Poll Reveals Americans Oppose Keeping Orcas In Captivity
A survey conducted for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society has identified that many U.S. adults are opposed to keeping orcas in captivity for display purposes. Most people said they would still continue to visit zoos and marine parks even if they were to stop keeping captive orcas.
This opinion poll found that twice as many U.S. adults oppose keeping killer whales in captivity than the number of adults who support it. Seventy-one percent said they would still visit marine parks if they did not have captive orcas, indicating that captive whales are not the main reason why people visit marine parks. In fact, 14% said they would actually visit these parks more if they did not hold orcas in captivity. Eighty percent of participants also said that the prevention of natural behaviors and the welfare implications for orcas kept in small confined areas were sufficient reasons to eliminate the practice of keeping captive orcas.