The marine amusement park industry is thriving on the eastern side of the world, due to economic growth and an expanding middle class stimulating the entertainment industry. This means cetacean captivity has also increased in countries such as Russia, China, and Japan. As I mentioned in a previous article, wild captures of orcas have been outlawed or restricted in many parts of the world. However, the growth in marine amusement parks coupled with an absence of restrictions has led to a renewed increased in wild cetacean captures. It has also, unfortunately, prompted the creation of breeding programs in the eastern world, just when the western side is finally addressing the end of such practices.

“I foresee SeaWorld expanding overseas, where it would no longer be beholden to pressure from US legislators and public opinion. The premise of the company – to make money off the façade of conservation – has not changed from the 1960s and 1970s. And, if Americans learn to see through the terminology – ‘conservation through education’; ‘raising awareness for the species’; ‘in the care of man’ – then there will be fresh audiences overseas who may still buy into the mythology.” -John Hargrove, former SeaWorld senior trainer¹ 

The Potential For Endangering Populations

Russian fishermen can catch belugas and orcas with a permit for ‘science and education’ under an allowable quota. But some believe that Russian orcas, which can sell for millions of dollars, are caught illegally and exported to China.² According to the Far East Russia Orca Project (FEROP), in 2012, an industry for captive marine mammals started up in the Russian Okhotsk Sea. Since then, whale hunters have caught and sold at least 29 orcas to four marine facilities in China and Russia.³

Orcas in those areas are transients and are thought to have smaller populations than resident killer whales. This renewed whale hunting could quickly move these animals toward extinction in the wild.⁴ But it is unknown exactly how many transient orcas reside in the Okhotsk Sea, so it is impossible to measure the potential long-term effect of these captures.⁵ 

“China’s marine park industry got started only about ten years ago…whereas people in the West have been familiar with marine entertainment for decades.”⁶

China

In China alone in the last five years, about 30 new marine amusement parks and dolphinariums have opened. This brings the country’s total to over 80 parks. There are plans to open approximately another 25 parks. The China Cetacean Alliance estimates that combined, these facilities have at least 1,000 cetaceans in captivity,⁷ and most were wild captures imported primarily from Japan and Russia.⁸ China also has no federal animal welfare laws.

“China appears to be immune to the ‘Blackfish effect,’ the term often used to describe the public’s response to the film…Chimelong [Ocean Kingdom] has paved the way for more orca breeding in China.”⁹

Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in China

This park opened in 2014 and is often referred to as the world’s largest aquarium. It is part of a larger tourist resort that mimics Orlando, Florida. They currently hold at least 9 captive orcas, but they may have additional whales that are not publicly displayed. The park began a breeding program in 2017, a year after SeaWorld announced they would end their captive orca breeding program.¹⁰ This park attracted more than 10 million visitors in 2018, so the business is thriving.

Moskvarium, Moscow, Russia

This facility opened in 2015 and has three captive killer whales performing in daily shows. When it was under construction, Erich Hoyt of FEROP said that it appeared that they were “enamored with the SeaWorld approach so I would expect loud music, the usual jumping through hoops and other circus-type routines,” as well as a breeding program like SeaWorld’s.¹¹ If you look at videos online from people who’ve attended, it is exactly what Hoyt described.

Their website also shows that their focus is on entertainment, with learning as an afterthought: “Here you can spend all day: take a walk around the Aquarium, see a fantastic water show, have a bite at one of the many cafes and restaurants. Besides, it is not only a good place to entertain yourself, but also to gain some knowledge and experience in scientific work with unique opportunities to study marine biodiversity.”¹²  

“Marine parks and shows make great attractions. Enamored and awed by the creatures, most people fail to realize the animals’ plight. In the news, training facilities are portrayed as caring institutions, marine mammals as happy, and their arrivals as celebratory events.”¹³

The Future

In 2018, the infamous Russian “whale jail” made worldwide headlines. Whale hunters illegally captured around 11 orcas and 87 belugas and held them in a series of small cells in Sreadnyaya Bay near Vladivostok. Fortunately, by 2020, the captors eventually released most of these animals but only after intense activism, investigations, and legal proceedings.¹⁴ But there are marine amusement parks in Russia, Japan, and China that are still seeking orca and beluga stock. This is what perpetuates these captures and places a high monetary value on their lives.

If you want additional information about captive orcas worldwide, Inherently Wild maintains a page on its website listing all known captured orca.¹⁵

How do we stop this practice worldwide? Is it through education, legislation, or activism? I don’t know the answer. But I do know that it took a combination of the three in the United States just to get minimal improvements on marine mammal captivity. But we still aren’t anywhere near where we need to be. My hope is that people worldwide will continue to learn about and value the natural world. Thanks for reading, please share and subscribe!

 

 

Additional Resources:

Report, “Orcas in captivity,” Whale and Dolphin Conservation, updated August 8, 2019.

Article, “Time running out for orcas, belugas trapped in icy ‘whale jail’,” National Geographic, April 8, 2019.

Video, “Inside China’s booming ocean theme parks,” China Dialogue Ocean, February 19, 2021.

Article, “Orcas don’t do well in captivity. Here’s why.” National Geographic, March 25, 2019.

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