On January 31, 2024, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden reintroduced legislation that would end the future capture and breeding of whales for public display in the USA. The legislation explicitly targets orcas, beluga, pilot and false killer whales who are cognitively, emotionally, and socially complex animals which, studies have shown, cannot thrive in captivity. The Strengthening Welfare in Marine Settings (SWIMS) Act would amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, to prohibit the taking, importation, or exportation of any orca, beluga, pilot whale, or false killer whale within the U.S. for public display. Exemptions for animals being transported to a sanctuary setting or to be released into the wild are included in the SWIMS Act.
Currently, there are approximately 50 whales held in captivity in the United States and this bill would ensure that the current generation at marine parks is the last in the country. Whales deserve to live freely in the oceans where they belong as no matter the size of a tank, it can never replace the ocean for these marine mammals.
