Orcas face profound welfare challenges in captivity, while wild populations face prey depletion, pollution, and acoustic disturbance.
Captive orcas show extensive evidence of psychological distress including stereotypic behaviors, aggression, and early mortality. Separation from family groups is deeply traumatizing for social animals that maintain lifelong maternal bonds. Wild populations suffer from starvation due to Chinook salmon depletion, a slow and painful decline. Chemical contamination causes immune suppression and reproductive failure.