The captivity of dolphins, orcas and other marine mammals in aquariums and marine parks has become one of the most publicly contested animal welfare issues, with evidence of chronic welfare failure driving legislative reform in multiple countries.
Captive cetacean welfare represents one of the clearest failures of zoo ethics. Orcas with home ranges of hundreds of kilometres, complex multi-generational family bonds and sophisticated vocalisations cannot have their fundamental needs met in even the largest marine park facilities. The welfare indicators — collapsed dorsal fins, stereotypic behaviour, shortened lifespan, high calf mortality and aggression — are consistent across facilities and reflect the fundamental incompatibility of orca nature with captive life. The widespread public concern generated by films such as Blackfish demonstrates that many people respond strongly to cetacean welfare evidence when it is made visible, making this an area where welfare advocacy has real potential to drive policy change.