Upon the 2013 release of the documentary Blackfish, many people started to urge SeaWorld to release or retire the orca Tilikum because his basic necessities were not being met. In the movie, people can see that the orca’s confined living space can not compare to the wide vastness that the open ocean. The confined space makes Tilikum and orcas limited to how much time they could spend underwater and how much they can swim. It also forces them to spend much more time at the surface. Many people would like to like for Tilikum and orcas like him to be released back into the wild, but they argue over how it should happen. The best release and retirement plan for Tilikum going into a monitored sea pen like Keiko the orca.

Tilikum’s situation is not much different than the captive orca Keiko. After starring in the hit movie Free Willy, Keiko the orca received support from many people across the country, and they even sent money to help get him out of captivity. Eventually, people donated so much money that he was able to begin his rehabilitation process back into the wild. Following his six years of rehabilitation, he was finally allowed into the open ocean for the first time in his life. Once he was out of the sea pen, he eventually left the Icelandic waters by himself. While it may seem that he was finally free, he swam straight to Norway to seek interaction with people, and he stayed near people until his death. All of the money and hard work people put into his release ultimately failed because Keiko had no perception of the wild because his entire life was spent with humans. This would be the same fate for Tilikum. Because of  Keiko’s life, Tilikum should not be completely released back into the wild, but Tilikum’s release should be like Keiko’s  rehabilitation.

Similar to Keiko’s rehabilitation, Tilikum should be release into a sea pen so that he can experience a life that fulfils an orca’s life necessities. One experience that Keiko went through that actually worked was the sea pen. It allowed him to get the best of both worlds. He was able to get an authentic, natural environment, and he was able to live amongst people similar to the way he was raised. If Tilikum were able to be in this situation, then he could have a wide area to swim when he gets upset with people or other whales. When he wants to interact with people, he would be able to because people would not be far away. The sea pen provides a middle-ground for captive orcas because they will be able to experience the greatness of the ocean and company of humans that care for them.

When someone is forced into a situation that they have no idea on handling, they will not be able to adapt to the new situation without assistance. Tilikum just like Keiko would not be able to assimilate back into the wild because no fiber of his being remembers how to survive. He would need people to help support him when he needed it. The wild environment would allow him to receive an orca’s basic life necessities. Although he can never be like a naturally raised orca, Tilikum could feel as natural as possible if he is released into a sea pen.