Captivity...a very controversial issue.
I am not strictly pro or anti captivity, but here are my views. Despite opinions of many people, captivity is educational. We've learned about gestation, growth after birth, illnesses, anatomy - the list goes on. We would be hard-pressed to find this information in the wild.
I would enjoy seeing larger pools being built, but I am content (for the time being) with the size of, say, SeaWorld California's facilities. Many parks, however, are in need of expansion. Health care is another issue, and in many parks, it is sufficient. Tokitae, for example, has incredible health care that has enabled her to live all these years in some of the worst conditions. Shows in captivity should be used to both entertain and educate, for you cannot have one without the other (in a general audience).
It is definitely wrong to capture orcas from the wild, and further captures *need* to be stopped. All it does is take away needed orcas from a decreasing population, not to mention break family bonds. However, I believe that once in captivity, the majority of orcas cannot be released (an exception is Tokitae, who has been alone and in horrible conditions for years). Corky, for example, is practically blind in her right eye, and has a close bond with Orkid and Sumar. These are her adopted family - to release her would seem almost as bad as her original capture. I also believe you *definitely* cannot release captive-born orcas. They were born in captivity, so they obviously have no "longing" for the wild. Releasing Takara, for example, would be taking her away from her family that she has known for years, not to mention her trainers, one of which she has known all her life. It is also nearly impossibe to release orcas. I personally believe Keiko only got his billions because he was the star of Free Willy - most captive orcas have not received such recognition. It's extremely hard to release orcas. It's extremely expensive and stressful for both orca and human, the rehabilitation could take years (sapping even more money), and it is not a 100% success rate. Rehabilitation for orcas who need it is a nice, yet impossible, dream.
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