Kiska is a killer whale who has lived for the past decade in total, miserable isolation at the Marineland aquarium in Niagara Falls, earning her the nickname “The world’s loneliest orca”. She has known nothing but captivity since she was captured in 1979 at just 3 years old, and every orca that she has shared a bond or familial connection with has either been ripped from her or passed away. Kiska even gave birth to 5 sweet babies during her captivity, but she had to witness every single one of them die — something that probably would not have happened had she been in the wild, where orcas have far better health outcomes and longer lifespans.
Recently, video footage was captured by a Marineland trainer-turned-whistleblower of Kiska bobbing listlessly in her tank, despondent and lethargic — clear signs of depression. Witnesses have also said she often calls out to other orcas, desperate for connection, and has even taken to chewing on the concrete of her enclosure out of boredom and frustration.It is so abundantly clear that captivity and isolation hurt killer whales like Kiska that in 2019, Canada made it illegal to keep them in captivity — but unlucky for Kiska, they allowed whales already imprisoned to be “grandfathered in”, meaning the animal welfare law did nothing to help her.
This footage and other firsthand accounts undoubtedly prove that Kiska needs to be moved to an attraction-free home where she can live with other orcas. Sign to save Kiska, and demand that she be moved to Whale Sanctuary Project in Nova Scotia!