Negative Effects On Orcas

The Negative Effects Captivity has on Orcas Orcas, also known as killer whales, have been captured and placed in captivity beginning in 1961. Not only were orcas captured and brought into captivity, many were born into captivity. An increasing amount of Orcas in captivity has started a serious conversation on whether Orcas are benefiting or suffering from being held in captivity. There are differing opinions about captivity having a positive or negative effect on the Orcas well-being. There are numerous amounts of negative effects resulting from orcas being captured and kept in captivity including: separation from pods, aggression towards other whales, aggression towards humans, a shortened lifespan, lack of exercise, tooth decay, lack of natural enrichment, unnatural reproduction, food deprivation, and the drugging of orcas. Orcas that were captured and brought into captivity were separated from their pods. Pods are the group of orcas that an orca will travel with for the entirety of their lives. The only time that these orcas would leave their pods was to breed (Henn). When orcas began getting captured the wild the pods began to catch on. In the documentary Blackfish an Orca researcher named Howard Garrett described how the whales tried to prevent their young from being captured. The adults without young whales would go east and the orcas with the young would go north, in hopes of outsmarting the captors. However, the orca hunters caught on and followed the orcas