Tag Archives: orca captivity

Wikie was born at Marineland in France in 2001 to the wild-caught Icelandic orcas Sharkane and Kim II. In 2011, she gave birth to her first calf, a male named Moana, who died in 2023. In 2013, Wikie gave birth to Keijo, the last surviving orca remaining with her at Marineland today. Credit: Credit: @xrealeyes (IG); Inherently Wild: https://inherentlywild.co.uk

05Jun

Blog, Campaigns, Captivity Industry | Posts by : Helene O'Barry

Wikie and Keijo: From One Tank to Another?

Posts by : Helene O'Barry

Wikie and her son Keijo, the last two surviving orcas at Marineland of Antibes in France, have been the center of ongoing

Keijo with his mother Wikie. Born at Marineland d'Antibes in France, both are of Icelandic origin and could soon be transferred to Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain. Credit: @petite_photographe_animaliere (IG); Inherentlywild.co.uk

15May

Blog, Campaigns, Captivity Industry | Posts by : Helene O'Barry

Wikie and Keijo May be Sent to Loro Parque

Posts by : Helene O'Barry

Wikie and her son Keijo, the last remaining orcas at Marineland in Antibes, France, may soon be transferred to Spain, according to

According to online reports, Sumar's mother, Taima, showed aggression toward him when he was still very young, and he was eventually separated from her. Credit: Katerina Studios; Inherently Wild: https://inherentlywild.co.uk/sumars-gallery/

23Mar

Blog, Campaigns, Captivity Industry | Posts by : Helene O'Barry

One Dolphins Story: Sumar

Posts by : Helene O'Barry

Sumar was born on May 14, 1998, at SeaWorld Orlando. His mother, Taima, was born in captivity, and his father, Tilikum, was

Naya, who is the last survivor of three wild-caught orcas at Moskvarium in Russia, gave birth on December 29th 2023. The calf, a female, died just 28 days later, on January 26th. With the death of her daughter, Naya is once again all alone. Moskvarium opened to the public in August 2015 with a young male named Nord and two young female orcas named Narnia and Juliette. (”Juliette” was Naya’s previous stage name.) They were captured during the period 2012-2014, and both Narnia and Nord have since died. CREDIT: Moskvarium; Inherently Wild: https://inherentlywild.co.uk/najas-gallery/

18Feb

Blog, Campaigns, Captivity Industry | Posts by : Helene O'Barry

Wild-Caught Orcas: Captivity’s Lasting Toll

Posts by : Helene O'Barry

Orca captures in the United States, Canada, and Iceland stopped decades ago. But even after captures ended, the consequences continue to shape

Born in a tank and raised by humans, Adán has never chased a live fish or felt the pull of the ocean. His entire life will be spent performing in a concrete amphitheater built to entertain tourists. This small, artificial world of music, commands, and applause is all he will ever know. Credit: DIVA FLORA NIKOLOVA, www.inherentlywild.co.uk

11Nov

Blog, Campaigns, Captivity Industry | Posts by : Helene O'Barry

One Dolphin’s Story: Adán

Posts by : Helene O'Barry

Adán was born at Loro Parque, Tenerife, on October 13th, 2010. His mother, Kohana, was only eight years old when she gave

Earth, who was 100 percent Icelandic and spent his entire life in captivity, has died at the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium in Japan under unclear circumstances. Born in 2008 and separated from his mother at age seven, Earth was moved between facilities like many captive orcas, ultimately spending his final years alongside his aunt Rin - now left completely alone.

05Aug

Blog, Campaigns, Captivity Industry | Posts by : Helene O'Barry

Male Orca “Earth” Dies at Nagoya Aquarium

Posts by : Helene O'Barry

Earth, a male orca who spent his entire life in captivity, has died at just 16 years old at the Port of

Stella, who is pictured here with a dominant trainer standing on her back, is one of the last three survivors of the more than 50 wild-caught orcas that were flown out of Iceland during the ’70s and ’80s. The other two are female orca Katina who was captured in 1978 and performs at SeaWorld in Orlando, and a male called Ulises, who was captured in 1980 and performs at SeaWorld in San Diego.

12May

Blog, Campaigns, Captivity Industry | Posts by : Helene O'Barry

Ocean Just Out of Reach for Stella and Ran

Posts by : Helene O'Barry

The show stadium at Kobe Suma SeaWorld in western Japan has been built right next to the Pacific Ocean, within the orcas’

From left to right: Ingrid Visser, Jan Schmidt Burbach, Lamya Essemiali, Delphine Ronfot, Ric O'Barry, and Paul Watson. Credit: Sea Shepherd France

24Mar

Blog, Campaigns, Captivity Industry | Posts by : Helene O'Barry

Marineland d’Antibes’ Cetaceans Deserve Better

Posts by : Helene O'Barry

We are still trying to convince French authorities not to allow Marineland d’Antibes to sell its 12 bottlenose dolphins and two orcas,

Keto was the largest of the orcas at Loro Parque, but he looks so small here as he leans up against the concrete platform of his dreary enclosure. He was used in theatrical shows at Loro Parque for 18 years before his death.

22Nov

Blog, Campaigns, Captivity Industry | Posts by : Helene O'Barry

Keto the Orca Has Died

Posts by : Helene O'Barry

Keto, who has been used as a “must-see” tourist attraction at Loro Parque in Tenerife for the last 18 years, has died.

The German travel and tourism company TUI continues to support the commercial exploitation of orcas and other dolphins, even though these complex marine mammals clearly don’t thrive in concrete stadiums. On one of its websites, TUI promotes the orca show at Loro Parque as an "Orca Ocean spectacle," thereby admitting that the role of the performing orcas is to provide superficial holiday fun.

11Nov

Blog, Campaigns, Captivity Industry | Posts by : Helene O'Barry

Help Stop the Use of Orcas for Entertainment

Posts by : Helene O'Barry

Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain, currently displays four orcas at its concrete orca theater, which has the rather misleading name “Orca Ocean.”

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