Killer Whales Extinction

Unlike some other whales, killer whales are not in danger of becoming extinct. They have not been heavily hunted although sometimes they are killed by fishermen or taken alive and kept in marine parks and zoos.

Yet killer whales face many different threats in the wild. Fishermen sometimes take too many fish, which threatened their food supplies. Dangerous pollutants from factories, farmland, and towns pour into the sea every day and threaten their health. In many parts of the world, killer whales are injured or killed by boat propellers and harmed by oil spills.

Killer Whales in Captivity

Killer whales  have been kept in marine parks and zoos for nearly forty years. Some are born in captivity but the vast majority are taken from their family pods in the wild. In their new homes they often have to live alone, in small concrete tanks, and are forced to eat dead fish. Many people believe that no more killer whales should be taken from the wild and that some of those in captivity should be released.

Killer Whale Watching

Killer whales are quite widespread and in some areas are still fairly common. But we do not know how well killer whales are coping with many threats around them. Because there are so many threats, there future is uncertain. The more we know about killer whales, the better we can help protect them.

One way to learn about killer whales and other whales is to go whale watching. This is watching whales, in our case killer whales, on a special boat. You can watch killer whales in the wild in Canada, Argentina, Norway, Iceland, and many other places around the world.

Adopt a killer whale

You can help protect killer whales by adopting one through one of many adoption projects available from wildlife conservation groups. This is a great way to learn about the lives of killer whales and to raise money for conservation at the same time. You can also join a conservation group that works to protect killer whales and other whales and dolphins.