Whales In Captivity

Whales Aren’t Pets There are a few breeds of whales that have been kept in captivity for too long. Many of their lives started in captivity and they are unable to make the transition back to their natural habitat. Some of them are kept in captivity because of injuries, for research, and even for entertainment. Whatever the reason for their captivity, they aren’t meant to be captive. Whales in captivity have become too much for humans to handle. Many of the pools that they are kept in are far to small to accommodate their need for exercise. The small pools can also cause a large amount of stress for these animals as well. Sometimes these animals, like dolphins, are kept in captivity for research. After being in captivity for too long

The breeding of whales in captivity needs to come to an end. It isn’t fair to doom them to a life in captivity. Tank size’s for whales have always been a problem. Killer whales are one of the hardest animals to keep in captivity (Noonan 394). They are very social animals and are constantly moving in the wild and their small pools don’t give them the room that they need. Lolita, a killer whale that lives in Miami, lives in a tank that is “sixty by eight feet with a platform down the middle” (Holt Gutierrez). Killer whales can weigh up to six-tons (“What to do about a killer whale”) and can be 23 to 32 feet in length. This space is obviously too small for an animal of that size. “Captivity is, in essence, poor habitat for orcas, causing early death” (“Captivity Is Dangerous”). The small tanks cause “chronic stress” (“Captivity is Dangerous”) and can cause infection, which is “the most common cause of death for captive orcas” (“Captivity is Dangerous”). Chronic stress can also be the reason for captive whales’ weakened immune system (“Captivity is

When whales are bred in captivity they don’t know how to live on their own. They depend on humans for food and don’t learn how to hunt. They don’t understand how to interact with one another like whales in the wild do. When orca’s are bred in captivity, they are normally premature and have more calves than they would in the wild (“Captivity is Dangerous”). This causes these whales to have a “high adult and high infant morality” (“Captivity is Dangerous”). The only whales that should be kept in captivity are injured whales; whales that would never make it on their own. There are some rare instances when they need humans to survive. “Springer was an immature and sickly killer whale who lost her pod in 2002 and began to associate with humans in Puget Sound near Vancouver” (“What to do about a killer whale”). Springer was “nursed back to health and returned to the wild quickly” (“What to do about a killer whale”). If a whale needs help, then humans should do everything they can to get them healthy again and nothing more. They don’t, however, need to be held in captivity so long that they start to depend completely on