Recent Orca and Beluga Deaths in Captivity
On August 12th, we reported on the death of a white beluga whale at Mystic Aquarium. In May, the facility had imported five belugas from the Canadian aquarium MarineLand. The International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute and many individuals, scientists and organizations strongly objected to the import, in part because the stress of a move would harm the whales. Now, one of those imported belugas has died from gastric ulcers, a stress-related cause.
Mystic Aquarium recently announced that yet another beluga whale from the import is “extremely ill and failing.” The beluga is reportedly suffering from gastric ulcers and a low white blood cell count. The latest public information from the aquarium is that the female may be improving.
As part of the import permit, Mystic Aquarium certified that the five beluga whales were in good health for the transfer. Clearly, something went badly wrong.
Captivity shortens cetaceans’ lives, compromises their health, robs them of natural behaviors, cruelly confines them to small concrete tanks, and, in the case of the five belugas, threatens their sub-species’ survival, since their parents were captured in the wild from depleted populations. Money drives the captivity industry, which leaves misery and death in its wake.
Relocating is extremely difficult for captive cetaceans. The whales must be held in a sling in a small box, filled with ice and water, as they are transported for hours by truck and airplane to the new location. It is not an easy process under the best of circumstances, and the stress of such a move (including putting the beluga whale into a new tank with unknown tank mates) can result in physiological damage, harm to their immune system, and can aggravate underlying conditions like ulcers.
IMMP and other organizations are calling on the US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to block any further imports of beluga whales to Mystic Aquarium and conduct an investigation of what went wrong for these two beluga whales in the transfer.
Whales and dolphins often die prematurely in captive facilities.
The Loro Parque Zoo in Spain’s Canary Islands recently announced the death of an orca calf named Ula, born to a captive named Morgan. Morgan was captured as a calf, but rather than rehabilitate her and return her to her family in the ocean, authorities sent her to a life of imprisonment in Loro Parque.
Now her calf Ula, less than three years old, is dead. Loro Parque authorities downplayed and hid Ula’s health problems, prematurely separating her from her mother Morgan. Now Morgan must mourn the loss of her calf.
Loro Parque is also where an orca killed trainer Alexis Martínez in December 2009. This fact was hidden from the public and orca trainers in other parks until the shocking news was publicized about the February 2010 death of trainer Dawn Brancheau at SeaWorld, Orlando, by the orca Tilikum, responsible for two previous deaths.
And last March, Skyla, barely a teenager, also died at Loro Parque. Skyla was one of several orcas sent to that facility from SeaWorld in the US.
SeaWorld San Diego also recently lost another captive orca, Amaya, dying prematurely at the age of only six years old. Female orcas in the wild can attain an age of 90 years or more.
These tragic deaths of captive orcas and dolphins can be prevented by:
- Ending catching of whales and dolphins in the wild for captivity,
- Ending breeding of captive whales and dolphins in aquariums, and
- Retiring existing captive dolphins and whales to seaside sanctuaries.
Seaside sanctuaries provide captive whales and dolphins with a semblance of the natural ocean environment, while they continue to be fed and receive veterinary care for the rest of their lives. These sanctuaries are much larger than any existing tanks. One in Iceland is now being used to house two belugas originally kept in small tanks in China. IMMP is also working with the Whale Sanctuary Project to establish a cold-water seaside sanctuary in Nova Scotia, Canada to accommodate beluga whales and orcas.
IMMP is taking action. Read our news section regularly to get updates.
Your donations provide the support IMMP needs to protect whales, dolphins and their ocean homes all around the world. We are seeking an end to cruel whale and dolphin hunts and captivity. Can you donate today? Your support is very much appreciated.
