Whale Sanctuaries: The Next Stage for Whale Captivity?
There are over 2200 captive whales and dolphins housed in marine parks and aquariums around the world. Currently, captive Cetacea include beluga whales, killer whales, numerous species of dolphin, and porpoise. Attempts have also been made to (unsuccessfully) introduce other whales and dolphins to captivity, including narwhals and minke whales.
Cetaceans rarely do well in captivity, and those that do survive often live short, psychologically and physically tortured lifestyles.
Whales and dolphins are large, free-roaming animals that routinely range thousands of miles. The largest killer whale tank in the world, owned by SeaWorld, holds 6 million gallons of water. While 6 million gallons of water sounds like a lot, far more than the 30 in your bathtub, let’s gain some perspective.
Sydney Harbour is large for a harbour, but as far as marine habitats go, it’s a small space that a whale pod would pass through in less than a day. The harbour covers a 19km stretch of coastline whereas orca in the wild swim around 60km per day. Sydney Harbour contains 148 billion gallons of water, which means the largest marine park tank containing orca anywhere on the planet is 0.004% the size of what many would agree is a small marine habitat for whales and dolphins. Orca tanks are also routinely around 50 feet deep, about 16.5% of the 300 ft natural dive depth of a killer whale.
When you consider the true scale of the environments these animals were built for, we can really start to understand why Cetacea do not do well in captivity. But the problem is far more complex than simple space.
Why Do Cetacea Struggle in Captivity?
Much of the difficulties encountered by Cetacea come down to their high levels of intelligence.
More advanced and developed brains have stronger and more profound stress responses. Whales and dolphins have been shown to exhibit examples of culture and distinct languages. They’re some of the most intellectually-complex animals on the planet, able to recognize themselves in mirrors, mourn their dead, and even mimic human language. Wild killer whales have cultural behaviours so impressive that some believe they may actually be more intelligent than chimpanzees, putting them at the top of the entire animal kingdom (except for humans).
Such intelligence means that it’s not just being a big animal in a small tank that is a problem. Wildebeest also roam for miles and miles, but they’re far less intelligent than Cetacea, so can adapt to life in captivity a lot better. The intelligence of animals like whales and dolphins means they are able to experience complex mental health problems that only humans can fully appreciate, like anxiety and depression.
Tilikum, an orca famous for attacking and killing multiple people during his time in captivity, became intensely aggressive towards people following years of mental decline and abuse at the hands of fellow captive killer whales to the point clinical psychiatrists believe he was exhibiting all the signs of PTSD. Cetacea have also been observed simply laying at the bottom of their tanks not moving, calling out in loneliness, self-harming and even dying by suicide. Depressed captive dolphins have been known to deliberately stop breathing and drown themselves, often after periods of isolation. This is tragically how the life of the world-famous Flipper ended.
It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of small tanks as being the driving factor behind cruelty in keeping whales and dolphins in captivity, but a lot of the problems they experience are related not only to the sheer size of their tank, but to a pure lack of stimulus and access to environments that promote natural behaviours. Even if they lived in much larger tanks, the baron environment still poses a problem.
Some argue that marine park shows are beneficial for whale and dolphin stimulation and keeping their advanced brains active, but the reality is they perform because it’s how they receive food. It’s like telling somebody who wants to hike and explore all day that to get their dinner, they must come out and recite some Shakespeare to an audience. Technically it is mentally stimulating, but this isn’t going to improve the symptoms of depression in a depressed human, and nor will it improve symptoms in a whale or dolphin.
Whale Sanctuaries: Treating the Captive Whale & Dolphin Mental Health Crisis
We are unlikely to see the end of whale and dolphin captivity for many decades. This is for two reasons:
Captive Cetacea generate huge profits for marine park businesses
Captive-born Cetacea cannot be released into the wild
But just because we won’t see an end to captivity, that doesn’t mean we can’t do better.
Currently, there is only one whale sanctuary in the world. It is found in Iceland, and is home to two beluga whales, although there are plans to rehome up to ten animals. The Whale Sanctuary Project is another planned sanctuary in Nova Scotia, Canada that could help to release a number of killer whales and other Cetacea from their current tank environments.
Whales and dolphins kept here are still captive. They are housed in sea pens that sit in natural bays around the coast and are roped off by nets that extend from the seafloor to above sea level. In essence, animals are still kept within finite areas, so why is this any better than a tank?
