IndexTo what extent does captivity have a detrimental effect on orcas? The factor that perhaps affects orcas the most is the size of the tank. The detrimental effect of captivity can also be confirmed through the numerous physical effects that only occur in captive orcas. Some examples of this are as follows. The misuse of the breeding program also clearly demonstrates the seemingly unethical motives of companies like SeaWorld, as well as their lack of respect for this exceptional species. To what extent does captivity have a detrimental effect on killer whales? It refers to explicitly listing specific aspects of orca life, identifying the contrast of these orcas in and out of captivity, and then understanding and interpreting the impact of these aspects on their mental state. This also relates to the concept that perhaps all orcas in captivity suffer from psychosis and it also raises the question of whether captivity of these mammals should be banned due to its effects. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Killer whales (Orcinus Orca, also known as Blackfish) are considered one of the world's top predators, with a level of intelligence unlike any other ocean animal. They are known to be highly social and emotional beings, while maintaining their ferocious reputation as a top predator in the food chain. Orcas have been caught in the wild and used for public entertainment since 1961. The practice of this activity has proven lethal to both whales and humans; the first killer whale ever captured: Wanda, died just 42 hours after her capture from Newport Harbor. Subsequently, over the years, there have been countless incidents in which captive orcas have expressed aggression, 4 of which resulted in human fatalities. These deaths were not accidents; each was a brutal attack, however the question surrounding these incidents is whether these killer whales were acting due to their supposedly aggressive nature or whether they were only attacking due to their damaged mental state that captivity has inflicted on them. has a detrimental effect on orcas, the consequences of captivity must first be recognized; its severity and the quantity of orcas in captivity indicate this harmful effect. This is the time when orcas express their aggression, frustration and even depression through attacks. Since the first killer whale was captured (Wanda - November 18, 1961) there have been just under 100 orcas living in captivity, 45 of which are still alive and currently living in marine parks around the world. Every single captive orca, including Wanda, has shown some display of aggression; varying from being an aggressive lunge towards a trainer or escalating into something as serious as a fatality. Over 40 serious orca attacks have occurred since 1961; 4 of these died. Some captive whales such as Keto and Tilikum have been recorded as particularly aggressive and potentially highly dangerous creatures due to their actions in the past as both have killed their trainers. (Jett, 2011) On December 24, 2009, a captive-bred bull, the aforementioned Keto, killed his trainer Alexis Martinez (left in the photo) at Loro Parque in Tenerife. On February 24, 2010, just 2 months after Martinez's death, a male orca named Tilikum (captured in Icelandic), killed his trainer Dawn Brancheau (right in photo) at SeaWorld Orlando in Florida. This however was not Tilikum's first accident; on February 20, 1991 Keltie Byrne wasattacked and killed by Tilikum (along with two other female whales), and on July 7, 1999, Daniel P. Dukes was found dead on Tilikum's back after evading security the previous night and entering Tilikum's tank at Marine World. These are the only fatalities that have occurred and been documented in captivity, however there have been a multitude of other very serious attacks where trainers have been injured, affecting not only Keto and Tilikum but also other whales such as Kasatka , the original Shamu, Lupa, Cuddles. , Kianu, Orky II, Hugo, Lolita, Nepo, Skana, Hyak II, Orkid, Kandu V, Nootka V and IV, Haida II, Splash, Kyuquot, Taku, Tekoa, Freya and Skyla. (Orcapod, 2013) There have been countless other incidents involving whale aggression towards their trainers, such as lunges etc. However they have not been officially documented publicly in detail and only appear on each whale's profile, but note that every single whale in captivity has shown aggression during their years of captivity. Subsequently, compared to captive whales, only one attack with a wild orca occurred; On September 9, 1972, surfer Hans Kretschmer was bitten by a wild killer whale at Point Sur, suffering wounds that required over 100 stitches. (Lehman, 2012) Despite this, this is the only recorded wild orca attack in global history, the attack itself was considered a case of mistaken identity of prey as pods of orcas had been spotted hunting around the location in which the accident occurred. Indeed there have been many circumstances in which