The welfare of cetaceans in marine parks has become one of the most contested issues in animal welfare, with declining public support for captive display.
The welfare case against keeping cetaceans in marine parks has become increasingly compelling as scientific understanding of cetacean cognition, social complexity, and range requirements has advanced. Animals capable of complex communication, long-distance navigation, and rich social lives in the wild cannot be adequately accommodated in artificial pools, regardless of their size. Behavioral abnormalities — collapsed dorsal fins, stereotypies, aggression — are not incidental welfare concerns but predictable consequences of fundamental incompatibility between cetacean needs and captive capacity. The cultural shift away from cetacean display reflects growing societal recognition of this welfare reality.