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Born Free: Killer Whales Essay

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When I was younger I always wanted to be a trainer at SeaWorld and work with Shamu, but of course I didn’t know how controversial captivity was. As I got older I started researching the issue and came to the realization that Orcas, also known as Killer Whales should not live in captivity. In captivity Orcas are in danger as well as the trainers who work with them. Orcas are the largest of the Dolphin family and are found in all oceans. They range from 23 to 32 feet in length, and can weigh up to 6 tons. They are one of the world’s most powerful predators, and have even been known to prey on whales (Whales.org). These magnificent mammals are born free and should remain in the oceans. It’s easy to understand that people love Killer Whales …show more content…

In the wild, Orcas have never been recorded hurting a human. But Sadly because of the stress involved in captivity, Orcas have attacked and killed six trainers total and many others have been injured (The Daily Beast.com). Tilikum, a male Orca currently living in SeaWorld, has been involved in three human deaths. Clearly, he is trying to tell them something. There have been 115 recorded incidents between humans and Orcas in Captivity (OrcaHome.com). Another sign of bad health is that all captive male Orcas have collapsed dorsal fins. This is because they do not have enough space to swim freely and are fed an unnatural diet of dead, frozen fish. SeaWorld claims this is common, but in the wild it rarely happens and is a sign of an injured or unhealthy Orca (Whales.org). Orcas living habits in the wild are suppressed greatly when put in captivity. Orcas are social animals that live in family related groups. They display a high level of care for their offspring, and as with most mammals, Orcas are very protective of their young. Orcas are also expert hunters and have a wide range of prey. This includes fish, seals, and big whales such as blue whales. Orcas are very family and group oriented (OrcaHome.com). They stay with the same pod throughout their whole life. Different Whale pods have different sounds. Each pod has their own dialect of sounds. They can easily recognize their own pod from several miles away based on the differences in

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