Orca whales are some of the most complex beings on the planet. In the wild, they live in close-knit family units and spend their days swimming, hunting, and playing in their vast ocean habitat. Over the years, we’ve come to recognize the unique intelligence that orcas possess and found that their brains are significantly larger and more developed than our own. We’ve seen incredible stories of orca families stepping in to feed disabled pod members and learned they are the only other mammal on the planet aside from humans to develop according to a distinct culture.

Sadly, despite all that we do know about orca whales, we still continue to hold them captive in marine parks. Compared to life in the wild, life in a tank is none at all for orcas – a fact that we have been forced to confront through films like “Blackfish” and countless horrible incidents involving captive orcas.

The video above is just one example of how tanks alter the dynamics of these animals to a huge detriment. Like people, orcas have conflict with others – they don’t always get along and many times – unfortunately, within the confines of a tank, there is no option of escape. Many captive orcas have “rake” marks on their skin from interactions, like the one in this video, where advancing whales drag their teeth across other’s skin. This is done to exert dominance and can lead to serious and continued conflict amongst captive animals. 

No living being deserves to experience this sort of daily torture all so we can sit and watch them perform tricks or observe them through glass walls. We all have the power to put an end to marine captivity – a reality that is already coming true.