Captivity is out of the question when considering ways to help the Southern Resident Orca. Not a single orca has lived past 30 years old in captivity when they usually live upwards to 80 years of age in the wild. Unfortunately, these majestic creatures usually die due to infections or pneumonia. The enclosures that orcas are kept in are too small for an animal that is highly intelligent, and social, that are genetically built to live, migrate, and feed over great distances in the ocean. (Daly, 2019) Orcas usually travel up to at least 40 miles a day and no matter how much enrichment is provided, it will not be sufficient for the animal. At least 170 orcas have died in captivity, not including 30 miscarried or still-born calves (Wdc, 2021). Ultimately, multiple studies and previous SeaWorld workers have come out and talked about the damages to the health of the animals that captivity causes.

Captivity was also a big factor in the sudden decline in the Southern Resident Orca population. The size of the pods has fluctuated severely during and after the 1970s. Between 1962-75 wild capture for marine parks was at it's peak. Over 36 Southern Residents, from an already declining population were captured in this time. 11 of those orcas died when caught and the rest passed away within captivity.