Orcas in marine parks and aquariums experience profound welfare deprivation from confinement that cannot replicate their complex wild lives.
Orcas in captive pools equivalent to a fraction of their wild daily range experience profound social, environmental, and physical deprivation. Collapsed dorsal fins reflect the absence of the water resistance from open-ocean swimming. Stereotypic behaviour including jaw popping, chewing pool edges, and swimming in repetitive circles indicates chronic frustration. Separating pods for breeding or performance purposes disrupts lifelong social bonds causing acute distress. The cognitive sophistication of orcas, one of the most intelligent animals, amplifies the welfare implications of captivity compared to less cognitively complex species.