One of the major problems today is the problem with orcas and other animals such as dolphins in captivity at sea parks and aquariums for entertainment purposes. Orcas have been known to have natural instincts to hunt and kill yet we “train” them to become fun and lovable yet despite the fact that they are not supposed to be entertaining the people but sea parks and many aquariums that have orcas captive use them for big money to stay successful and rich. Keeping orcas should be for educational purposes only because scientists can study their behavior and one-on-one encounters, which give scientists a great opportunity to what they can learn about orcas.

Orcas should still be captive in aquariums and sea parks but should be illegal for entertainment purposes due to the fact that orcas learn from suffering and abuse from their trainers, when the orcas perform wrong skills. If they are kept in captivity and away from entertainments and shows then it can help orcas not only behave more like their natural selves but for scientists that study orcas to learn more about their personalities up close. So, it means this can bring education to children and adults who want to learn or see an orca with their own eyes.

First, orcas should be captive in sea parks and aquariums because in an article that showed both pros and cons about captivity showed that the pros, if there is no orcas in captivity then there is no way to “provide the public to educate and conservation of [these] whales.” (Tierney, Para. 49) As for cons, there was nothing that could back this up. Many people that say yes to keeping orcas captive in sea parks and aquariums also say that “having a few whales in captivity is helping to save the population of whales in the wild.” (Tierney, Para. 50) Another pro comes from researching orcas in which “improved scientists’ understanding of the biology, ecology and impacts of growing human populations and activities on the whales”. (Tierney, Para. 50) There are also facts about how “births in captivity have minimized the need to capture whales in the wild for entertainment, and research purposes.” (Tierney, Para. 51)

Second, science is needed to help these orcas due to common knowledge about how they are being hunted every year illegally because science does not only have the purpose to learn about them but to also learn to save them. In an article about the pros and cons about training killer whales and returning Tilikum (the infamous orca with confirmed kills) back to SeaWorld writes that “understanding animal life is a key facet of biology and iconological understanding and respect [to the animal].” (Hauger, Para. 6) As science progresses in the near future, scientists can really start helping orcas in many ways such as having sea sanctuaries built and find ways to help them survive in the wild without getting captured and sent to sea parks to do circus stunts to entertain people.

And third, setting captive orcas back into the ocean is good but they are able to contract diseases from being in safe waters most of their lives also having weak immune systems due to the lack of being sick. This problem causes orcas to die much more quickly compared to wild orcas. Hauger writes that “most of the animals [orcas] are bred in captivity and would not live on their own or fend for themselves after living in captivity for so long.” This shows that Orcas have even bigger problems outside of captivity than in captivity.

I strongly do not support orcas being used as entertainment but when captive orcas are in aquariums and sea parks for educational purposes, then I am fine with orcas being in captivity. This topic is not just about how I feel but letting the world find out earlier about the hard truth is much better than finding out later when it can be much worse. Captive orcas should stay in captivity because they are likely to not be able to survive outside which can save orcas from extinction.