Keeping Orca Whales In Captivity Research Paper

2443 Words10 Pages
Imagine being kidnapped, as an adolescent, torn apart from your family for the rest of your life. That is exactly what happens to these poor orca whales that are harshly captured and put into captivity for the sole purpose of human entertainment. Since 1961, at least 148 orca whales have been put into captivity (4). These whales are taken from the wild away from their pods and unwillingly put into aquariums where they are forced to perform for our entertainment. Although some people believe there is nothing wrong with keeping orca whales in captivity, it is detrimental to their health and it is inhumane due to the fact that they are confined in small areas, separated from their families, and it causes aggressive behavior. Some people believe…show more content…
The diet for the whales in captivity is not as healthy compared to a diet in the wild. In the wild, they have a wide variety of food, about thirty different species. On the other hand in captivity, they don't nearly have as much as a variety. They are fed primarily dead Herring . The reason for the whale being fed Herring has nothing to do with the health of the whale instead it’s for convenience of the facility (9). Also due to the whale not able to hunt their own live food, they don't obtain water like normal. So in attempt to hydrate the whales, the facility feeds them a gelatin like substance, which is made out of cow and pig bones. For example,Tilikum, has to eat eighty three pounds of this substance just to stay hydrated every…show more content…
In the ocean, male orcas live from sixty to seventy years of age and eighty to one hundred for the females. For a poor orca in the harsh aquarium world, the average age is only nine years old! The death rate at SeaWorld is up to twenty four whales within twenty five years. Out the one 148 whales that were taken from their families and forced into captivity, 126 are now dead. This does not include the twelve whales that were born into captivity and the 30 miscarried or stillborn calves that also died. These whales are living these miserable lives that is forced upon them, being mistreated, and dying so young and yet the public continues to sit back and watch the animals suffer as there
Show More
Related

  • Ethical Issues In Shedd Aquarium

    2659 Words  | 11 Pages

    When parents take their children to aquariums, zoos, and marine parks they never really think about where these twenty-two thousand pound orca whales are forced to stay, or where these four hundred pound dolphins reside for most of the day. Any time they visit an aquatic park, such as SeaWorld, or an aquarium, such as Shedd Aquarium, the animals seem happy, the workers seem to enjoy themselves, and the atmosphere is fun. People visit these places for the experience and the excitement that comes over

    Read More

More about Keeping Orca Whales In Captivity Research Paper

Open Document