Delta4Embassy
Gold Member
As the result of recent PR damage-control commercials by Sea World, and on the heels of the CNN documentary "Blackfish" some threads about orcas seems long overdue.
Welcome to Orca Network - Orca Lifespans
"There are many questions about how long orcas live in captivity compared to how long they live in the ocean. In the 2013 documentary film Blackfish Howard Garrett said the following:
"We knew by 1980, after a half a dozen years of research, that they [killer whales] live equivalent to human life spans."
The data are clear that orcas in captivity suffer from extreme stress, injuries, disease and infections, and survive on average less than ten years in captivity. According to research done in 2011 by The Orca Project:
Marine parks such as SeaWorld tout their ability to provide environments adequate to keep orcas alive. However, this claim is not supported by the evidence. Approximately 157 orcas have died in captivity, not including stillborns and miscarriages. Based upon the MMIR data, and represented in Appendix A, we have calculated the mean duration of captivity (MDC) to be less than nine years. This is regardless of whether an orca was extracted from the ocean, or born at a theme park. "
National Marine Mammal Laboratory
"Killer whales have no natural predators (they are the top predators of the oceans) and can live to about 50-80 years old."
How Long Do Whales Live
"Female killer whale (killer whales are actually part of the dolphin species) that live in the wild for example have been known to live for up to 70 – 80 years, although the average is about 50 years."
Strange, seems at least 3 government and scientific sites have a pretty good idea how long they live. And yet, according to Sea World...
"No one knows for sure how long killer whales live."
KILLER WHALES Orcinus orca - Longevity Causes of Death
Her Heart Still Goes On Killer whale called Granny born the year before the TITANIC sank is the oldest in in the world aged 103 Daily Mail Online
Welcome to Orca Network - Orca Lifespans
"There are many questions about how long orcas live in captivity compared to how long they live in the ocean. In the 2013 documentary film Blackfish Howard Garrett said the following:
"We knew by 1980, after a half a dozen years of research, that they [killer whales] live equivalent to human life spans."
The data are clear that orcas in captivity suffer from extreme stress, injuries, disease and infections, and survive on average less than ten years in captivity. According to research done in 2011 by The Orca Project:
Marine parks such as SeaWorld tout their ability to provide environments adequate to keep orcas alive. However, this claim is not supported by the evidence. Approximately 157 orcas have died in captivity, not including stillborns and miscarriages. Based upon the MMIR data, and represented in Appendix A, we have calculated the mean duration of captivity (MDC) to be less than nine years. This is regardless of whether an orca was extracted from the ocean, or born at a theme park. "
National Marine Mammal Laboratory
"Killer whales have no natural predators (they are the top predators of the oceans) and can live to about 50-80 years old."
How Long Do Whales Live
"Female killer whale (killer whales are actually part of the dolphin species) that live in the wild for example have been known to live for up to 70 – 80 years, although the average is about 50 years."
Strange, seems at least 3 government and scientific sites have a pretty good idea how long they live. And yet, according to Sea World...
"No one knows for sure how long killer whales live."
KILLER WHALES Orcinus orca - Longevity Causes of Death
Her Heart Still Goes On Killer whale called Granny born the year before the TITANIC sank is the oldest in in the world aged 103 Daily Mail Online
