Is exhibiting Orcas in small concrete tanks the best idea for marine parks and aquarium? Orcas are very big mammals and require a lot of space to swim, but at marine parks and aquariums such as SeaWorld, they are living in small concrete tanks. These animals were captured in their habitat and are now forced to do shows. No Orca should be held captive just so the marine parks and aquariums can get money off of their shows. These Orcas should not be exhibited in marine parks and aquariums because of the health risks that are happening to them. The Orcas deserve to be in the wild to avoid any more dangerous occurrences.

People need to make a change and help these orcas by not going to the marine parks and aquariums. Showing support on what these companies do means that you do not care how the animals are being held captive. If we all just come together and make it a point to not pay money and help these big companies like SeaWorld, they would have no choice but to stop their business all together. Just imagine being one of those many orcas being held captive. Only being able to see nothing but plain concrete tanks for almost your whole life. They should be out in the wild with other sea animals.

These Orcas are three times more likely to die at any age in captivity as in the wild (Rose, Namoi). Keeping these Orcas in captivity isn’t healthy. It causes health risks for them because they are out of shape (Rose, Namoi). The Orcas are living in small concrete tanks and are not able to swim as much as they would in the wild. Sometimes the Orcas break their teeth by chewing on the metal gates. By chewing on the gates, it causes a health risk which could eventually kill them. Another problem with Orcas living in an artificial environment is that they depend on humans to feed them; whereas in the wild, they hunt for their own food (Rose, Namoi). It is the natural way that these animals are supposed to be living. They should not have to depend on humans to give them their food.

In order to make a change, a better solution for these Orcas that are living and being held in marine parks and aquariums, is by creating sea pens.  Sea pens are a bigger sanctuary by the ocean where the Orcas can live in (Martin, Hugo). These sea pens will be more helpful because the Orcas will be able to experience the wild again and will have more space to swim. All because of the bigger pool that they would be swimming in sea pens, This will not cause the orcas any health problems that they got from the smaller captivity tanks they were kept in.  Although the sea pens are another form of enclosure, it is a better alternative than what they were living in before. They have depended on humans for almost their whole life, and it would not be safe for them to return to the wild with no experience on how to protect themselves. So let this be the time where Orcas are no longer held captive by any company for the paid entertainment of humans at marine parks and aquariums. Having to do the same routine every single day and seeing crowds of unfamiliar faces can get tiring. Let’s help the wild stay in the wild. A big step would be helping the orcas to where they are not being exhibited in marine parks and aquariums.