A Case for Killer Whales

         Whales have been targets of human intrigue for decades. Native tribes have revered the orca as the “Lord of the Ocean” and respected them. In recent decades, western culture has stigmatized them as killers and predators, becoming fascinated. With this increased interest commercial operations have begun to pop up including places like SeaWorld and various whale watching outfits across the coasts. These commercial operations have dangerous consequences for orcas. As people and vessel traffic increase in natural whale habitats we inhibit their normal ways of existence. Orca whales are content in their natural habitat. Humans not only have  endangered orcas in the wild, but they have been kidnapped from their natural habitat and held in captivity. Orca endangerment comes from the high amount of pollution in the water creates toxins in their bodies. Another contributing factor to orca endangerment is vessel traffic. Similarly, salmon - Resident Orcas natural food source - are being dammed in rivers and overfished, keeping the fish from their natural predators. It is time that, as humans, we become more aware of our surroundings; we are all mammals. There’s no difference between orcas and us. When we destroy their environment, we destroy our environment too. We don’t have any rights to pollute their living environment or their bodies. We need to be careful with our interest in whales because it can lead to their demise.