an attack by Tilikum in 2010. This was not just any attack. Some believed he was planning this attack. Tilikum could have easily killed Brancheau in a matter of seconds. Instead, he teased her for a while. He carried her around the pool, had her submerged under water for several seconds at a time, and he finally drowned and scalped her (Blackfish). Tilikum along with the other whales, are “ticking time bombs.” John Jett, a scientist and former SeaWorld trainer says, “There’s no place to swim and not much to do. His teeth cause infections. He’s sunburned. He’s bullied. Given his boring life and ill health, it comes as no surprise that he killed” (Tocco). Tilikum is the main breeder at SeaWorld, in fact he is the only breeder. His seamen is worth a lot of money. SeaWorld still breeds him even with their knowledge of his aggression. 54% of the Orcas that are born into captivity have Tilikum’s genes. This means that all the whales are more likely to be just as aggressive as Tilikum. These captive Orcas have had enough, and are now beginning to act out, and are going to continue to act out (Blackfish). Like Jett said, they are ticking time