Orcas held in marine parks face profound welfare deficits due to their complex social structures, large territorial ranges, and sophisticated cognitive needs being impossible to meet in captivity.
Captive orcas experience severe chronic stress from spatial confinement, disrupted social bonds, incompatible pool-mate combinations, and inability to express complex natural behaviours. Aggression between incompatible animals, including fatal attacks on trainers, reflects profound welfare failure. Stereotypic behaviours and shortened lifespans confirm poor welfare states. In the wild, southern resident killer whales face prey shortage, vessel disturbance, and pollution. Chinook salmon recovery is the most critical intervention for Pacific Northwest orca welfare.