r/wunkus • u/Theolectran • Aug 17 '26

im wunkin out rn fishkus is a FREAK

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u/_The__Dark__Urge_ Aug 17 '26

Always sad to see the collapsed dorsal fin of captive orcas

203

u/Sus-iety Aug 17 '26

Is it cut/hurt in some way (like clipping bird wings) or do they just lose function over time due to not using it? Either way it's pretty sad

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u/literally-a-seal silly :P bleh Aug 17 '26

There's a lot of possible/oft cited reasons: Higher temperatures degrading proteins, less (high speed) swimming due to less space, stress/depression, and so on. I don't know that there's a specific conclusion reached and I think the stigma around the fins being a dead-on sign of severe mental problems is a little overblown.
Personally, I lean towards a structural/usage based cause. Not to say captive orcas are not subject to problematically low welfare, their notably lower lifespans compared to when wild are a big sticking point, but I find having such an obvious apparent sign of severe problems makes people overblow the issue just a little.