A heartbreaking video of a lonely orca, barely able to move in a tiny pool, has gone viral. The clip was shared on social media, showing the sad state of the 35-year-old orca named Kshamenk at Mundo Marino aquarium in Argentina.
Those who are outraged by the video will likely be furious to learn that the whale has been living in these conditions since 1992. The video, filmed by activist Phil Demers, co-founder of UrgentSeas, shows Kshamenk floating almost lifelessly in a small pool.
Kshamenk is not the only whale living in these conditions. SeaWorld has been “shamed” over the conditions of Corky, who PETA says has been living in a “tiny, barren tank”.
Just this summer Lolita, known as the “world’s loneliest whale,” died in her Miami aquarium after half a century in captivity.
READ MORE: SeaWorld ‘shamed’ over second orca still trapped in ‘tiny, barren tank’ after 50 years
The post was captioned: “Kshamenk, a 35-year-old captive orca is observed languishing in decrepit and ever-deteriorating conditions. He’s been stuck in this tank since his 1992 capture from the wild. Unless Kshamenk is rescued soon, he too will die tragically and senselessly. We must fight for Kshamenk!”
Kshamenk was captured from the ocean in the early 90s to live with another orca called Belen in Argentina. The two were inseparable until Belen sadly passed away in 2000 due to complications during childbirth. This left Kshamenk with only two dolphin companions, as no other orca was introduced into his environment.
Reports suggest that Kshamenk’s sperm has been sold multiple times to SeaWorld for the purpose of breeding more orcas.
The video has received nearly one million views. One person commented: “This is horrifying. No animal should live like this.”
Another added: “Imagine being locked in a white padded room for 50 years since you were a baby. No education. This is a jail. Solitary confinement.”
Many others expressed their dismay at the situation, calling it “so awful”, as Kshamenk can’t even move around freely, while some described it as “so sad and heartbreaking”.
