The results of the WDCS, HSUS, AWI survey of US adults' perceptions of orca captivity

WDCS, together with The Humane Society of the United States and the Animal Welfare Institute, released the first-ever nationwide opinion poll gauging attitudes about keeping orcas, also known as killer whales, in captivity for public display that shows more Americans oppose than support the practice. The poll found that only 1 in 4 people are in favor of the practice.

Overall, support for keeping killer whales in captivity is low, the poll found, at 26 percent.  More telling of the tide of public opinion, however, is that strong opposition to this practice is triple that of strong support, with 24 percent  of respondents indicating they are strongly opposed and only 8 percent strongly favoring the practice. The data suggests the tide is turning and support for captivity is waning.

We discuss the poll and the impacts for the issue of orca captivity.

Please find attached the research and results.