Editing Cetacea (section)

==== Orcas ====
{{Main|Captive killer whales}}
{{See also|SeaWorld#Criticism and resulting impact|Incidents at SeaWorld parks}}
[[File:2009-Seaworld-Shamu.jpg|thumb|Ulises the orca, 2009]]
The orca's [[animal intelligence|intelligence]], trainability, striking appearance, playfulness in captivity and sheer size have made it a popular exhibit at aquaria and aquatic theme parks. From 1976 to 1997, fifty-five whales were taken from the wild in Iceland, nineteen from Japan and three from Argentina. These figures exclude animals that died during capture. Live captures fell dramatically in the 1990s and by 1999, about 40% of the forty-eight animals on display in the world were captive-born.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[National Marine Fisheries Service]] (NMFS) Northwest Regional Office |author=NMFS |year=2005 |url=http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Marine-Mammals/Whales-Dolphins-Porpoise/Killer-Whales/Conservation-Planning/upload/SRKW-propConsPlan.pdf |title=Conservation Plan for Southern Resident Killer Whales (''Orcinus orca'') |location=[[Seattle]], U.S. |access-date=January 2, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080626121719/http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Marine-Mammals/Whales-Dolphins-Porpoise/Killer-Whales/Conservation-Planning/upload/SRKW-propConsPlan.pdf |archive-date=June 26, 2008 |url-status=dead |pages=43–44}}</ref>

Organizations such as [[World Animal Protection]] and the [[Whale and Dolphin Conservation]] campaign against the practice of keeping them in captivity.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

In captivity, they often develop pathologies, such as the [[dorsal fin]] collapse seen in 60–90% of captive males. Captives have reduced life expectancy, on average only living into their 20s, although some live longer, including several over 30 years old and two, Corky II and Lolita, in their mid-40s. In the wild, females who survive infancy live 46 years on average and up to 70–80 years. Wild males who survive infancy live 31 years on average and can reach 50–60 years.<ref>{{cite web|author=Rose, N. A.|year=2011|url=http://www.hsi.org/assets/pdfs/orca_white_paper.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026123839/http://www.hsi.org/assets/pdfs/orca_white_paper.pdf |archive-date=2011-10-26 |url-status=live|title=Killer Controversy: Why Orcas Should No Longer Be Kept in Captivity|publisher=Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States|access-date=December 21, 2014}}</ref>

Captivity usually bears little resemblance to wild habitat and captive whales' social groups are foreign to those found in the wild. Critics claim captive life is stressful due to these factors and the requirement to perform circus tricks that are not part of wild orca behavior. Wild orca may travel up to {{convert|160|km|mi|-1}} in a day and critics say the animals are too big and intelligent to be suitable for captivity.<ref name="cbs2010">{{cite news|url= https://www.cbsnews.com/news/whale-attack-renews-captive-animal-debate/|title=Whale Attack Renews Captive Animal Debate|newspaper=CBS News|date=March 1, 2010|access-date=6 September 2015}}</ref> Captives occasionally act aggressively towards themselves, their tankmates, or humans, which critics say is a result of [[stress (medicine)|stress]].<ref name="armstrong">{{cite book|author=Susan Jean Armstrong|title=Animal Ethics Reader| isbn=978-0-415-27589-7|year=2003|publisher=Psychology Press }}</ref> Orcas are well known for their performances in shows, but the number of orcas kept in captivity is small, especially when compared to the number of bottlenose dolphins, with only forty-four [[List of captive orcas|captive orcas]] being held in aquaria as of 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orcahome.de/orcastat.htm|title=Orcas in Captivity – A look at killer whales in aquariums and parks|date=23 November 2009|access-date=6 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070602050516/http://www.orcahome.de/orcastat.htm|archive-date=2 June 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Each country has its own tank requirements; in the US, the minimum enclosure size is set by the [[Code of Federal Regulations]], 9 CFR E §&nbsp;3.104, under the ''Specifications for the Humane Handling, Care, Treatment and Transportation of Marine Mammals''.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=c7a201bd3f7d31d5f8218167efcd49ba&node=9:1.0.1.1.3.5.31.5&rgn=div8|title=Chapter I: Space requirements|journal=Electronic Code of Federal Regulation|volume= 1|access-date=6 September 2015}}</ref>

[[File:Dawn Brancheau - Riders on the Storm.jpg|thumb|Dawn Brancheau doing a show four years before [[Incidents at SeaWorld parks#SeaWorld Orlando|the incident]]]]
Aggression among captive orcas is common. They attack each other and their trainers as well. In 2013, SeaWorld's treatment of orcas in captivity was the basis of the movie ''[[Blackfish (film)|Blackfish]]'', which documents the history of [[Tilikum (orca)|Tilikum]], an orca at SeaWorld Orlando, who had been involved in the deaths of three people.<ref>Whiting, Candace Calloway. [https://www.huffpost.com/entry/blackfish-killer-whales_b_4166923 In the Wake of Blackfish &ndash; Is it Time to Retire the Last Killer Whale Whose Capture Was Shown in the Film?"], HuffPost, October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2013.</ref> The film led to proposals by some lawmakers to ban captivity of cetaceans, and led SeaWorld to announce in 2016 that it would phase out its orca program.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/dalebuss/2016/03/24/it-was-a-losing-battle-seaworlds-ceo-on-its-abrupt-change-and-what-comes-next/#5754041a223b|title=Shamu Goes Out With the Tide: SeaWorld CEO On Its Abrupt Change &ndash; And What Comes Next|last=Buss|first=Dale|date=2016-03-24|website=Forbes|access-date=2016-03-26}}</ref>