Melissa S.'s article, "Captive Killer Whales," is a call on everyone able to involve themselves in the protection of killer whales and the people who train them. Orcas suffer in captivity. "Many captive killer whales die prematurely, with the average life at about ten years. In the wild, they live between 50 and 80 years." there is no justification for killing these animals. According to the article, killer whales are endangered along the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington. Keeping these animals in captivity is inhumane and is drastically cutting their numbers in the world's oceans. Killer whales become depressed and even suicidal when in captivity. No human deaths by killer whales have been recorded in the wild; however, there have been numerous captive attacks on humans that have resulted in fatality. No human or orca life is worth the quick buck that Sea World is making.