Captive marine mammals including dolphins, orcas, and seals face welfare challenges from restricted space and social disruption. Industry reform is accelerating in some regions.
Marine mammal captivity welfare reform is at an inflection point globally. The combination of scientific evidence for cognitive and emotional complexity, public sentiment shifts following documentary media, and legislative action is creating conditions for significant industry change. The welfare case against captivity of cognitively complex marine mammals is now broadly accepted by welfare scientists.