Orcas, or killer whales, are the largest member of the dolphin family.
In the wild, they live in complex and cohesive family groups called pods.
The pods are matriarchally structured, and few animals stray from their natal matriline or mother line.
Resident orcas have a unique system of vocal dialects. Each clan has an explicit dialect, and each pod uses distinct calls. These calls are believed to transfer information and help toward group unity. When orcas are living in aquaria, it is unlikely that they are with an orca from their family group, and so they do not speak the same language.
In their natural habitat, they may travel 100 miles in a day, all the while swimming and breaching, feeding, tending to their young, socializing with pod members or with another pod they encounter in their travels.
In the wild, orcas can live to be 60-90 years old. In captivity, their lifespan is greatly reduced.
No aquaria can come close to matching their lives in their natural environment, or as Dr. Paul Spong, founder of Orca Lab, said:
"What orcas are displaying in these tanks is a caricature of the real orca - almost a shadow - when you consider what the orca is like in the ocean."
The longest-held captive orca is Corky, who has been captive for 56 years and was captured (at the age of four) from her family pod in British Columbia on December 11, 1969. She was moved between marine theme parks before being sold to Sea World, San Diego in 1987. No one knows how she has survived this long in captivity when most captive orcas have truncated life spans. A campaign to move her to a seaside sanctuary in her birth waters of British Columbia is ongoing.
Other famous orca captives (all deceased)
Keiko
Keiko was made famous by the 1993 movie Free Willy. The Free Willy movies sparked a global outcry that demanded his release from captivity. Keiko, the star of the movies, was an attempt to put an orca back into the wild, and it failed for numerous reasons.
He was captured in the Atlantic Ocean near Iceland in 1979, at the age of 2. Keiko was living in a small and warm tank at the Reino Aventura amusement park in Mexico City, where his health was declining. His only companion was a dolphin, and he did not live with other orcas. He was very habituated to humans and many believe this was due to him being captured at such a young age.
Due to continued pressure from the public, and major contributions raised on his behalf, he was purchased in 1996 from Reino Aventura and flown to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Here, a rehabilitation tank had been built for him to improve his health by swimming against a current machine in his tank, and training him to hunt and catch live fish. After two years in Oregon, he was moved to a large sea pen (with husbandry care) in Iceland, to gain experience in his native waters, even though his family in the wild had never been identified. From his pen, he eventually swam in the wild, but he never reintegrated into a wild orca pod, and he continued to seek human contact before his death in Norway in 2003.
Lolita
Lolita, also known as Tokitae or Toki, died on August 18, 2023, at the age of 57 in the Miami Seaquarium. She was the last surviving orca from the infamous Penn Cove, Washington capture of 1970, where she had been captured at the age of 4. Sadly, arrangements had been made right before her death to get her moved into a sea pen (with husbandry care) in her native waters to live out the last years of her life.
Tilikum
Tilikum died on January 6, 2017, at the estimated age of 36. He had been having health issues for some time. Tilikum is the main subject of the 2023 documentary Blackfish and the orca, which was involved in several incidents leading to the tragic death of his trainer, Dawn Brancheau, in 2010. The day of her death, Tilikum had been showing signs of stress and agitation which were ignored. SeaWorld used Tilikum as a valuable breeding orca to sire offspring that could be sold to other marine parks. The documentary shows the plight of orcas held in captivity, with mothers often separated from their calves, animals forced to perform inane tricks to be fed frozen fish, and living in a small and sterile concrete tank. The documentary interviews former orca trainers, scientists who study orcas in the wild, and people involved in the capture of orcas in the 1970’s and how that horrible capture has forever haunted them and dictated the future of the resident orcas of Washington.
Take Action
Instead of visiting captive orcas, you can observe them in their natural habitat, support conservation efforts, learn about their complex lives through documentaries and resources. Engaging with these alternatives provides a more ethical and authentic appreciation of these animals.
Learn from documentaries and LIVE webcams
OrcaLab
British Columbia https://orcalab.org Listen LIVE and watch LIVE video of the wild orcas in British Columbia. For over 50 years OrcaLab has been studying the orcas and the different dialects of the orca pods.
Orcasound
Pacific Northwest https:// www.orcasound.net Listen LIVE to a network of live hydrophones (underwater microphones) placed throughout the Pacific Northwest and listen to the Southern Resident orcas.
Blackfish
This 2013 documentary exposed the controversies surrounding orca captivity, featuring the story of the male orca Tilikum.
Blackfish brought widespread public attention to the broader issues of captivity, leading to public outcry and scrutiny of marine park practices. The film led to significant public pressure on SeaWorld, leading to the park ending its captive breeding program in 2016 and that the orcas in their care are the last generation of captive orcas.
You can rent Blackfish through several streaming platforms, or purchase the DVD online.
Watch the documentary and educate others. Good teaching resource for older students to discuss the captive orca industry.
Students
Email us a high resolution JPEG of your drawing about how you feel about orca captivity: maris@savethewhales.org
Include your name, age, and what inspired your artwork.
Who Owns SeaWorld?
United Parks & Resorts Inc. (formerly SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. or SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment) is an American theme park and entertainment company headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The company owns twelve U.S. recreational facilities, including theme parks, and water parks including SeaWorld and Busch Gardens.
When planning a vacation to a U.S. theme park or water park, make sure the park does not have captive orcas, dolphins, or swim with captive dolphin programs. If the facility has captive orcas/dolphins, tell them why you will not vacation at their facility.
Observe Orcas In The Wild By Land Or Sea
Take a reputable whale-watching tour. Find tours that follow strict guidelines, to minimize disturbance to the animals. Responsible operators stay a safe distance from the whales, and educate passengers about whale behavior and conservation.
From shore: Look for land based whale-watching sites in locations with known orca populations, such as The Whale Trail in the Pacific Northwest. https://thewhaletrail.org/
Vancouver Island, Canada: Home to a large number of resident orcas.
San Juan Islands, Washington, USA: The waters surrounding these islands are frequented by orca pods. Lime Kiln Point State Park is known as one of the best places in the world to view them from shore.
Norway: In winter, orcas are seen hunting herring in the fjords of the Tromsø region, often against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains and the northern lights.
Antarctica: The Southern Ocean has a large orca population, and expedition cruises during the summer months (November to March) offer opportunities to witness their unique hunting behaviors.
Monterey Bay, California, USA: This area is a marine mammal hotspot where orcas are frequently sighted, along with many other species of marine life.
Peninsula Valdés, Argentina: Known for a population of orcas that exhibit a unique hunting strategy of beaching themselves to catch sea lions.
Support Conservation Efforts
Donate to or volunteer with conservation whale/dolphin organizations.
Support ocean sanctuary sea pens for rehabilitation of captive orcas.
Support salmon habitat restoration: volunteer with groups that restore salmon habitat, a critical food source for some orca populations.
Pollution and diminishing food supplies threaten wild orcas, you can help by using less plastic, recycling, and purchasing seafood that is certified sustainable.
Support Protective Legislation. Contact elected officials to support legislation like the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act that protect marine mammals.