Science & Technology - Posted by Carol Clark-Emory on Friday, February 26, 2010 13:54 - 5 Comments 
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(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Should killer whales be captive?
“[Killer whales] don’t have room in these tanks to swim as far as they would like to. When you take all of that energy and put it into a small tank, a lot of stress builds up and it’s like a perfect storm waiting to happen,” says neuroscientist Lori Marino. (Credit: Paul Chetirkin/Marine Photobank)
EMORY (US)—The death of killer whale trainer Dawn Brancheau in Florida this week—after a 12,000-pound orca named Tilikum pulled her into a tank—has raised new questions about the confinement of dolphins and whales in theme parks.
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Emory neuroscientist Lori Marino, an expert on the brains of cetaceans—including porpoises, dolphins, and whales—discusses the toll captivity can take on killer whales.
What are some common misconceptions about killer whales, also known as orcas?
“Killer whales are actually dolphins. They are called whales because they are the largest dolphins, but they are in the same family as the bottlenose dolphin. Although they are top predators, they are not naturally aggressive to people. I have colleagues who research orcas and swim with them in the wild. People will go out in very small boats and paddle among orcas. They could easily reach up and grab you and gobble you up. And yet there is not a single incident of an orca injuring, let alone killing, a person in the wild.”
What do we know about killer whale intelligence?
“The orca brain is the most convoluted brain on the planet. These are very, very intelligent animals with major, impressive brains.
“I think people would be surprised to know that orcas form cultures in the oceans, and they pass these on through generations. It’s stunning. Different groups of orcas make distinct sounds and we call these dialects. It’s like a Brooklyn accent versus a Manhattan accent.
“Orcas have really creative ways of getting prey. In the Arctic, a sea lion may try to escape them by getting on a floating chunk of ice. A group of orcas will form a line and rush forward together to create a wave to make the ice chunk wobbly and throw the sea lion into the water. You see a lot of group cooperation like this among orcas.”
Why are you so strongly against keeping killer whales and other cetaceans in theme parks?
“The normal range of an orca is several 100 kilometers per day, and they like to dive really deep. They don’t have room in these tanks to swim as far as they would like to. There is no evidence that they kill each other in the wild, but they have been known to kill each other in captivity. When you take all of that energy and put it into a small tank, a lot of stress builds up and it’s like a perfect storm waiting to happen.
“I understand that people want to see these animals up close, but I want people to understand the price that the animals are paying. What happened at SeaWorld is tragic all around, for the trainer who lost her life and for the whale.”
Emory University research news: http://esciencecommons.blogspot.com/
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5 Comments
Gene Giffords
I saw this show and was great to watch, but I agree that only place for those killer whales is open ocean.
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Peter and Mary Chetirkin
It is absurd that these marine mammals are used for amusement and profit making, especially when you listen to CEOs of these complexes. When representatives of marine parks, etc., talk about the educational importance they are blinded with the business and profit concerns, not education. How can an any animal in captivity provide an educational environment for the public when they are out of their natural environment? IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE.
In terms of having these animals for propagation in these facilities, this is absurd as well. The genetic material is altered when animals are in captivity, i.e. the offsprings have less vigor, prone to infections due to a poorer immune system, and display abnormal behavior. Performing in front of people is not normal behavior. People like Jack Hanna who promote the idea that this is education is blinded by the overall commercialization of these creatures. Enough! Put them back where they belong.
someone
We should not capture the dolphines and whales!
Never, never should an Orca have been captured and placed in Sea World’s holding pens. This comment comes from an individual who not only feels deep distress about Orca’s in captivity but extends to the whole gamut of Humans putting all sorts of creatures in Zoo’s, Aquariums, etc.
That Orca was confined in an agonizing small space and not happy from day one. A wild creature used
to unlimited opportunity to travel and we took it away for the sake of Money.
There is more available animal viewing/education today on TV and the internet. Anybody that disagree’s
with the above should spend some time in, let’s say a 10 x 20 space for years. Thats a space without any change just the same monontonuos environment day in and day out.
Thanks