The scientific community has long debated whether or not killer whales that live in captivity at SeaWorld get to enjoy full lives just like their peers in the wild.
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SeaWorld officials declined to say whether the study would appear in future advertisements but they did post it on the company investor relations website. The Journal of Mammalogy-published research has stated that a SeaWorld killer whale’s life expectancy is 41.6 years in comparison to 42.3 for whales in a northern community and 29 years for the ones living in southern community. And now a controversial new study has found that yes, they live just as long.
The ability to study killer whales in controlled research settings in accredited zoological institutions like SeaWorld has provided most of the fundamental information known about the species’ physiology including adaptations to diving; auditory detection, echolocation, and learning; reproductive physiology; growth and development; metabolic and energy requirements; and immune system function.
The findings of the SeaWorld-led study, however, were met with criticisms, especially from various animal conservation groups.
The PETA foundation also informed that a previous study published earlier this year, in April, in the journal Marine Mammal Science, concluded quite the opposite.
He concluded: “Based on the available data, it is now clear that it cannot be truthfully argued that killer whales should not be maintained in captivity because they have a shortened life expectancy relative to their wild counterparts.”
Kevin Willis oversees animal care at the Minnesota Zoo.
It’s also worth mentioning that SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment has been frequently attacked by PETA as well as other animal-welfare groups in the past couple of years. In 2013, a dispute regarding the killer whales stemmed after the release of the “Blackfish” documentary, showing how orcas are being abused and neglected. Thus, the management was changed and SeaWorld announced that killer whales would be moved in larger tanks as the building project would finalize.
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It is not the first time PETA takes a swing at SeaWorld theme-park.