wild orcas have interacted with humans in an incredibly friendly and docile manner; There are also tours that allow you to dive with wild orcas in locations such as Norway and New Zealand, this is permitted due to the relaxed temperament of these animals. Every orca has the potential to attack and show aggression, wild or in captivity, however why is the number of incidents occurring in captivity off the charts and negligible in wild orcas? This is a glaringly obvious example of the difference in mental stability between captive and wild orcas as this is a result of the detrimental effect that captivity has on these mammals. Perhaps the factor that most negatively affects orcas is the size of the tank. One could say this. as the most publicly known captivity flaw as it occurs not only in orca captivity but in the captivity of any animal worldwide. Any weakness of the zoo or aquariums is that they will never be able to accomplish the feat of providing their animals with maximum freedom, however it takes the form of a joke in reference to the captivity of orcas. The size of the orca tank could be comparable to that of a large public swimming pool. pool; the two pools where orcas primarily live at SeaWorld San Diego are fifteen feet deep, one hundred and fifty feet long, and eighty feet wide, and only two of the five pools at SeaWorld San Diego are deeper than the length of the males (Orcapod, 2016). The shallow pools force orcas to spend a lot of unnecessary time at the surface causing dehydration, sunburn, and are even more prone to contracting mosquito bites that carry infectious diseases, which weaken the physical state of orcas. The small tanks also cause a number of other complications, such as imposing whale aggression on the whales, not allowing orcas to get the required amount of daily exercise, and even causing depression among the whales. However, the federal Animal Welfare Act mandates that an orca's tank must meet therequirements to have a minimum of 48 feet in each direction, but despite this law there are still aquariums that keep orcas in illegally sized tanks. The best known case of this is the Lolita orca tank in the Miami Seaquarium, her tank is only 35 feet wide. Lolita has been in captivity since August 8, 1970, where she was captured at the age of four and has lived in the same tank for the past 46 years, (Gorski, 2003), one point sharing the 35 foot wide tank with Hugo, a male killer whale. who died in an act of suicide by repeatedly banging his head against the tank, following acts of self-destruction caused by depression, no doubt from living in a government-illegal tank. The size of the tanks is rightly a crucial point which helps to demonstrate the brutal reality of captivity and this is further demonstrated by tracing the story of Tilikum, the bull killer whale which was the cause of three human fatalities. Tilikum's tank after his capture in 1983 was a paltry 100-by-50-foot pool, only 35 feet deep, where he was held against his will and forced to live with two other dominant female orcas. (Cowperthwaite, 2013). It could be argued that this triggered Tilikum's psychosis; having to live in such an isolated and closed habitat at such a young age, leading to the deaths of the three victims of his attacks. The harmful effect of captivity can also be confirmed through the numerous physical effects that only occur in captive killer whales. Some examples of this are as follows. Dorsal collapse is the most frequent disease in captive orcas and affects 100% of males. The dorsal fins of males are proportionally larger and positioned more vertically than females; some bull orcas boast dorsal fins up to 6 feet from their backs unlike females which are proportionately smaller (this is why only males suffer from dorsal collapse). In the wild, an orca's dorsal fin (the tall triangular fin in the center of an orca's back) is held upright by constant water pressure as the orca swims (Vang, 2013), which can travel up to 100 miles in a single day. In the wild, dorsal collapse occurs in less than 1% of orcas and is a sign of disease or malnutrition. However, in contrast, 100% of every male orca in captivity suffers from dorsal collapse, even some females. This is due to the lack of nutrition they receive from the fish they are fed, but above all to the size of the tank. The lack of space in their tanks prevents them from getting the necessary exercise and therefore the nutrients needed to efficiently support their bodily functions, effectively causing dorsal collapse. The fact that every single male orca in captivity suffers from this physical defect provides evidentiary support for the direct physiological detrimental effect that captivity inflicts on these whales. (Cowperthwaite, 2013) Another physical effect of captivity is shown in the comparison between the lifespan of captive orcas and that of wild orcas. In nature, orcas have a lifespan similar to that of us humans; males can live up to 