The welfare of cetaceans and pinnipeds in captivity remains highly contested, with evidence of chronic stress, stereotypies, and shortened lifespans challenging the educational and conservation justifications for marine mammal parks.
Cetacean captivity represents one of the most welfare-contentious issues in the animal world. The evidence is substantial that orcas, in particular, suffer profoundly in captivity: the combination of confined space relative to natural ranging behaviour of hundreds of kilometres daily, social disruption, acoustic environment dominated by crowd noise, and lack of control over social groupings creates chronic stress. Stereotypic behaviours in captive cetaceans are welfare red flags indicating inadequate environments. The conservation education justification for captivity is challenged by research showing that zoo and aquarium visits produce modest and short-lived attitude changes. Phased retirement to sea sanctuaries is emerging as the most welfare-positive pathway for existing captive cetaceans.