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Activists and SeaWorld debate the life spans of killer whales

By Orlando Sentinel, adapted by Newsela sta Feb. 10, 2014 5:00 AM

Orcas during a show at the Shamu Up Close attraction at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 7, 2014.

ORLANDO, Fla.Killer whales in SeaWorld parks die early. But killer whales in the wild live as long as humans. At least, this is what an activist claims in the middle of Blacksh, the popular, and critical, documentary about SeaWorlds killer whale program. The claim isnt challenged in the lm. It is used to convince the audience that killer whales, or orcas, suer when forced to live in man-made pools. Yet SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. says its killer whales have life spans similar to those of wild orcas. The company says it provides a healthy and stimulating home for the 29 orcas it owns at four marine parks. Its captive collection is the largest on the planet. The truth is not nearly as simple as either side claims. The fact is that scientists dont know for sure how long killer whales live.

Both Sides Skew The Numbers


The marine park industry is led by SeaWorld, and Blacksh is a signicant challenge to that industry. Both SeaWorld and activists are using numbers to make their case. Some experts accuse 1

both sides of only choosing research that helps their own argument. Both sides skew the numbers, said John Hargrove, a former SeaWorld killer whale trainer. He said he wants to see an end to orcas in marine parks. But he is also critical of what he calls the loud fringe of animal rights groups. This is a debate, but you have to debate with facts, added Hargrove. He appears on screen in Blacksh. Researchers have studied only a small percentage of the worlds wild killer whales. That is one of the biggest diculties in understanding the whales life spans. Only a handful of populations in the northeastern Pacic Ocean have been observed by scientists long enough to reach strong conclusions. Killer whales are found around the globe, from Iceland to Sri Lanka to Antarctica. There are at least nine genetically distinct ecotypes, said Brad Hanson. He is a Seattle scientist with the National Marine Fisheries Service. In other words, salmon-eating orcas in the Pacic Northwest might have dierent lifespans than mammal-eating orcas in the Antarctic Ocean, also called the Southern Ocean.

Looking At Annual Survival Rates


Several studies conducted by U.S. and Canadian government researchers have calculated average lifespans for killer whales in the Pacic Northwest. They found orcas can live from 30 to 50 years for females and from 19 to 31 years for males. But the numbers can change depending on which population was studied and during what period. Individual whales can live much longer. The longest lifespan has been estimated at up to 90 years for females and 70 years for males, depending on the study. Most of SeaWorlds whales are far younger; only one has so far lived into her 40s. But with the little information available, scientists say it can be wrong to compare lifespans between whales in the wild and whales in parks. Instead, they say, the better comparison to use is the annual survival rate. That is, essentially, an estimate of how many whales in a population can be expected to live through the year. One of the most recent studies of wild killer whales was led by Craig Matkin. He runs the North Gulf Oceanic Society in Alaska. His survey found that a population of orcas o the southern Alaskan coast had annual survival rates of 97 percent to 99 percent, depending on their age.

Some Studies Cited


The best known peer-reviewed study comparing annual survival rates was published in 1995. The authors calculated an annual survival rate of a little more than 93 percent for captive orcas. Thats a big dierence. Put another way: Captive whales were dying at a rate of more than 6 percent a year. That is close to three times the rate that wild whales were dying. That study is still cited today by animal rights groups and other activists. Its one of the studies the makers of Blacksh relied on while researching the lm. But newer studies suggest that captive whales are doing better. At a conference last month in New Zealand, a research team gave a presentation saying that the annual survival rate for captive whales had improved to about 98 percent in the past 10 years. This was based on numbers from up to November 2013. The New Zealand presentation was given by a team that included Douglas DeMaster. He was one of the co-authors of the 1995 study. The survival rate for captive killer whales seems to be improving, DeMaster said. He added that newer studies seem to show that captive-born whales appear to be surviving at about the same rate as wild whales. SeaWorld, for its part, says its whales have survived at an annual rate of about 98 percent during the past 10 years and about 97 percent during the past 20 years. The annual survival rate for killer whales held at SeaWorld parks since the 1960s is much lower. But the company says using the more recent numbers better reects improvements in care.

Quiz
1. What motive did the makers of the movie Blacksh probably have? (a) to convince the audience that SeaWorld needs more scientists (b) to persuade the audience that SeaWorld has too many killer whales (c) to persuade viewers that SeaWorld isnt the best place for killer whales (d) to convince viewers that SeaWorld is not as nice as the Pacic Northwest 2. What, according to the article, is one of the most signicant roadblocks to understanding how long whales live? (a) Movies like Blacksh focus on only one side of the debate. (b) SeaWorlds whales are far younger than the oldest wild killer whales. (c) Experts have only looked at a little of the total amount of the planets wild orcas. (d) SeaWorld is an entertainment company, and researchers work for animal rights groups. 3. Select the paragraph from the rst section that has another word for a killer whale? 4. Read the following paragraph. Both sides skew the numbers, said John Hargrove, a former SeaWorld killer whale trainer. He said he wants to see an end to orcas in marine parks. But he is also critical of what he calls the loud fringe of animal rights groups. What is the best meaning of fringe as used in the paragraph above? (a) a section of a group with loud voices (b) a section of a group with extreme views (c) a section of a group that does not follow rules (d) a section of a group that cares most about ocean animals

Answer Key
1. What motive did the makers of the movie Blacksh probably have? (a) to convince the audience that SeaWorld needs more scientists (b) to persuade the audience that SeaWorld has too many killer whales (c) to persuade viewers that SeaWorld isnt the best place for killer whales (d) to convince viewers that SeaWorld is not as nice as the Pacic Northwest 2. What, according to the article, is one of the most signicant roadblocks to understanding how long whales live? (a) Movies like Blacksh focus on only one side of the debate. (b) SeaWorlds whales are far younger than the oldest wild killer whales. (c) Experts have only looked at a little of the total amount of the planets wild orcas. (d) SeaWorld is an entertainment company, and researchers work for animal rights groups. 3. Select the paragraph from the rst section that has another word for a killer whale? 2 The claim isnt challenged in the lm. It is used to convince the audience that killer whales, or orcas, suer when forced to live in man-made pools. 4. Read the following paragraph. Both sides skew the numbers, said John Hargrove, a former SeaWorld killer whale trainer. He said he wants to see an end to orcas in marine parks. But he is also critical of what he calls the loud fringe of animal rights groups. What is the best meaning of fringe as used in the paragraph above? (a) a section of a group with loud voices (b) a section of a group with extreme views (c) a section of a group that does not follow rules (d) a section of a group that cares most about ocean animals

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