70 years while females can live up to an incredible 100 years; the oldest recorded orca was 103 years old. On the contrary, in captivity the lifespan is not only shortened, but excessively reduced. The average age of death for a captive orca is just 13 years old (at this age they have just become sexually mature), and the oldest age a captive whale has ever reached is 49 years old. These statistics are not only brutally heartbreaking, but provide a clear perspective on the negative impact captivity has on an orca's life. The physical effects, however,unfortunately they do not represent the extent of the captivity. After considering the mental damage whales suffer from the cruel ordeals of captivity, looking at the history of captive orca attacks, one must understand that not only are these attacks major expressions of a lack of mental stability, but a demonstration of the difficult situation of these mammals. and observing their self-destructive behavior presents this. This ideology of captive whales, all engaged in a self-destructive pattern due to their captivity, was first verified in 1961, when Wanda, the first captive killer whale, was captured. Immediately after being placed in her tank at Marineland Pacific, she repeatedly banged her head against the walls of the tank until her death on her second day of captivity. She was only 7 years old at the time of her death, and being in this emotional state is a clear repercussion of the hardships inflicted on her at such a young age due to her imprisonment. This was an obvious example of self-destructive behavior, and many believe that Wanda's death was an act of suicide (Messenger, 2014). Depression and suicidal thoughts are not anthropomorphic behaviors at all and are both emotions that orcas are capable of experiencing due to their high level of intelligence and sociability. Another example of when the limitations of an orca were exhibited was on March 4, 1980 at the Miami Seaquarium, where the orca Hugo died after repeatedly hitting his head against the walls of his concrete tank which was originally so small that it now is home to manatees. (photo on left of tank) (Garrett). Hugo was only ten years old at the time and there has been ongoing debate about his death as to whether or not it was a case of suicide, however after having thoroughly studied the neuroanatomical extent of an orca, one can safely express an opinion stating that it was a case of suicide. a highly probable act of suicide, especially considering that no events have been recorded in which orcas acted with self-destructive behavior similar to that of Hugo. Hugo certainly had the ability to recognize his difficult situation and then follow it up with a suicidal act following several violent acts of self-destructive behavior. It was his choice to behave this way and to say anything less than that he has lost the will to live would be to deny the evidence provided. The previously discussed physical symptoms and mental instabilities, as well as not-so-common illnesses such as eroded or broken teeth, weakened immune systems, stomach disorders, skin diseases, and premature blindness are all key evidence to prove the concept that captivity has a harmful effect on killer whales, as each of these listed diseases is caused primarily by stress, or lack of exercise, or malnutrition; all of this occurs in captivity. This leads to a discussion of the variables that are the structure of life in captivity and whether these variables have a detrimental effect on orcas. One of these primary variables is also one of the most significant elements in the life of orcas. life; their sociality. Orcas have a very high level of social awareness (only humans are more complex and adaptable). In the wild, orcas live in pods; a matriarchal society where orcas remain for life. The calves never leave their mothers and, as previously stated, there is no cross-breeding between different pods. Pods on average consist of 80-90 members, with the largest approaching 100 members (Cordey, 2015). It is thanks to this advanced capacity for sociality that when the pods are torn apart (for example when a member of the pod iscaptured) this affects the entire lives of the pod members to an incomprehensible level, potentially being one of many factors leading to captivity. orcas suffering from a psychosis that can eventually lead to attacks. The sociality of orcas is so crucial that they are defined by who they know, who their family is and who their friends are, and their individual relationships with these animals. This social intelligence can be thought of as humans giving whales anthropomorphic and seemingly unrealistic characteristics, however orca intelligence has been verified since orca neuroanatomy was made possible through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Marine biologists studied an MRI of an orca's brain (which weighs about 5000 g) and found that it was incredibly similar to that of a human brain (Lori Marino, 2007). For example, the orca brain possesses an exceptional degree of development in the cerebral cortex, particularly in the insular cortex, temporal operculum, and cortical limbic lobe; these areas of the brain concern memory, generating emotions and social responses in addition to visual processing (Marino, 2004). Orcas' sonar abilities are exceptionally advanced, and depending on which pod they come from, orcas have actually been recorded to produce consistent individual voices within their separate pods. These different voices have actually been identified as a form of diverse dialects, perhaps even languages ​​spoken between orca pods (perhaps being one of the factors why they do not interbreed between pods) while being yet another demonstration of their high degree of socialization. This information about the neuroanatomy of orcas demonstrates how easily these mammals are susceptible to the stress of captivity as their highly evolved brains unfortunately allow them to be influenced to a harmful extent and then manipulated to perform tricks and stunts for our entertainment. breeding program also clearly demonstrates the seemingly unethical motives that companies like SeaWorld maintain, as well as their lack of respect for this exceptional species. One of the main reasons Tilikum remains at SeaWorld is because he is a key part of the breeding program, meaning he has been the most successful breeding male orca in captivity. Tilikum has fathered a total of twenty calves, some of which were stillbirths and miscarriages, and is a grandfather to five orcas, with a total of twenty-one compatible mates. However, many of Tilikum's calves were produced through in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination, for example when the trainers wanted Tilikum to mate with one of the females despite them not being compatible mates, for example Kasatka was one of them. (Cowperthwaite, 2013). However, following this, many of Tilikum's children have had mutant calves, and incest is a common occurrence in captivity, something that does not exist in nature. Perhaps another factor that can have a devastating effect on an orca's social structure is the separation of calves and mothers. This is a common thing in captivity, they are usually separated for convenience; the mother and calf do not work together efficiently at shows or are separated due to money. Orcas can cost up to millions; Tilikum is worth around five million (his manhood makes him worth that much) and many parks globally trade their whales with other parks if necessary. However the social effect this has on the mother and calf is inexcusable. Kasatka and Takara are a perfect example of this, Kasatka was the mother, Takara the calf. They were separated when Takara was attracting too muchKasatka's attention during the shows and Takara was transferred to SeaWorld Orlando in Florida. After Takara's absence, Kasatka was recorded making long-distance voices; in an attempt to look for his daughter. In the wild, the calf and mother remain together for the rest of its life until death, making this separation one of the most difficult and unnatural processes for these emotional beings. After this separation, Kasatka acted repeatedly by showing aggression towards coaches, orchestrating a near-fatal incident in 2009 with coach Ken Peters, following three attacks on the coach several weeks earlier. This incident consisted of Kasatka grabbing Peters by the leg and dragging him underwater at 2 atmospheres of pressure for several minutes at a time. (Cowperthwaite, 2013) Peters survived this attack mainly due to scuba training in the past and was able to adapt to the pressure and breathing holds, however he was seconds away from death. Kasatka had never demonstrated any similar behavior prior to his separation from Takara, providing the simplest answer that it was this separation that drove Kasatka to act this way, while also contributing to the concept that captivity has a detrimental effect on killer whales. After 55 years of orcas in captivity, aggression from one whale to another is expected behavior. It is something that affects every orca regardless of gender, age or size, due to the matriarchal social system. This system naturally requires a matriarch to be the leader of the group. The matriarch may not necessarily be the oldest or largest, however she will be the most socially dominant. This means that there is a natural pecking order, as exists in every group of animals (including humans), however the creation of this hierarchy can be demonstrated most often through aggressive behavior among killer whales. Whale-to-whale aggression obviously occurs in nature, but to an incomparable and greatly reduced extent. If there is tension between two or more pod members, it is unlikely to be serious and even then there are miles of ocean for the victim to swim away from the situation. Even pods in nature grow together; therefore a safe and