Killer whales were first captured and separated from their family group (pods) to be put display for the public 1964. After years of research in their natural habitat and at marine parks throughout the world, it has become obvious that they belong in the ocean and not kept in captivity (Rose). The stress that killer whales feel at being kept in tanks for the general public’s amusement changes their natural behavior and makes them a danger to anyone who has direct contact with them. I feel that after so many years of having marine biologists and veterinarians studying these animals in captivity that little can be left to learn about the killer whales to justify breeding killer whales and keeping them in marine parks. Killer Whales …show more content…
Male killer whales typically live up to 30 years in the wild but can live for as long as 60 years. Female killer whales typically live up to 50 years but they can live as long as 100 years (“Killers”). In captivity, only a few out of the more than 200 whales that have been either captured in the wild or bred at the marine parks have lived beyond 40 years (Rose). Female killer whales become sexually active between 6-10 years of age and males between 10-13 years of age. Female killer whales in the wild are thought to breed every three to five years and nurse their calves for the first one to two years. The gestation period for the pregnancy is seventeen months (“Welcome”). Killer whales are very social animals and are commonly found in pods of as few as 3 to more than 25 animals including at least one large male. Killer whales typically stay in their pods for their entire lives. Various pods of killer whales have been observed mixing with other pods either for social interactions or mating (“Killer”). They communicate through a series of whistle and clicks, which can be modulated by pitch and multiple harmonics. Pulsed calls are the most common form of vocalization that resembles squeaks, screams, and squawks to the human ear (“Killer”). Killer whales are actually pack hunters, like wolves, coordinating their attack and herding their prey into a small area. They are called killer whales due to the fact that
Killer whales are taken from their mothers at young ages to be put inside training facilities such as Seaworld. Many cry to their families as they are hoisted up into trucks and driven away. Whales are said to have a part of the brain that generates emotion that humans do not have. This is why trainers often form deep connections with the whales they train for several years. Many trainers will say that they are kind and companion like mammals that do not deserve to be locked up for
In the documentary “Blackfish” a claim has been made that killer whales are extremely aggressive creatures and are fully capable of intentionally causing fatalities. Throughout the film, the whales have displayed a great bond with the trainers and have been commented upon as friendly. Although the motive may be to blame the whales as naturally dangerous, these whales were not always this way; it has been observed that these whales have not caused reports of harming humans in the wild. These killer whales were hunted upon, as they were being taken away from their home, they were forced to adapt to a new lifestyle that was greatly against their favor. In addition to new things they were forced to adapt to, they were taken away from their families
For several years, Americans have been visiting amusement parks, like SeaWorld and Six Flags, to observe large animals like orcas, also known as killer whales. These whales are quite difficult to view in the wild, but can now be seen for a simple fee. Orcas are known to be one of the smartest mammals. They are friendly, and this has caused people to take advantage of them. For the past sixty years, people have brought these massive creatures into their aquariums to make a profit from their exhibitions. Often, without considering the orcas' quality of life. While kept in captivity, killer whales are forced to do many tricks they normally wouldn’t do in the wild. Over the years, there have been numerous controversies regarding killer whales
It’s a average, nice summer day and you and your family decide to see killer whales at SeaWorld. Once you arrive to the place and see the large animals in the tank you’re fascinated by their large size. Killer whales, or orca whales, are large marine mammals that can be found in every ocean around the world. They can swim for hundred of miles and “routinely dive up to 300 ft” (“Should Orca Whales Be Kept in Captivity”). They also live in large family groups known as pods that they will rarely ever leave. Seeing these large animals in the tanks that they make seem small due to their large size and with other whales along with marks, mainly bite marks and flopped over dorsal fin for the males, make it questionable if they even should be here and if these other whales are family in the seemingly makeshift pod. Orcas should not be in captivity because of health problems, lack of space in the tanks, and most of them are taken from their homes in the wild where their true family is.
I picked the killer Whale, also known as Orcas for this assignment. Orcas are cultural creatures. Scientist have observed three main groups of Orcas evenly distributed throughout the ocean. The three groups have vastly different diets, languages, hunting techniques and manners of behaving around other marine life. The groups do not seem to interact much with one another. Orcas pass down specific behavior thought to each other from generation to generation. Orcas often hunt in groups and orchestrate their strategies perfectly with each group member having specific tasks.
