Killer Whales Deserve Freedom
Kimberly Hall
COM 155
November 27, 2011
Mara Galvez

Killer Whales Deserve Freedom Orcas are complex social creatures deserving freedom and respect, not captivity in theme parks under the guise of public education and entertainment. Aquarium staffs say captive whales are priceless educational tools. However, people can educate their children by bringing them to the wild instead of bringing the wild to them at the expense of the Orcas health and well-being. "The price of a family admission ticket is what continues to drive this cruel spectacle," according to Michael O' Sullivan, the Executive Director of The Humane Society of Canada (Whales in Captivity, 2010, Para. 3). Orcas suffer in many ways in …show more content…

In the wild Orcas travel with their family (pods) that range anywhere from five to 25 family members (Orcas). Orcas families are very close knit. They mostly travel in pods that include their parents, grandparents, children, etc. Taking the Orca away from their family causes them much stress, anxiety, and depression. In the wild, their offspring stay with them and travel with them. Orcas, related by blood, remain together for the duration of their lives. In captivity, the aquarium staff removes their offspring (calves) from them at a very young age. For Orcas, known to be the one mammal that is closest to the human race as far as family, feelings, and social behaviors, it would be equivalent to a human being removed from their family to never see them again, to never speak to them again. (Smith, 2010)
In the wild, Orcas have constant communication with their pods (family). To communicate with their pods (family) in the wild Orcas use echolocation. Mandell (2010) describes echolocation as, “The process of moving air between the sinuses in their heads to make high-pitched sound (p. 2). The vibrations travel underwater until they encounter objects and then rebound back creating audible tones the whales use for navigation. Their sound waves go so far that they never come back to the Orca who sent it. What comes back is the voice (sound waves) of another Orca (family member). In captivity, these high-pitched sounds