stable matriarchal system is established that is able to slowly adapt each time a new calf is born if doing so would disrupt the current system. However, in captivity the situation is completely different. The reason why the level is so high in captivity is mainly because orcas are descended from different pods and come from different oceans. As previously mentioned, wild pods do not associate with each other, and for good reason as each individual pod is so different and unique and maintains almost what you might call individual cultures with different languages, so it makes it almost impossible for orcas to captivity communicate effectively by provoking attacks of dominant aggression. So when orcas approach each other showing aggression, the risk is usually potentially high for both animals. Being contained in their pools means neither can escape the situation, and lacerations (often called "rakes") are part of an orca's daily life in captivity. (Jett, 2011) In the past, aggression by one whale on another whale has resulted in the death of an orca, for example, in August 1989, following multiple aggressive attacks that led to the crisis, a orca named Kandu V violently attempted to express her dominance over another female. named Corky, in which she charged from a backyard pool into the public show pool towards Corky where she fractured her jaw, severingan artery after which Kandu V bled to death (photo on the left). (Cowperthwaite, 2013). There have been other incidents demonstrating severe whale-to-whale aggression where whales were injured, however this case was the only fatal one, but although this case is unique, it clearly shows a flaw in their social structure, as they do not no whale on whale has been recorded. attack in nature resulting in fatality. Once again Tilikum is a perfect case to discuss this. After his capture and being forced to live in a very small enclosure from an early age, Tilikum was forced to spend his early years in captivity with two incredibly dominant female orcas, much larger than him and much more aggressive . They continually raked Tilikum to impose their dominion over him, raking their teeth over his skin and scratching him, covering him all over with scratches from which he sometimes bled. (Cowperthwaite, 2013) It was during this time that Tilikum's first victim, Keltie Byrne, was killed. Any psychiatrist would tell you that this would be equivalent to having to endure a stressful and traumatic childhood, especially considering that this would not happen naturally. It could be argued that it was also for this reason that Tilikum repeatedly lashed out at his captors, and that this was simply his frustration with what was a traumatic past. In relation to the social structure of these whales, hunting is a huge element activity not only in the life of orcas but also in every other living thing on the planet. By placing these natural predators in captivity, you remove them from the food chain causing even more unnecessary stress and disorientation in their lives. In the wild, orcas have a wide selection of prey; they have been documented to eat penguins, seals, Chinook salmon, herring, leatherback sea turtles, as well as gray whale calves, rays, and even some shark species (Cordey, 2015). In the wild, the average adult killer whale consumes approximately three hundred and seventy-five pounds of food per day; approximately one to four percent of its body weight (Anderson, 2006). In captivity, however, the contrast is evident. Captive orcas are forced to survive on a diet consisting exclusively of dead and thawed fish. Parks like SeaWorld freeze fish to extend their shelf life, however freezing, storing and thawing fish reduces the natural nutritional value of the fish, as well as the level of water content. For this reason, trainers resort to pumping fish full of vitamins and supplements and sometimes even antibiotics in an effort to maintain the whales' health (Seaworld). In fact, Tilikum was currently on antibiotics and antifungal medications with an elevated white blood cell count during the time he attacked Dawn Brancheau (Jett, 2011). Not only are captive orcas almost driven to the point of starvation, but they are controlled primarily through food deprivation. If an orca does not respond or act in what is considered a desirable way, trainers punish this behavior by denying it food. In some cases, if a group of orcas perform together and one of the orcas does not act as commanded, this could result in the entire group being punished by being deprived of food. A primary example of their control through the use of food that is denied to them is when orcas are not given their full daily food ration before a show; is halved so that the whales are as cooperative and compliant as possible with trainers during shows due to their hunger (Ventre, 2012). If analyzing this one could consider this as a form of blackmail or corruption, one might also ask why companies like..