The population can be distinguished because killer whales travel in pods, or groups. The resident pods can vary from as few as five to as many as fifty whales. The transient pod size varies from one and seven individuals.
In the documentary “Blackfish”, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, she discussed the harmful events that have occurred when keeping killer whales contained for show and entertainment purposes. Cowperthwaite argued the fact that the killer whales become aggressive when held captive in an area too small for them and separated from their families. Throughout the documentary there were many horrifying stories about the attacks told by people who had saw the tragedies first-hand.
If you have ever been to Seaworld you would have had to go see the Killer whales in fact its one of the top attractions there. Through the eyes of a child, these gentle giants seem to be happy, healthy, and enjoying a playful game with their trainers. The question is are they really happy, do they get treated the right way, and why have there been deaths and injuries. Many people wonder about these things and after the movie Blackfish came out more and more people began to question how well Seaworld treats their animals. “The truth is that Sea World keeps its animals for entertainment and money and helps no one but themselves.”- Animal Legal Defense Fund
Killer whales are one of the most fascinating displays of ocean life. The killer whale has characteristics that are important to its survival in the ocean. It is interesting to know that killer whales have a plentiful diet. It is astounding to see how killer whales behave in the ocean. I plan to tell you about the killer whale, its characteristics, its diet, and its behavior in the ocean as well as the predation of the orca.
And the animals like Tilikum who are aging, sick, and have put in 25 years in the industry should be released to an open ocean pen so they can live out their lives and just experience the natural rhythms of the ocean” (Cowperthwaite). Releasing the younger killer whales to the wild allows them to learn
Holding killer whales in captivity is a harmful problem to the mammal that requires action from both the government and the public.
The female can survive up to the age 50 that’s why but the age 40 she has used up all her eggs for the purpose of breeding. And the Male is known to live up to the age 25 till they die. It has been documented that female whales are able to only produce on average about 4 to 6 offspring’s in their conceptual life. It is also be noted that Females come in to heat several times in one year and can be known to mate with several partners not being committed to only one. Male killer whales have been observed to court with the female killer whales about as 10 times per day and can even be matting with even pregnant females. The time it takes for babies to be forming in the female killer whale can take a very long time it can last up to 15 to even 18 months and the birth can take place any time in the year. There is no fixed time period and or seasons to which the killer whale mates in. the killer whale mates when it has reached maturity and mates often when it can. As to how normally the new offspring is born, first and for most its tail is the first to appear, there have been cases where the head would come out first. The babies are to be fed for a certain period of time that having to be on average 18 months and a strict diet of all nutrients from the mother’s milk to give the baby large amount of fat needed for its body to grow and adapt and change in the sea temperatures. But the mothers don’t just baby them for long they teach them in this time period how to hunt as well as defend, because as its already known killer whales are apex paradors of the seas and they have to hunt pray to live. The length of the new born’s are recorded on to be that of 2.6 meters and weigh coming at 160
Ocean giants that have captured the imagination of humans for centuries, whales are among the largest mammals on earth. This diverse group of animals has over 75 separate species, and are considered by scientists to be some of the most intelligent animals on the planet. While modern whales spend their entire lives in water, they are air-breathing mammals whose ancestors roamed land millions of years ago. With so many interesting facts about whales, once question can be easily overlooked: Do whales have (teeth)?
Competition intra or inter specific: Killer whales are inter specific and can be both food competitors as well as potential predators to different species such as sharks.
Countries should be permitted to hunt some species of whales. Hunting whales is a tradition that has been around for hundreds of years. The problem now is that Japan, Norway and even Iceland are are hunting whales under the pretense of scientific purposes. (The Truth about 'Scientific’, 2016) There should be an exemption that also has regulation in order to protect the whale population. Each nation is setting their own standards of how many they can hunt, and if the rest of the world is concerned with their practices, then coming to a compromise should be something to visualize for the future. Since Norway and Japan are not cooperation in stopping the hunting of whales, a compromise should be reached. Not only for the sake of the whales, but