SeaWorld: Top news
The health records for captive orcas and other cetaceans should be open to the public -- the orcas, after all, do no belong to SeaWorld. They only hold them in trust -- the public are the real owners. IMMP is going to court to get some of those records for science and for the public.
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Yet another SeaWorld orca has died, this one a male only 20 years old. In the wild, males can live up to 50 years. Orcas do poorly in captivity.
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SeaWorld is one of the largest captive cetacean companies on Earth, housing several hundred different dolphin species, beluga whales, pilot whales and orcas in four parks in the United States. SeaWorld is a global kingpin in promoting cetacean captivity, instructing many overseas facilities in capture and training techniques and providing the captivity industry’s major talking points. They are building a new SeaWorld overseas in Abu Dhabi, which will not have any orcas, but likely will have captive dolphins and perhaps other species of marine mammals.
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SeaWorld is a global kingpin in promoting cetacean captivity, instructing many overseas facilities in capture and training techniques, and providing the captivity industry’s major talking points. We encourage you to send a message to SeaWorld’s Interim CEO, Marc Swanson.
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Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut has asked the US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for permission to import five beluga whales from Canada’s Marineland park at Niagara Falls. The International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute and many other organizations and members of the public strongly oppose the import. While Mystic claims the purpose of the import is to conduct scientific research on the beluga whales, the real purpose behind the import is to provide more breeding stock for captive whales to produce yet more captive cetaceans for the US captivity industry.
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Wild orcas live far longer than captive ones on average. Captive Corky just keeps swimming.
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After filing the lawsuit, "Anderson v SeaWorld"five years ago, two plaintiffs finally told their story in court earlier this month.
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The well-anticipated trial that's been in the making for 5 years finally goes to trial next week.
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Russian conservationists organized a massive turn-out of more than 100,000 petition signers, asking the Russian government to end captures of orcas, beluga whales and dolphins (essentially, any cetaceans) in Russian waters for captivity.
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In our final installment, expert scientists reveal the false claims made by SeaWorld to the public. The litigation will go to trial this spring.
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Campaign Top News
- International Marine Mammal Project >
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From pushing for sanctuaries for Wikie & Keijo and 30 beluga whales, to opposing attempts to gut the Endangered Species and Marine Mammal Protection Acts, to protecting wetlands in the Barataria basin, the International Marine Mammal Project has accomplished a great deal in 2025 for whales and dolphins.
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What is it like being a student intern at the International Marine Mammal Project? An internship can be life-changing for a student. Our intern Jillian talks about her experience with IMMP.
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From battling the whaling industry in Japan and Iceland, to exposing the continued slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan, to saving the lives of tens of thousands of dolphins annually through Dolphin Safe tuna, the International Marine Mammal Project has accomplished a lot in 2024.
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- Save Japan Dolphins >
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The Taiji dolphin drive hunts have again ended, killing hundreds of dolphins for meat after removing "show quality" animals for a miserable life in captivity. Numbers were slightly higher this year for slaughter, although historically low compared to recent years.
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Three species of dolphins have been captured and slaughtered over the past month as the bloody Taiji dolphin drive hunts continue. Most of the dolphins you see in these photos are now dead. The hunts end on March 1st, but six months later, they will begin again.
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A former dolphin trainer explains the damage done by dolphin and small whale captures in Taiji, Japan. Learn the facts about how the aquarium industry sources wild dolphins for a lifetime of misery in small concrete tanks.
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- Dolphin + Whale Project >
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With only 380 individual whales remaining, the North Atlantic right whale population will decline if the killing of whales continues. Here's the story of two right whales, Division and Porcia's calf, both victims of our modern society, too much in a hurry.
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Congress is considering passing HR 1897, legislation to comprehensively gut the federal Endangered Species Act, our most important wildlife law. You can help by urging your members of the House to vote NO on HR 1897.
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In 2024, 95 large whales were reported entangled during the year. As many as 10 to 20 times as many whales may have been entangled and sunk, never to be recorded. Here is the story of these tragic entanglements in plastic fishing gear.
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- Keiko Whale Rescue >
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Like most cetaceans, beluga whales do poorly in captivity. Many are now kept in aquariums around the world -- some get stranded once the aquarium or park goes broke and shuts down. Learn about the beluga whale, and why it is a bad idea to keep them in small concrete tanks.
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We are deeply saddened at the death of orca whale Tokitae. Calls for her release were denied for decades and it’s shameful that she never got a chance to go home.
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30 years ago, the movie "Free Willy" was a huge hit. The plight of its orca star, Keiko, touched the public along with the moving story. Read how the International Marine Mammal Project took that spark of concern and returned Keiko to his home waters. SeaWorld and other captive dolphin parks would never be the same!
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- Dolphin Safe Fishing >
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Every year, we estimate that the Dolphin Safe label on tuna cans saves the lives of 90,000 dolphins annually in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean, and many more in other oceans of the world. You, as a consumer, should know how the Dolphin Safe label works to protect dolphins in global tuna fisheries.
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A new Marine Mammal Protection Act has been proposed for the Philippines, with strong support from our IMMP Philippines office, with the support of Representative Co. Read about this new legislation to protect endangered species like the Irrawaddy dolphin and other Filipino whales and dolphins.
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Trixie Concepcion heads up our active office for dolphins in the Philippines. A major tuna fishing nation, plus an island nation with many local cetaceans, provides opportunities for Trixie and her staff to tackle major environmental issues in that country and the Western Pacific Ocean.
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- Freeing Orca Whales from Captivity >
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The orcas Wikie and her son Keijo are still trapped in Marineland in France. Marineland wants the orcas to go to Loro Parque Zoo, an aquarium in Spain with one of the worst records of captive orca deaths. IMMP is urging the French government to instead retire Wikie and Keijo to a seaside sanctuary in Nova Scotia.
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Captivity in small concrete aquarium tanks is hard and often fatal for whales and dolphins. Dr. Lori Marino and her colleagues have laid out the issues for cetaceans in captivity in a new scientific article, building a powerful scientific case for ending captivity for whales and dolphins.
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Four captive orcas died in their concrete tanks in 2025, never to see or feel the ocean ever again. This tragic death march will continue until all captive cetaceans are retired to seaside sanctuaries. Learn about Katina, Kshamenk, Earth, and Kamea -- all dead.
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- Freeing Wikie & Keijo >