Killer Whales: Gentle Giants Or Viscous Killers

For several years, Americans have been visiting amusement parks, like SeaWorld and Six Flags, to observe large animals like orcas, also known as killer whales. These whales are quite difficult to view in the wild, but can now be seen for a simple fee. Orcas are known to be one of the smartest mammals. They are friendly, and this has caused people to take advantage of them. For the past sixty years, people have brought these massive creatures into their aquariums to make a profit from their exhibitions. Often, without considering the orcas' quality of life. While kept in captivity, killer whales are forced to do many tricks they normally wouldn’t do in the wild. Over the years, there have been numerous controversies regarding killer whales

“… building a tank the size of Rhode Island wouldn’t be large enough for a six-ton male killer whale such as Tilikum, an animal capable of swimming 100 miles a day,” states an anonymous whale expert. Whales have been in captivity since 1861 when P.T. Barnum displayed the first live whale that was captured in Canada. However, Barnum had no idea how to care for the mammal and it died after only a week in captivity. (Animal Legal and Historical Center, 2014) Being up close with killer whales could give us some clues about how they interact with each other, including physical behavior, their dialect, and how their pods work together as a family unit. However, what we are finding is that whales who belong in the wild are suffering in

The research shows that killer whales are not healthy in captivity. But we can stop this and seaworld has taken some steps to help solve the problem that orcas aren’t healthy in captivity. This problem affects the orcas big time, and the trainers that take care of them. Killer whales in the wild are having a great time, but remember in some countries there are no laws stopping them from catching or killing orcas. Maybe we should call them killer humans, instead of calling orcas killer whales because they’re really the problem. Research highly suggest that they expand their tanks or just plain out stop pulling killer whales out of the ocean. Some laws have been passed in the US to stop people from killing orcas or pulling them out of the ocean.

For years the killer whale, also known as Orcinus orca, has been drawing the attention of the public through the entertainment industry. These marine mammals have been bringing in billions of dollars to amusement parks such as Sea World, but at what cost? An idea that these killer whales can live happily and content while in captivity may be going through the minds of the public, but this cannot be further away from the truth. To have such complex creatures in captivity is not morally correct and there are many points against it, such as their level of emotional competence, violence between the killer whales, violence of killer of whales towards trainers, shorter lifespans, physical harm, and their level of intelligence. After taking a look at how these creatures function and the conditions they are put in while in captivity, there is no question about whether or not these mammals should be kept in captivity; an experience such as this affects these marine mammals just about the same as it would affect a human because of their high highly developed emotions and complexity. Since these industries do not have a natural authority over these creatures no matter the cause, the best thing they could do for these killer whales is to stop capturing them and return those who are capable back to the wild.

The effect on orca whales being held in captivity is not the greatest, and the history between humans and the whales that are held in captivity is also not very good. It is a subject that many scientists are working together to learn about. Even though the orcas help to educate kids by doing live shows and by helping them understand that they need to save the orca whales that are endangered, orcas should not be held in captivity because many accidents have happened between humans and the captive orcas and it is not good for their health. Another name for the orca whales is the scientific name, “orcinus orca”, or the name that you probably hear most often

Killer whales are one of the most fascinating displays of ocean life. The killer whale has characteristics that are important to its survival in the ocean. It is interesting to know that killer whales have a plentiful diet. It is astounding to see how killer whales behave in the ocean. I plan to tell you about the killer whale, its characteristics, its diet, and its behavior in the ocean as well as the predation of the orca.

In 1983 a male killer whale was captured in the North Atlantic. Already at 2 years of age he was 11.5 feet long and was named Tilikum. Once he was shipped to Sealand of the Pacific, Tilikum was put in a pool with a trained Orca and both were given the same orders. If both didn't follow through with it both were punished by food deprivation. Since Tilikum couldn't follow these orders because he had no training before, they were not given food. Due to this, the bigger female Orcas out of frustration would gang up on him and leave rake marks. Also would be attacked when left in their pool enclosure at night.

