Officials from SeaWorld in San Diego, California released the results of a study on Tuesday that suggests that the lifespan of orcas, or killer whales, raised in captivity is just as lengthy as that of their counterparts who live in the wild.
In a study featured in the Journal of Mammalogy, marine researchers from SeaWorld and the Minnesota Zoo examined the lifespan of orcas living in the northern and southern regions of waters covered by the Pacific Northwest. They then compared their data with those observed in orcas bred in captivity in SeaWorld.
The researchers discovered that the average lifespan of a killer whale raised in the San Diego marine facility is around 41.6 years. Orcas living in the southern portions of the Pacific Northwest, on the other hand, live to about 29 years, while whales in the northern areas can reach up to 42.3 years.
"The results demonstrate unequivocally that killer whales in captivity have similar life expectancies to those in the wild and provide invaluable knowledge concerning normal reproductive patterns of the species," Todd Robeck, SeaWorld's vice-president of theriogenology, said.
According to a separate study conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average lifespan of killer whales in the wild is between 30 to 100 years.
The findings of the SeaWorld-led study, however, were met with criticisms, especially from various animal conservation groups. They argue that the research was written by SeaWorld's Robeck, two fellow employees of the marine park and Kevin Willis, who is the Minnesota Zoo's biological programs vice president.
Jared Goodman, director of animal law for the PETA foundation, said that the claims presented by SeaWorld do not have any basis.
The group pointed out that the results of a previous study featured in the Marine Mammal Science journal showed that orcas bred in captivity only live to about 11.8 years, which is significantly lower compared to SeaWorld's assertion.
SeaWorld has received much criticism from Peta and fellow animal rights organizations since the release of a documentary, entitled Blackfish, back in 2013. The film accused SeaWorld of subjecting its orcas to abuse and neglect.
The SeaWorld-led study is published in the Journal of Mammalogy.
Photo: Abi Skipp | Flickr
