A new orca calf has been spotted gliding through Puget Sound, a powerful reminder of what’s possible when even one compassionate human takes action for our fellow animals. One of those advocates was former Washington Secretary of State Ralph Munro, who passed away the same day this new baby orca was seen swimming freely—a fitting tribute to the man who played a crucial role in preventing this orca’s ancestors from confinement. The late Munro’s actions paved the way for this incredible moment, and his legacy lives on in the new generations of free orcas he helped protect.
The New Orca Calf’s Ties to Ralph Munro’s Legacy
This calf is the great-granddaughter of Wake—a transient orca matriarch whom Munro was instrumental in rescuing in the 1970s. In 1976, SeaWorld’s captors chased down several members of Wake’s pod off the coast of Puget Sound, using boats, planes, and explosives to drive them into nets.
Munro, then an assistant to the Washington State Governor, was outraged after reportedly seeing that SeaWorld’s captors were violating the terms of the company’s collection permit at the time. Munro helped file a trailblazing lawsuit against SeaWorld that led to the orcas’ release. The case also forced SeaWorld to relinquish its permit-granted right to capture orcas off Washington’s coast, effectively ending orca captures in U.S. waters.
The new calf is living proof that Munro’s efforts ensured future generations of orcas could thrive in their ocean homes, where they belong. Without his quick actions, this baby orca wouldn’t be alive—and their ancestors would likely have died in tiny tanks.
Orcas Suffering at SeaWorld Need More Heroes Like Ralph Munro
While this newborn orca explores the vast ocean, diving deep, learning to hunt in groups, and traveling great distances alongside their close pod members, others remain trapped in concrete tanks at marine parks—deprived of the rich, dynamic lives they are supposed to live.
SeaWorld no longer captures or breeds orcas—which the company was forced to stop doing after public outcry and PETA’s tireless campaigning—but it still holds 18 orcas and more than 100 other dolphins and whales in extreme captivity at its parks. SeaWorld also continues to use other dolphins as breeding machines to create more generations of animals to exploit.
More than 40 orcas and over 500 other dolphins and whales have died at SeaWorld, but it’s not too late to help the animals still suffering there—like Corky, the longest-held captive orca in the world. While her siblings and other pod members swim free in the ocean, Corky swims in endless circles in a tank.
Corky has been imprisoned for over 50 years. She deserves to swim fast and dive deep in a seaside sanctuary—not swim in endless circles inside a concrete tank. Her time is running out. Will you take action before it’s too late?
Please urge SeaWorld to establish a firm and rapid plan to end its use of animals, stop breeding dolphins and whales, and relocate them to seaside sanctuaries—where they could feel the ocean currents, meaningfully socialize with others, and live free of exploitation.