Killer Whales are Large and intelligent animals that are kept in captivity. SeaWorld in San Diego has 23 killer whales in captivity. Marine biologist including SeaWorld critics agree that the whales probably will never be released to the open seas. How would you feel if you were separated from your family and never see them again? This is how the whales that are kept in captivity feel. Although some people think whales should be kept in captivity I disagree because this makes the whales unhealthy since they are living in a pool instead of the ocean.

Killer whales were not considered a threat to humans until one day in February 1991. Keltie Byrne, a marine biology and former killer whale trainer was killed by Tilikum. According to the reports, she slipped from the tank, where Tilikum was located, prevented her from surfacing and killed her. Sadly, another tragedy of a trainer who was killed by someone she knows

At least 164 Orcas, Killer whales, have died in captivity all of them being premature deaths. Orcas should not have to suffer in captivity and should be left alone and stay in the wild. All Orcas in captivity will die at half there age. They must live in tiny tanks equaling to us living in a bathtub. They are captured from the wild when they are young and are taken from their family and then forced to interact with other whales from different whale pods which also speak a different language then them.

Killer Whales, otherwise known as Orcas, are not designed to be held in captivity. Over the past few years, we have seen an increase in Orca captivity, which also allows us to see a decrease in the quality of life in these animals. Within captivity, Orcas will experience a decline in mental health, limitations to it’s natural instincts as a wild animal, and in extreme cases, their behaviour will lead them to inflict harm or even kill their human companions.

The second captive killer whale was in 1964. This eventually ended up as the first whale to be kept in captivity for a period of time. Today there are 52 killer whales in captivity that have great health and are with Sea World. Killer whales should stay in captivity because zoologists are finding better ways to help killer whale survival such as research and watching the things the orcas do. They are better taken care of and give zoologist and themselves the scientific benefits they need because scientists earn more information and the whales are provided with better health

Since the beginning, Orca captivity and displacement has been a highly controversial issue. With some in support of educational value behind venues of captivity such as Sea World, and others opposed to the neglectful treatment and confinement of these behemoth mammals. Killer whales, more commonly known as orcas or blackfish in popular culture, are known to inhabit all oceans on the earth from tropical regions to both arctic and Antarctic areas. In nature, the Killer whale has been designated as the world’s largest apex predator, lacking any predatory threats from above. Accompanying their vaunting presence in the natural food chain, these complex species have been scientifically designated as mammals that

Ever since the entertainment industry began to capture animals for the enjoyment of others, activists who believe animals can only subsist in the wild have been protesting against this monstrous act, using powerful propaganda to entice others to join their cause. The critically acclaimed film Blackfish, which highlights SeaWorld’s treatment of killer whales, apparently reveals shocking and appalling insight on accidental deaths caused by captive killer whales. One of the highest grossing documentaries of all time, as stated on director Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s website, Blackfish has captivated millions of viewers, causing them to reevaluate their values and advocating against SeaWorld. Although Cowperthwaite has stated in an interview that the “film is not at all advocating for anything,” and that she attempted to take a “journalistic approach” to documenting these phenomena, it is clear that the events depicted in the film reflect opposition to SeaWorld and its captivity of whales. Although Blackfish extensively applies human emotion and concepts to the animal kingdom to solicit sympathy from the viewers and provides misleading information to add to the sense of credibility, further research contradicts the points made in the film, rendering the conveyance of the film’s admonition against the captivity of killer whales ineffective.

Orcas are also known as killer whales. Orcas have been around for many of years. They are the largest specie of the dolphin family. Most people recognize Orcas by being called “killer whales” and their color being black and white. Killer whales usually live up to 50 years old in the wild and a lot less in captive areas. Places such as Sea World have kept killer whales in captivity for many years. Although people enjoy the sight of the Orcas, we fail to see the harm it is causing them by keeping them in a secluded area. Are Killer Whales safer in confined spaces? Or should they be kept in their natural habitat? Being held captive limits their freedom and enjoyment of life and doesn’t allow them to be who they really are. Recent studies have shown that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) claims “To confine them in a space that is, at best, a tiny fraction of the size of their ocean home, depriving them of natural stimulation and social bonds, leads to boredom and, at worst, to poor