The captivity of dolphins and orcas for entertainment has been one of the most publicly debated animal welfare issues of recent decades. Understanding the welfare science behind these debates clarifies what is at stake.
Cetacean captivity welfare science is unusually clear by the standards of captive wildlife: large, highly intelligent, wide-ranging animals in small concrete pools show measurable welfare compromise across multiple indicators. Stereotypic behaviors, abnormal social dynamics, dental wear from biting pool walls, and the near-universal dorsal fin collapse in male orcas all indicate significant welfare problems. The conservation education argument has weakened considerably as research documents that zoo and aquarium visitors retain limited welfare-relevant information from visits. The trajectory has been toward phase-out: SeaWorld announced it would end orca breeding after sustained public pressure. Smaller dolphins in captivity represent a more complex case — some species show better adaptation to managed environments — but the welfare science still supports strong skepticism about the welfare justification for entertainment-focused captivity.