THE
DOLPHINS
AT PRESENT, MORE THAN 3,00 DOLPHINS ARE HELD IN CAPTIVITY IN AQUARIUMS, MARINE PARKS, AND SIMILAR FACILITIES WORLDWIDE, WITH DOLPHINS MAKING UP THE MAJORITY OF CAPTIVE CETACEANS.
OF THESE, A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER ARE HELD IN THE UNITED STATES, WHERE DOZENS OF FACILITIES HOUSE HUNDREDS OF DOLPHINS UNDER HUMAN CARE.
THE
WHALES
GLOBALLY, DOZENS OF WHALES, INCLUDING ORCAS (KILLER WHALES), ARE HELD IN CAPTIVITY IN MARINE PARKS AND SEAQUARIUMS.
RECENT DATA INDICATE THAT APPROXIMATELY 50–55 ORCAS ARE CURRENTLY IN CAPTIVITY WORLDWIDE, WITH THE UNITED STATES HOUSING AROUND 17 ORCAS AT SEAQUARIUM FACILITIES.
THESE WHALES ARE TYPICALLY PART OF LONG-TERM DISPLAYS, AND NO NEW WILD CAPTURES HAVE OCCURRED IN THE U.S. FOR MANY YEARS DUE TO CHANGES IN INDUSTRY PRACTICES AND PUBLIC POLICY.
THE
PORPOISES
GLOBALLY, VERY FEW PORPOISES ARE HELD IN CAPTIVITY, WITH ONLY A HANDFUL OF FACILITIES EXHIBITING SPECIES SUCH AS THE HARBOR PORPOISE.
IN THE UNITED STATES, PORPOISES ARE EXTREMELY RARE IN CAPTIVITY, AND MOST MARINE PARKS DO NOT HOUSE THEM.
CAPTIVE PORPOISES ARE TYPICALLY MAINTAINED FOR RESEARCH OR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES RATHER THAN PUBLIC DISPLAY.