Marine mammals including seals, dolphins, and orca face significant welfare challenges both in captivity and in the wild, with conservation and welfare considerations closely intertwined.
The spatial and social needs of marine mammals cannot be met in captive facilities, creating chronic welfare harm across the lifespan of captive animals. Wild marine mammals face entanglement, noise pollution, and climate-driven prey depletion. Conservation actions including ghost gear retrieval, shipping noise reduction, and marine protected areas improve welfare conditions for wild populations. Ending captive marine mammal entertainment facilities addresses the most direct welfare harm.