Median survival for captive-born (14.1 yr) was significantly higher than wild-captured killer whales (5.5 yr), though the two failed to differ among the post-1 January 1985 cohort.

Still frame from video footage recorded at Loro Parque in 2013, illustrating the tongue-nibbling behavior between two killer whales in captivity. (Image credit: Almunia et al/Oceans 2025) ...

But the question of where and how to release them continues to fuel debate about what's best for these killer whales. The problem with releasing captive orcas into the wild Orcas raised in ...

Prior to the study, which includes images of two young wild killer whales "tongue-nibbling" in the waters near Norway, the behavior was only witnessed in a handful of captive orcas.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KTRK) -- SeaWorld welcomed its final killer whale born in captivity in San Antonio on Wednesday. The mother, Takara, is a 25-year-old orca who was born in captivity in San Diego.

Killer whales were seen ‘kissing’ for the first time in the wild, photo evidence shows. The ‘rare’ encounter ‘lasted nearly two minutes,’ researchers said.

Once killer whales began to be taken into captivity, they never attacked their captors — even when humans killed family members in front of them, said Deborah Giles, the research director of the ...

Wild killer whales normally swim upwards of 100 miles a day in straight lines and dorsal fin collapse is very rare among wild orcas. Of course, SeaWorld claims dorsal fin collapse isn't a sign of ...

While there’s no undoing what’s been done to Toki and the 132 orcas who have died in captivity, an estimated 3,600 whales and dolphins remain in human care worldwide.

Today, 17 of SeaWorld's 20 whales were born in captivity, including some descended from orcas captured near Iceland; the company hasn't collected a wild orca in more than 40 years.

For the first time ever, a pair of orcas have been spotted making out in the wild. The amorous pair was observed nibbling each other's tongues during a snorkeling expedition in the Kvænangen ...

Killer whales were seen “kissing” for the first time in the wild, according to a new study. The intimate behavior was recorded by snorkelers in Norway. Photo from Stephen Walker, UnSplash For ...