Orca welfare spans both captive settings, where welfare concerns are well-documented, and the wild, where threats are increasing.
Orca welfare, whether in captivity or the wild, is fundamentally a social welfare issue. These animals live in lifelong matrilineal family groups where social bonds are central to identity and wellbeing. Captive orcas experience profound social deprivation regardless of physical care quality. Wild orcas whose family structure is disrupted by prey depletion or mortality experience analogous welfare harms.