Killer whale bangs head against tank (Video)

The distressed orca, named Kiska, is in captivity at MarineLand in Ontario, Canada, and is seen thrashing against the perimeter of her pool. Kiska has been referred to as the ‘world’s loneliest’ killer whale because she’s currently the only whale that is at MarineLand in Ontario. The footage showing her in clear distress was captured by an anti-captivity activist called Phil Demers.

Demers actually used to work at the park, but has now clearly changed his mind on it, and is trying to raise awareness of the plight of captive sea mammals. He tweeted out the footage with the caption: “Anti-captivity activists entered MarineLand and observed Kiska, their last surviving orca bashing her head against the wall. Please watch and share. This cruelty must end.” He shared a second clip, adding: “Another angle. This is dangerous and self harming behaviour. Kiska is in distress.” Kiska, according to Mr Demers, is now 44-years-old, and has been living in captivity since she was captured in 1979 off the coast of Iceland.

Victim of stress and loneliness

She has outlived all of her tank mates, including her offspring, and has been on her own for a decade. She has been completely alone in her enclosure since 2011 after all of the other orcas in her tank died, including her five offspring. Demers said: “I want to see Kiska taken to an interim facility with other orcas until the Whale Sanctuary Project (in Nova Scotia) is built. Visitors can support find the Whale Sanctuary as well as support animal abuse whistleblowers at The Whale Sanctuary Project.” Rob Lott, the end captivity campaigner for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation said that Kiska’s behaviour is ‘a direct, stress-related result of wild-caught Icelandic orca, Kiska being raised in an artificial, concrete environment for the last four decades’. Watch the video, for the past 10, she has been in complete social isolation from others of her kind. This is what her loneliness, and her captivity, has done to her.