In captivity, many orcas suffer from poor physical and mental health. In the wild they can easily travel 50 to 100 miles a day. However, in captivity, a typical aquarium is only twice their size, forcing the animals to swim in small circles or float aimlessly. “The stress of captivity can push orcas and other marine mammals to exhibit neurotic behaviors that, understandably, can lead to tragic consequences,” says Elliot Katz, president of In Defense of Animals, an animal welfare advocacy group. These outcomes can include premature death, depression, and injury to coaches. “Science has confirmed that in captivity, dolphins and whales suffer from high mortality rates, poor reproductive success and can suffer from physical and psychological disorders. There is no justification for the capture, trade and exhibition of these wild animals,” according to Daniel Turner of the Born Free Foundation, another organization dedicated to animal conservation and welfare. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In the wild, orcas generally travel in pods of five to 30 individuals. Sometimes the pods combine to form a group of 100 orcas with a complex female-led social hierarchy. Researchers believe that orcas have an advanced communication system, with several dialects. In captivity, orcas are often isolated, except during shows and training. They are unable to communicate with each other or form social relationships as they would in the wild. Another unethical practice is the mass breeding of these whales. They are hybridized, crossed and even inbred. Tilikum, the largest orca in captivity, is SeaWorld's main source of sperm, and activists believe his value as a stud is the main reason SeaWorld will not release him back into the wild. Farming methods often create unsafe conditions and put the health of the animals at risk. In the wild, orcas choose their own mates and families stay together for life. To communicate, navigate and hunt for food, orcas rely on echolocation, which is the process of making sound and then interpreting vibrations. The sound waves bounce off objects and back, telling the orca what's around. In captivity, the tanks are made of solid concrete, which causes sound waves to bounce off the walls, making it impossible for orcas to locate food or navigate using echolocation. Many orcas in captivity die prematurely, with an average lifespan of around ten years. In the wild they live between 50 and 80 years. The first orca held in captivity lasted one day; he swam around his enclosure at high speed, bumping into the sides of the tank. Captive orcas pose a danger to trainers, with four documented deaths and a long list of attacks. The most recent occurred in 2010, when Tilikum allegedly grabbed his coach, Dawn Bran¬cheau, by the hair and dragged her underwater. Tilikum, whose stage name is Shamu at SeaWorld Orlando, weighs 12,000 pounds, and Bran¬cheau was one of their most experienced trainers. “When these animals are kept in captivity, they can become very hostile, depressed and even suicidal,” says Howard Garrett, director of the nonprofit Orca Network. Tragically, Tilikum had also been involved in the previous death of a trainer, in 1991, when Keltie Lee Byrne accidentally fell into the tub. A homicide investigation showed that Tilikum and two other orcas prevented Byrne from leaving the pool, causing her to drown. After Brancheau's death, Tilikum was.