As a child I loved going to SeaWorld to see “Shamu” and his performances. It was a magical place where I could see one of the most beautiful creatures on the planet greeting me, splashing me and even doing a little dance. I didn't know that the captivity of these great animals is extremely harmful. Half a century ago, in 1964, the first orcinus orca or killer whale was captured and put on display (Rose 1). Today there are forty-five orcas in captivity, of which approximately half were born in captivity (“Killer Whales in Captivity”). Orcas are tremendously intelligent, socially complex, and family-oriented animals. By studying them in captivity, and at the same time in the wild, we have learned enough about them to realize that Orcinus killer whales do not belong in captivity and that confinement of these animals is very painful. Imprisoning orcas for entertainment and human research leads to aggression, death at an early age and numerous health problems. Orcas display aberrant and aggressive behavior in captivity. Mutual aggression is frequent because “incompatibility among whales in captivity is frequent” (Rosa 7). It is difficult for captive whales to escape when attacked by another whale in the confined space provided. This leads to lacerations, deep wounds and even the death of the whales (Rose 7). Just because they are the same species doesn't mean they necessarily get along. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states in its Orca fact sheet: “Orcas are social animals that live in stable family groups.” In captivity the whales are placed into artificial social groups and moved around depending on how the management department wants to group the whales, with no thought given to how the animals will get along...... middle of paper...... . Black fish. Dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite and Gabriela Cowperthwaite. prod. Manuel V. Oteyza and Gabriela Cowperthwaite. By Eli Despres and Tim Zimmermann. Perf. Former SeaWorld coaches. 2013. DVD. Netflix. Web."Orcas in captivity." National Marine Mammal Laboratory. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, n.d. Web. January 20, 2014. .Reza, H.G., and Greg Johnson. “The killer whale bled to death after breaking its jaw in combat.” Los Angeles Times. Ed. Anthony Millican and Chris Kraul. Los Angeles Times, August 23, 1989. Web. January 23, 2014..Rose, Naomi 2011. Killer Controversy: Why Orcas Should No Longer Be Kept in Captivity. Humane Society International and The Humane Society of the United States, Washington, DC 16 pp.