Captive Cetacea cannot just be thrown back in the sea. These animals have been held either for years, or (more commonly) since birth. They’ve lost the ability to survive out in the wild, primarily because they’ve been hand-fed and lack hunting abilities, but also because captive Cetacea do not learn to communicate with wild animals and navigate the world, which would also put them at risk. There are also the physical health implications of living in tanks, such as immune deficiencies and skin diseases from unnatural cleaning chemicals in the tanks. These animals require regular veterinary care, which they cannot have if they are simply let loose.
The sad fact most of these animals will never range thousands of miles. Never reunite with old family pods. But just because they’ve lost the ability to traverse the world as they once did, that does not mean they are without hope of a normal(ish) life.
The reason even captive-born Cetacea struggle is because all animals have instinctual drives and desires. Deprived of these, they suffer. But sea pens, while not a complete solution, can offer a vastly improved captive experience to a tank.
The Tilikum Tragedy: Could Sea Pen Sanctuaries Have Stopped It?
Tilikum the orca was famous for some truly tragic reasons.
He was involved in the death of Keltie Byrne, a 21-year-old, who slipped into a pool at Sealand and was drowned by Tilikum and two other orca. He was then found with the body of a man, Daniel Dukes, after the 27-year-old hid from security and jumped into Tilikum's pool. The third death, that of Dawn Brancheau, a trainer at SeaWorld, is the event that sealed his fate as the most infamous killer whale to have lived. Tilikum attacked and killed Dawn after a live show in front of a crowd of onlookers.
Tilikum, as we’ve highlighted already, had been physically abused for much of his life by other orcas. Trapped in the confined spaces of Sealand, he was subjected to night after night of attacks. They were inescapable, given the size of the tank. But with sea pens, this could have been different. Whale and dolphin sanctuaries offer something tanks do not, a reprieve. There is space for Cetacea to both socialise and isolate themselves depending on their mood and behaviour.
Tilikum will always be an enigma, but had he been kept in a sea pen rather than a tank, the likelihood of physical abuse would have been greatly diminished, reducing the risk of severe psychological trauma and the resultant violence.
But, of course, there is more to it than that.
Tanks, Lockdown and the Inevitable Comparison
During the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020, around 50% of people experienced symptoms of clinical depression and anxiety. There were many factors at play during this era, but part of the problem is undoubtedly the scale of isolation and lack of stimulation. Without distractions, fewer social opportunities and the prospect of being trapped inside for weeks on end, mental health amongst the general population suffered. This experience can be likened to killer whales, dolphins and other Cetacea being stuck in tanks.
Little to do, not enough space, nobody to communicate with, looping in a seemingly endless cycle.
When the lockdown was over, people were met with the ‘new normal’. It wasn’t life as we once knew it, but it was definitely an improvement on full-scale lockdown. Not only could you leave your house and go to limited locations -- cinemas, shops, some restaurants -- but you could also socialise.
Sea pens could be considered akin to the new normal. They aren’t completely as life would be if the killer whales could turn back time and escape the horrors of captivity completely, but they’re a much-improved version of life in a tank.
They offer space, social opportunity and stimulation, three factors essential for the mental well being of any intelligent animal. Whale sanctuaries will never be as good as a truly wild life, but they aren’t designed to be. It would never be ethical to capture a whale for the purpose of display in a sea pen, but again, this isn’t what they are for.
These whale sanctuaries are the promise of a better life for captive orca. In every way, they are superior to tanks. Their existence is great news for captive Cetacea around the world.
Or is it?
Whale Sanctuaries: Half the World Away
Captive Cetacea are found all around the world, from Europe to Asia. There are also hundreds of animals held in captivity, including 60 large orcas. Current plans are for projects that can rehome a small handful of whales. Simple maths is enough to tell us there isn’t enough space for everyone.
Right now, the odds are against captive Cetacea ever experiencing the new lease of life these sanctuaries offer. But as with all things, time can solve this problem.
There was a time when capturing whales and dolphins and putting them in tanks was normal and encouraged. Now, it’s illegal in almost all nations and interest in seeing these creatures in captivity has been declining for years. Campaigns like Empty the Tank and documentaries like Blackfish have changed the course of history, and whale sanctuaries can be the next step in the movement for better lives for whales and dolphins.
So how can we work towards a future with more whale sanctuaries?
The answer is simple, we support the current projects. The Whale Sanctuary Project is still in need of funding, and The Beluga Sanctuary in Iceland isn’t going to develop without public interest. If the general populous gets behind these whale sanctuaries and ensures they are successful, then more will appear.
Take the next step with us, and support The Whale Sanctuary Project. While financial gifts are the easiest way to get involved, donations aren’t the only way you can show your support. Share news of the project, spread the word. The more people aware of the project, the more people there are to get behind it, and the better the chances this won’t be the last whale sanctuary to be put into development.
