The Negative Effects of Captivity on Orca Whales

Captive Habitats

Specific Cases

Kalina "Baby Shamu"

• first successful Orca calf born in captivity
• born in September 1985
• died of a blood infection October 2010
• taken away from her mother at age four to tour the other SeaWorld facilities
• became pregnant at the age of 6
• had four pregnancies in her 25 years

Pod Behavior

Killer whales live in cohesive long-term social units called pods. A pod is a group of individuals that travel together the majority of the time.

Kalina

On the coasts of Alaska and Antarctica, groups of more than 100 animals have been seen.

• pod size varies from just two or three to nearly 50 individuals. (resident pods are larger than transient pods)
• Resident pods usually include between five and 50 whales.
• Transient pods usually include only seven whales or less.
• Sometimes a sub-pod will temporarily break away from its pod.
• Females and juveniles generally remain in the center of the pod, while adult males swim at the wings.

Keiko

Tilikum

Keiko "Willy"

Tilikum

• wild caught at the age of 3
• gained notoriety after the "Free Willy" movies
• preparation for release started at the age of 22
• was finally released at the age of 26
• died of pneumonia in Norway at the age of 27

• caught at the age of 3 off the coast of iceland
• first home was Sealand of the Pacific
• SeaWorld bought him after the closure of Sealand
• has been involved in 3 deaths in his lifetime

Health Problems

Survival Revisited

Dr. John Jett and Dr. Jeffrey Ventre met at SeaWorld, where they worked together as marine mammal trainers for a combined twelve years. Working and performing directly with killer whales in a marine park, they witnessed the unhealthy and inhumane conditions that orcas are kept in, and the risky interactions that have led to the deaths of several of their human trainers.

Dorsal Fin Collapse

• This analysis determined that captive orca survival overall had grown worse in the past decade and a half.
• For animals that have entered captivity survival has not changed.
• In addition, captive-born animals, although they have survived better than wild-caught animals through 2010, have not survived better than captive orcas overall did through 1992.

Issues from Water

Dentition

Immune System

The chlorine that burns the skin also kills any good bacteria that would strengthen their immune system

pneumonia and septicemia are the number one causes of death to captive orcas

The History of Capture

Therefore the predicted improvement in survival has not in fact materialized, despite the increase in the proportion of captive-born animals making up the sample and despite supposedly continued improvement in husbandry techniques.

• became most prevalent in the 1960s
• these early attempts cause many injuries and deaths
• peaked in the early 70's

Infant Mortality Rates

A survivor of the Pen Cove captures is Lolita

Survival

Small and DeMaster

Published a paper on survival rates of captive orcas compared to wild orcas

• data was used from the end of year 1992
• the captive orcas were compared to the population in the northeast Pacific region
• annual mortality rate was two and a half times higher for the captive orcas

• Both sexes reach sexual maturity at approximately 14
• Females give birth approximately every 5 years and go through menopause at approximately 40-45 years of age
• Males live an estimated maximum of 60-70 years
• Females live an estimated maximum of 80-90 years.
• Mean life expectancy for males is approximately 31 years; for females approximately 46 years.

• Among captive whales only two females have passed the age of 40
• Four females are currently in their early 30s
• To date no captive males have lived longer than 35 years
• The oldest, currently living, is in his early 30s
• The vast majority of captive orcas of either sex die before their early 20s, many still in their early teens

The study found that orcas can have life expectancies almost equivalent to that of humans

Orcinus Orca

Male and Female Dimensions

• largest species of the dolphin family
• found in all the world's oceans
• apex predators
• hunt fish, sea lions, seals, walruses etc

Orca Species

The Negative Effects of Captivity on Orca Whales

Kayla Hanks