Orca Research Paper

Orcas, more commonly known as killer whales, are known to live in large communities or family groups that consist of up to 40 individual orcas living, hunting, and communicating together as one unit (National Geographic). They are dependent on each other in all aspects of life and have more complex emotions and feel more in-depth than humans can imagine. Capture and separation of individuals from their pods not only has psychological effects on the one orca but on all within the pod. Freeing orcas from captivity is important because orcas have been abused socially, emotionally, and physically for over half a century.

Orca whales are the largest members of the dolphin family. Orcas are very curious creatures, they like to sky hop, which is when they poke their heads out of the water and look around, and they can also dive to as much as a hundred feet. These social animals live in pods and stay with them for their whole lives. They are so family oriented that they can may sleep together in a tight circle and have synchronized breathing. Orcas can grow up to thirty-two feet and can weigh nine tons. They typically eat five percent of their body weight and are amazing hunters. The lifespan of an orca in their

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.

SeaWorld orca adds another to kill count. Zoos are bad because they harm the animals, the trainers have doubt and it can lead to bigger problems, and they put a lot of stress on others.

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.

Occasionally the whales will fight with each other due to stress, but since they are in such a small enclosure they have nowhere to go to get away from each other like they would in the wild. Many orcas that are held in captivity have problems with their teeth and they have to have their teeth drilled. “All captive adult male orcas have collapsed dorsal fins, likely because they have no space in which to swim freely and are fed an unnatural diet of thawed dead fish”(8 Reasons). Some killer whales also develop infections and the whales are not healthy because they are not fed a healthy diet like they would eat in the ocean.

Occasionally, the whales will fight with each other due to stress, but since they are in such a small enclosure they have nowhere to go to get away from each other like they would in the wild. Many orcas that are held in captivity have problems with their teeth and they have to have their teeth drilled. “All captive adult male orcas have collapsed dorsal fins, likely because they have no space in which to swim freely and are fed an unnatural diet of thawed dead fish”(8 Reasons). Some killer whales also develop infections and the whales are not healthy because they are not fed a healthy diet like they would eat in the ocean.

The orca or “killer whale” is a highly intelligent and self aware creature. In the wild, they are regarded as gentle and friendly, only in captivity do they live up to their nickname “killer whale”. No reported deaths have been documented in the wild, but 4 deaths have occurred while in captivity. Tilikum the orca is arguably the most infamous of captive orcas. He was captured in 1983 when he was 2 years old. Because of the stress of being deprived of everything natural and important to him, Tilikum has been involved in 3 deaths during his time in captivity. Conditions for orcas in captivity such as, small tanks, horrible health conditions and inadequate social interaction, breeds aggression. Seaworld likes to make believe they care about their orcas when, in reality, they view these intelligent creatures as nothing more than underwater cash cows. Orcas do not belong in captivity, they are going to continue to be a danger to both themselves and humans as long as they are being held prisoner.

After watching the documentary Blackfish, reading several articles on whales in captivity and researching Killer Whale (Also Known as Orcas), I am now well informed on the subject of killer whales in captivity.

The body weight of the white eye orca varies, males have a bigger posture than females, their body length can be approximately 28 feet, and females can reach up to 23 feet. The males can weigh up to 15,000 pounds, and females can weigh up to 10,000 pounds. The main characteristics of the body appearance is that white eye orcas are black with white big spots on the dorsal fin, dorsal ridge and on the blowhole. The eyes and the flukes are white. Its body shape is cylindrical, tall dorsal fin, as well as, the tail flukes are wide and strong, which is very helpful in quick navigation through the rough and calm ocean currents. The body of the white eye orca is quite muscular, however it does not have a lot of body fat. This is the reason why it does not need an insulator. Another important fact about the body structure of the white eye orca is the skin. The body is covered with quite thick layer of the

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

Killer whales, also known as orcas, should be released from captivity at SeaWorld. There are many problems with keeping orcas in captivity. Orcas become more aggressive, have a shortened life span, and are kept in tanks that are much too small for them, and for these reasons should be set free. Killer whales in captivity would have a much happier life if they were free.

On February 21, 1991 trainer Keltie Byrne fell into a pool containing 3 Orcas , she was pulled to the bottom and drowned by the the 3 Orcas. Orca Trainers help the orcas to adapt to their surroundings making it easier for their survival. Orca Trainers help seaworld give amazing shows with orcas , But the trainers need to know how to train them without having their life being in danger. Orca Trainers should not have much contact with an orca , when the orca is stressed. When an orca is stressed it can be really Dangerous. Also Trainers do not understand orca mammals Thinking , and it will also protect the name of a Orca.

It’s also highly morally and ethically wrong to keep killer whales in captivity because of their intelligence. Killer whales “have the second-largest brains of all ocean mammals, and are believed to be one of the smartest animals on the planet.” (Independent) They are not able to use their intelligence their natural way in captivity. Whales in the wild “build complex family lives as well as sophisticated hunting techniques” (Independent) but captive whales are suppressed

Bottlenose dolphins are excellent swimmers. They can jump up to sixteen feet in the air. Three to seven miles per hour is their normal swimming speed, but they can reach speeds of eighteen to twenty-two miles per hour. Dolphins also porpoise, which is when a dolphin swims fast enough to repetitively come out of the water and back under the water in one swift movement. This uses less effort than swimming fast at the ocean’s surface. When dolphins swim in deep open water, they often dive. They dive