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This is not on the topic of clean water, but rather, a species of animal that survives in open saltwater, and has faced many troubles because of human impact. This came into my thoughts with the recent commercials for parks that feature aquatic animals such as Orcas, the animal pictured above. Captive male Orcas tend to have flopped dorsal fins. This is a result of a poor diet, a lack of space to roam, and mistreatment.One only has to watch the Blackfish documentary about Killer whales in captivity to know that whales have suffered abuse in zoos and water parks and are known to become extremely dangerous to trainers due to built up aggression. Some people may say that captive Killer whales live just as long as they do in the wild. However, the truth is that captive whales live around 15 years on average. Wild Orcas can live up to 80 years. Although captive Orcas should be able to survive a long time, history shows that whale parks are not known for providing longevity for whales or an equal quality of life. It is often very difficult to replicate an entire ocean in such a small space, despite the habitats that trainers or zookeepers attempt to provide.

Many Orcas are stillborn, die in infancy, or die young. This website accounts for all documented injuries of trainers or park visitors committed by captured Orcas. Access to survival rates of Killer whales can be found on “The Dodo” which is linked to here. Additionally, if you haven’t seen Blackfish, it’s on Netflix. Here is the official trailer. And as always, thanks for reading!