Orcas

Orcas are captured from the wild or bred in captivity to be displayed in aquaria, to perform in marine parks, or for “swim with” tourist experiences. However, orcas are highly unsuited to captivity and suffer enormously in these facilities.

In the wild, these remarkably intelligent animals swim 100 miles per day and have profound relationships with their family pods. In captivity, they languish in tanks that are only 1/10,000th of one percent the size of their natural home ranges. Orcas placed together in captivity are often from different pods, do not speak the same language, and can become territorial and even violent. Mental anguish takes a severe toll, too, and orcas have been known to self-mutilate out of boredom and desperation.

Additionally, captive orcas are susceptible to a range of ailments and issues that cause suffering and drastically shorten their lifespans. The average lifespan for a wild orca is 30 years for males and 46 years for females, although they have been known to live more than 90 years. Most captive orcas, however, die before they reach the age of 25.

In 2016, Born Free USA was part of the effort to pass California S.B. 839, a budget bill that included the California Orca Protection Act. This bill bans the possession, capture, export, and breeding of orcas in California, with an exemption for those currently held in captivity: a groundbreaking step toward ending orca captivity entirely!

Learn more about marine animal captivity on our Zoos and Aquaria webpage »

Toxic substances from human industry, trash, and marine toxic waste dumps contaminate the water in which orcas live. Because orcas are the top ocean predator and are at the top of several environmental food chains – and feed on other sea creatures who have been exposed to this toxicity – orcas are especially susceptible to consuming high concentrations of contaminants. Stranded orcas have exhibited high levels of substances like mercury, lead, and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). And, the infamous 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska was strongly correlated with the loss of nearby orcas.

Orcas are hunted in multiple regions, and are also killed in small numbers for food or for population control. In many areas – and in what became a serious problem in Alaska – fishermen shoot orcas because they view them as competitors.

In the wild, orcas can get caught in fishing nets, which result in injury or death.