Captive orcas face severe welfare challenges in marine park settings, and the development of sea sanctuaries offers a potential pathway to improved welfare for surviving animals.
Orcas in marine parks live in conditions that cause extraordinary psychological suffering for animals with complex social and cognitive lives. Tank sizes represent a fraction of their wild ranging area. Social groupings are artificial and often incompatible with natural pod structures. The chronic stress of these conditions manifests as collapsed dorsal fins, abnormal behaviors, and shortened lifespans. Sea sanctuaries allowing retirement to semi-natural ocean enclosures represent the most welfare-positive outcome for surviving captive animals.