Corky the Killer Whale

Here are some of the messages for Corky that a group of students recently wrote:

Get yourself into Corky’s headspace. The same food every day. Not being able to do all the things you should be allowed to do. Confined in a space that would make you claustrophobic. Away from family and the life you knew before you were captured. Tricks and training and loud crowds every day. Is this life? I think not. – Reiya

I’m mad because you are keeping Corky in captivity. I think instead of giving her frozen dead fish you should give her live fish so she can learn how to hunt.  – Abby

Corky is unhappy and deserves to be set free gradually.  – Rayne

I feel awful for Corky because I think she needs to be taught how to be a mother and her family can only teach her. And also she needs to be with her family to make her life happy. – Rinad

Corky the killer whale should be with her family. You should release her, let her be out in the wild. Let her be free.  – Taliya

I feel mad because you are keeping Corky in captivity!!!!!!I think you should give Corky a bigger pool and work your way up to setting her free! Please return Corky to the wild! Let Corky go! – Jessica

If you were Corky, would you want to be in a little cage all day? I think NOT!!! And get the same food every day? That’s what I feel. Bring her back to her habitat. You know it’s right. – Saskia

If you are too stubborn to let her go free, give her live fish and teach her to hunt. Don’t make her do tricks, add seaweed and rocks to her tank. Give her privacy. Build her a tank ten times as big. Don’t continue to torture her. LET CORKY GO FREE.  – Gwyneth

Did you know that there are less than 50 killer whales in captivity around the world? And did you know that Canada is one of only six countries that has a marine park with killer whales? Learn more about killer whales in captivity, including recent events in the news, facts and statistics at: http://www.orcahome.de/index.html

Corky in Captivity

Corky is a female orca who has lived in captivity longer than any other orca. She was captured at the age of four from the Pacific Ocean near Vancouver Island. Corky has spent more than 40 years in captivity. During that time she has given birth seven times, but all of her calves died. In captivity, Corky doesn't have the freedom to hunt or to swim in the ocean.

If Corky had been allowed to live a normal life, she would have stayed with her family, hunted cooperatively, and travelled up to 100 kms a day in the open ocean. Imagine what it would be like if Corky could be returned to her wild home, back to the ocean with her family.

Thanks to students at Downtown Alternative School in Toronto for encouraging Sea World to consider a more natural habitat for Corky.