Program Term Archive
Captive Marine Mammals
The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity
Marine WildlifeThe Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity was first produced in 1995 as a comprehensive resource for the public, the media, scientists, students, and policymakers to learn the various arguments...
Strengthening Welfare in Marine Settings (SWIMS) Act
Marine WildlifeThe SWIMS Act, first introduced in 2022 and most recently in 2024, would phase out the captive display of the four larger cetacean species held by US marine theme parks...
OSHA Attempts Backflip on Orca Safety Standards
Marine WildlifeThe 2013 documentary Blackfish told the story of Tilikum, an adult male orca who killed his trainer, Dawn Brancheau, in February 2010 at SeaWorld Orlando. In response to this incident, the Occupational...
Gulf World Goes Under
Marine WildlifeGulf World Marine Park, a dolphinarium in Panama City Beach, Florida, has closed after 55 years. It was purchased in 2015 by The Dolphin Company (TDC), which owns a string...
Cetacean Anti-Captivity Legislation and Laws
Marine WildlifeOrcas are too wide-ranging, too socially complex, and simply too large to cope with captivity in concrete tanks that are a tiny fraction the size of their natural home ranges....
Wild vs. Captivity
Marine WildlifeThe lives of cetaceans in the wild is vastly different from their lives in captivity. Here are some of the greatest differences including those in social structure, diet, sensory environment,...
The Captivity Industry
Marine WildlifeCetaceans in captivity experience significant physical and psychological harm, as confinement, performance training, and forced interactions strip them of natural behaviors and social structures. These practices prioritize entertainment over welfare,...
Capture and Trade
Marine WildlifeCapturing and trading in marine wildlife—removing free-ranging wildlife from their natural habitats for human use—occurs globally. Marine wildlife is especially difficult to propagate artificially (that is, to breed in captivity);...
Marine Mammal Protection Act
Marine WildlifeOn October 21, 1972, the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) (P.L. 92-522) was signed into law, having passed both chambers of Congress with wide bipartisan support. The MMPA prohibits “taking”...
Stop Congress from Gutting the Marine Mammal Protection Act
Marine WildlifeFor over 50 years, the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) has safeguarded marine mammals from harm, preventing population declines and accelerating their recovery. By aiming to ensure that these animals...