Orcas In Captivity Research Paper

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End Captivity To End Suffering In recent years, the issue of the encagement of killer whales inside of SeaWorld Parks has been brought to light within society. Inside miniature tanks, these Orcas are eating an unnatural diet, fighting with each other and breaking their teeth in efforts to escape. Organizations such as Sea World of Hurt, a PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) campaign, Keep Whales Wild and The Orca Project work daily to educate the general public on the effects of captivity as well as fight for the rights of these killer whales. While these groups are expressing their passion through education and protest, they are in great need of a larger backing. It is as simple as educating yourself, spreading the…show more content…
Orcas in captivity face premature death, “In the wild they have an average life expectancy of 30 to 50 years—their estimated maximum lifespan is 60 to 70 years for males and 80 to over 100 for females. The median age of orcas in captivity is only 9, and orcas at SeaWorld rarely make it even to the average life expectancy of their wild cousins.”(SeaWorld oh Hurt) Orcas need to swim up to a hundred miles each day but in the parks they are only confined to a tiny pool and forced to swim in the same space their entire life. Being in such small spaces, light has been shed on the fighting between killer whales. “Orcas who are not compatible are forced to live in tight quarters together. The resulting anxiety and tension cause fights between orcas. In the wild, orcas have strong social bonds that may last for life, their social rules prohibit serious violence against each other, and when fights do occur, they can find space to flee. In captivity, there's nowhere for them to go, which leads to injuries and death.” (SeaWorld of Hurt) Besides fighting with fellow killer whales, Orcas are biting the bars, concrete and tanks to escape due to stress and anxiety. The diet of a whale in captivity is unlike the diet of a whale in the wild. PETA’s campaign SeaWorld of Hurt shares, “In captivity, orcas are unable to hunt and obtain water from their prey, so SeaWorld gives them gelatin, a substance that is not natural for them, in an attempt to keep them hydrated. Tilikum, who weighs 12,000 pounds alone consumes 83 pounds of gelatin every day.” (SeaWorld of Hurt) The SeaWorld Parks are blatantly taking advantage of the helplessness of these mammals, using them as props for education and

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