The Whales and Their Stories
Get to know some of the orcas who are currently being kept at Sea World and all around the world.
What has their life been like in captivity? What have they had to endure?
Malia
Her Story
Female
No other whale has endured captivity for as long as Malia. For 48 of her 52 years of life, Malia has been bred, displayed and required to perform for human amusement.
Nalani
Her Story
Female
Timid and passive, Nalani tends to remove herself from any problems within her social group. She prefers to be left alone, and if conflict arises among her tankmates, she tries to extricate herself from the environment.
Trua
His Story
Male
Trua was born into captivity in November 2005 and has never known life beyond the flat, featureless walls of his tank. He is nicknamed “Freckles” for the dot on his eyepatch and two dots on his neck.
Makaio
His Story
Male
Born in the ocean around 1988 and brought to the entertainment park Mundo Marino in Argentina in 1992, Makaio had the misfortune to spend 33 years in the smallest orca tank in the world.
Kiska
Her Story
Female
Kiska lives alone in a concrete tank at Marineland Canada. No family members swim by her side. No friends invite her to play. She holds the cruel distinction of being the only captive orca in North America held in social isolation from any other marine mammal.