Editor's note: The video above about whale watching is from May 2019.
Canada has banned keeping dolphins, whales and porpoises in captivity, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.
The Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act outlaws the possession, capture and breeding of cetaceans. This includes orcas, dolphins and other kinds of whales.
The measure was championed by animal rights groups such as Humane Society International and the Whale Sanctuary Project.
“The passage of Bill S-203 is a watershed moment in the protection of marine animals and a victory for all Canadians,” stated Rebecca Aldworth, the executive director of Humane Society International/Canada. “Whales and dolphins don’t belong in tanks, and the inherent suffering these highly social and intelligent animals endure in intensive confinement can no longer be tolerated.”
Similar bills have circulated in the United States, but so far there are no nationwide laws in effect.
SeaWorld parks announced in 2016 that it would no longer breed the animals and would phase out their use.
Orcas can swim 30 to 60 miles in a day and their home range could be 600 miles across, which means even large concrete and glass tanks are similar to living in a holding pen, the Post reported.