Orcinus orca
Killer whale captivity is a widely debated topic. Regarding anatomy, captive killer whales can exhibit collapsed dorsal fins. However, this trait has been witnessed in the wild and a prominent theory proposes this phenomenon can occur when any orcas live in relatively warmer conditions. Though, since captive orcas are more likely to breach, rising up to warmer waters, captivity itself can increase the temperature in which these whales live. Some evidence has shown that the condition can manifest in individuals after a month in captivity. Some argue that aggression among captive killer whales is common, whilst others claim that this also occurs in the wild. In August 1989, a dominant female killer whale, Kandu V, attempted to rake a newcomer whale, Corky II, with her mouth during a live show and smashed her head into a wall. Kandu V broke her jaw, which severed an artery, and then bled to death. In November 2006, a dominant female killer whale, Kasatka, repeatedly dragged experienced trainer, Ken Peters, to the bottom of the stadium pool during a show after hearing her calf crying for her in the back pools. In February 2010, an experienced female trainer at SeaWorld Orlando, Dawn Brancheau, was killed by killer whale Tilikum shortly after a show in Shamu Stadium. The whale had been associated with the deaths of two people previously. In May 2012, administrative law judge Ken Welsch upheld two Occupational Safety and Health Administration citations after Dawn Brancheau's death, including one directly related to her death, and fined the company a total of $12,000. Trainers were banned from making close contact with the whales. In April 2014 the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia denied an appeal by SeaWorld. On December 22, 2015, an 18-year old SeaWorld orca, Unna, died from a fungal infection at the SeaWorld Park in San Antonio, Texas.