Corky II is the longest-held captive orca on the planet. She has been confined and forced to perform tricks for over five decades. Please urge SeaWorld to finally release Corky and all remaining orcas to accredited sanctuaries where they can live out their lives with freedom, peace, and dignity.
Corky was captured in 1969 off the coast of British Columbia when she was roughly four years old. She has spent over 56 years in tiny concrete tanks, first at Marineland of the Pacific, and then at SeaWorld San Diego, where she has been held captive since 1987.
Orcas are highly social, intelligent marine mammals who live in family pods that remain together for life in the wild. They can swim up to 100 miles per day and can deep dive thousands of feet below the surface. They choose their own food and enjoy breaching the ocean's surface to hunt and play with their pods. Confinement in barren, artificial tanks fundamentally restricts these natural behaviors, resulting in distress.
During her time in captivity, Corky endured seven pregnancies, none of which ultimately resulted in surviving offspring. Many sources, including The Whale Sanctuary Project, indicate that Corky has cataracts, is blind in one eye, and has failing kidneys. She also has damaged teeth from chewing on the concrete walls of her enclosure.
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Orcas and all cetaceans thrive in their natural habitats, where they explore the vast oceans with dignity and freedom within their family pods. In captivity, they are deprived of nearly everything that makes them thrive, as evidenced by the many captive orca deaths in recent years.
I urge you to release Corky to an accredited seaside sanctuary where she can swim freely in natural seawater and experience an enriching environment suited to her needs. Additionally, we ask SeaWorld to finally end all captive cetacean exhibits and performances and shift its mission toward education without confinement.
I look forward to your positive response.
