BY MELANIE SMITH
When one sees a sea creature that’s larger than a car, it’s overwhelming to watch them part water with an unexpected grace. Locking eyes with them, one knows a vast intelligence exists, though only connecting through two tiny holes underneath the white spot streaked over flawless, dark skin. Orcinus Orca, commonly known as the killer whale, has sparked controversy about its captivity since the 1960s, when the first of its kind was placed in captivity. The 2013 film Blackfish has rallied thousands of uneducated viewers who lack the capability to check facts from more than one unbiased source. While Blackfish brings valid points with some degree of truth, viewers must be aware that it is heavily skewed based on emotions rather than solid evidence. Many of these self proclaimed activists do not even know what they are protesting against; I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but simply boycotting SeaWorld does not make one an activist outside the skewed illusion of social media. However, fret not: by examining evidence through an objective, scientific lens, one can reach a viable solution.
During the 1960s, there was a huge push for marine mammals in aquariums, specifically killer whales. These animals were harvested primarily from the Northwest (Washington, Oregon, and Canada) and the Northeastern Coasts (Norway and Iceland), with SeaWorld being a main driver of the trade. The captures were brutal, entailing herding killer whales with loud boats and bombs, netting the close knit family pod, and capturing the desired animals; often the animals would die of stress or by drowning in the nets. Killer whales have very complex social groups, and families stay together for multiple generations. As a result, the emotional stress for the entire pod was great. Wild captures were not sustainable and caused a great deal of harm to the mental and physical state of killer whales, leading to its eventual ban in most countries.
As most trades begin, no one was quite sure what it took in order to keep an orca. Tanks were much too small, and were dark and unclean. Killer whales have been shown to be highly intelligent, being the few species to exhibit self-recognition. Such conditions severely affect the animals psychologically and led to aggressive behavior and even self-harm, such as head banging on the side of the enclosure. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence that harvesting orcas from the wild is not the humane. Currently, killer whales are still captured from the wild as recent as 2015 in Russia and China for foreign marine parks. SeaWorld, on the other hand, has not collected the species from the wild in more than thirty years, and this is where the controversy emerges. How does captivity affect whales that were born in aquariums?
Seaworld has had 45 orcas die in captivity since 1961, due to inadequate knowledge of what it takes to harbor a 21-foot dolphin (killer whales are actually members of the dolphin family, and their name comes from some pods hunting whales). Similarly, many people die after visiting the doctor due to inadequate knowledge, but there are no protesters demanding the end to medical practices. Out of Seaworld’s 23 orcas that are held in its four parks, only 6 were wild caught, with the earliest being from 1983.
Tanks in Seaworld are filled with chilled salt water and are the largest in the world. At the Orlando Park, the habitat is six million gallons. Additionally, there are water quality monitors and experts available. Animals have an entire staff of veterinary care, and each orca receives a monthly physical as well as a quality fish diet. Furthermore, trainers develop enrichment activities to stimulate the intelligence of the resident orcas. Killer whales are not starved for their food to perform any more than a dog learning new tricks. The fact of the matter is that if orcas were being physically abused, the captors would be subjected to consequences set in place by federal agencies for violating standards involving the care of marine mammals.
Killer whales possess the second largest brain of any marine mammal, granting them intelligence that is rare among wildlife. They have complex social structures, diverse language dialects, and innovative hunting techniques. It also appears that orcas do exhibit emotion. What is even more remarkable is that all of these learned behaviors are passed down from generation to generation. Is it ethical to keep a highly intelligent species inside of a tank? There have been few comprehensive scientific studies about the psychological effect on killer whales, but eyewitness accounts describe the animals as appearing stressed or lethargic. It is difficult to determine the credibility of these accounts as it is possible they are warped by bias.
The wild capture of whales is overwhelmingly unethical, and the moral standing regarding captive born orcas is questionable. Now, the question becomes what are possible solutions. The quintessential trap many uneducated killer whale activists fall into is where they place human emotions upon an animal. This is not to say orcas are not cognitively and emotionally intelligent, but they do not necessarily do so in the same way as people; one must approach the issue objectively. Many proposed solutions are unrealistic and would have deleterious consequences. One of the popular war cries is to “free the whales.” This is completely impossible for animals that were born in captivity, as they lack the necessary skills needed for survival, were never part of a wild social group, and do not have any immunity to marine pathogens.
For wild-caught killer whales, being in captivity for too long can have similar detrimental effects. Even though they were once denizens of open oceans, they were captured at young ages in which they have not completely learned or had adequate practice of hunting techniques. It is possible that the orca could rejoin the social order, but again, the animal is most likely not well educated in its role in a hierarchy that has been functioning without the animal for decades. Wild orcas do not have a strong enough immune system to adequately protect themselves outside of their tanks.
One of the most intriguing case studies is that involving Keiko. Keiko was the star of the film Free Willy, in which a boy bonds with an orca and eventually frees him. Naturally, keeping the animal in captivity created controversy and spawned a million dollar plan to reintroduce Keiko into his original home in Iceland. The orca was taught how to hunt and relocate to an open water sea pen in Icelandic waters. It was introduced into areas inhabited by wild killer whales. Initially after his release, Keiko would be found with no food in his stomach, showing he had not been able to effectively catch food. Despite being led to an orca pod, Keiko failed to socialize and interact with them, remaining motionless at the surface. He continued to seek out human company and would often let people approach and touch him. Eventually, he showed signs of eating but never fully rejoined with an orca pod. He died three years after being introduced into Icelandic waters, due to pneumonia. Many activist groups claim Keiko’s release was a success, but scientists disagree as he never truly became wild. It is likely that he would have lived longer in an open sea pen. Releasing animals after years in captivity is not in the favor of the animal. More realistic solutions can involve legislation that prohibits captive breeding and the performance of whales in entertainment shows, resulting in a strictly educational use.
Captivity has advantages that many people overlook. Few people are able to see wild animals, and seeing them in aquariums and zoos inspires citizens to protect the environment and wildlife. However, more research must be done to illustrate the exact effect captivity has on whales, dolphins, and porpoises. The fate and the conservation of such animals are just too important to not examine carefully, and thoroughly.
