Physical well-being

  • Space to swim long distances (wild orcas can travel 50–100 miles a day)
  • Clean, natural water with tides, depth, and temperature variation
  • Good health care and freedom from chronic injuries, infections, or dental damage
  • Natural movement, not repetitive circling or floating caused by confinement

Mental stimulation

  • Choice and agency — the ability to decide where to go, what to explore, and when to rest
  • Environmental complexity (currents, sounds, prey, textures)
  • Avoidance of boredom and stress, which in captivity often show up as stereotypic behaviors or aggression

Social life

  • Living with family members or a stable pod
  • Lifelong social bonds — especially critical for females, who normally stay with their mothers for life
  • Natural communication through their own dialects and calls

Natural behaviors

  • Hunting or foraging behaviors, even if fish are provisioned
  • Echolocation without acoustic distortion (concrete tanks reflect sound and can be painful)
  • Resting in natural ways (like logging with podmates)

Emotional well-being

  • Low levels of stress, fear, and frustration
  • Ability to engage in curiosity, play, and social bonding
  • Not being forced into performances or constant human interaction