Dr. Ingrid Visser and her colleagues have come up with a plan to house captive orcas that is nothing short of genius. It is ecologically sound, and would accommodate whales that are not candidates for release to the wild as well as those in the process of being rehabilitated for release.
The plan is stunningly simple and logical, yet incorporates every complex issue involved in maintaining the health of killer whales in a manner that reflects their need for space and stimulation.
It is awe inspiring, and shows what the captive industry could provide, if only they had the animal’s best interest in mind.

These illustrations are to scale – the small black dot in the circular pen and the square medical pools are adult orcas so it is easy to grasp how large these areas are relative to the animals.

The plan calls for public access and stresses education, funds generated by visitors and contributors would support the non-profit organization.

Contemporary ecologically sound facilities will incorporate solar and wind power in their energy profile.

These photos are all screen captures from a video posted on YouTube, taken at the Superpod 4 conference. The entire video is fascinating, but if you are just interested in the sea pens go to the 28 minute mark.
You will be amazed at what can be done to help rescued whales.