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In Argentina, a lone orca suffers as he spends every day swimming in endless circles around a tiny, sterile tank with no contact from any member of his species. Kshamenk has been named the “forgotten orca.” Sadly, he is the last captive orca in Argentina and has been isolated at Mundo Marino away from other orcas for over 24 years. Tell the Argentine authorities that it is time to retire Kshamenk to a seaside sanctuary where he can live out the rest of his life in a natural environment!

Kshamenk's story is shrouded in suspicion. The original story about how Kshamenk came to Mundo Marino is a rescue story. On September 19, 1992, a transient pod of orcas was swimming off the coast of Argentina and four of the orcas, including Kshamenk, became stranded in shallow water. He was then “rescued” and transported to Mundo Marino. After the initial story, rumors started to spread that the oceanarium forced the stranding to claim a rescue after its leadership saw an opportunity to add orcas to the facility. Mundo Marino had been known to force strandings in order to capture animals for display in the past.

After capture, Kshamenk was placed in a tank with Belen, a 12-year-old orca who had been at Mundo Marino for much of her life after her own “rescue.” Mundo Marino bred Kshamenk with Belen who then gave birth to a stillborn. Orcas have incredibly strong social bonds and this death of her calf likely caused Belen to experience tremendous grief. After she died in 2000, Kshamenk became the sole orca at Mundo Marino sharing his tank with bottlenose dolphins.

Orcas suffer greatly in captivity and Kshamenk is no exception. His dorsal fin has collapsed and his body is said to have a permanent bend in it from being stuck in such a confined space for all these years. Kshamenk's tank is so small he could swim 500 laps around it in one hour. In the wild, pods of orcas will swim up to 100 miles per day but Kshamenk spends much of his time floating in the tank not moving at all. There is footage of him floating almost completely still for up to 24 hours at a time.

Kshamenk should be retired immediately to a seaside sanctuary where he can have room to swim and be in his natural environment. Tell the Argentina Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries and the Argentina Secretary of the Environment to allow Kshamenk to be released to a seaside sanctuary.

Letter to Decision Maker(s) for reference:

Subject: ¡Liberen a Kshamenk a un Santuario Costero!/Free Kshamenk to a Seaside Sanctuary!

As someone who is concerned with animal welfare and one of over 250,000 In Defense of Animals supporters, I urge you to take immediate action to release Kshamenk, the last captive orca in Argentina, to a seaside sanctuary. 

For over 24 years, Kshamenk has been mentally and physically crippled by his confinement in a small, shallow tank. Orcas are highly intelligent, social mammals who hunt cooperatively, communicate through vocalizations, navigate dynamic environments, and form strong social bonds. Since the death of his tankmate, Belen, in 2000, Kshamenk has been isolated, deprived of social interaction which is essential for orca well-being. 

His collapsed dorsal fin is a clear sign of stress and insufficient space — it’s a condition that affects captive male orcas, but is rarely seen in the wild. Additionally, his body is permanently curved, likely from years of swimming in tight, repetitive circles in his tiny pool. Kshamenk’s tank is so small he could swim 500 laps around it in just one hour. In the wild, he would travel up to 100 miles per day. 

Evidence shows that Kshamenk spends much of his time floating motionless, a behavior uncharacteristic of healthy wild orcas, who are constantly moving. Videos of Kshamenk reveal him remaining almost completely still for up to 24 hours at a time — an alarming sign of extreme stress and potential depression, caused by his confinement.

Seaside sanctuaries offer a more natural, expansive environment with access to open water, enriched habitats, and opportunities for greater movement and autonomy. These sanctuaries provide the space and care needed to improve his well-being.

I strongly urge you to support Kshamenk’s release to a seaside sanctuary so he can live out his remaining days with dignity, peace, and freedom to express his natural behaviors.

*****

Como una persona preocupada por el bienestar animal y uno de los más de 250,000 simpatizantes de In Defense of Animals, le suplico tome las medidas inmediatas para liberar a Kshamenk, la última orca cautiva en Argentina, a un santuario costero.

Durante más de 24 años, Kshamenk ha sido afectado mental y físicamente por su confinamiento en un tanque pequeño y poco profundo. Las orcas son mamíferos sociales e inteligentes que cazan cooperativamente, se comunican a través de vocalizaciones, navegan en entornos dinámicos y forman fuertes lazos sociales. Desde la muerte de su compañera de tanque, Belén, en el año 2000, Kshamenk ha estado aislado y privado de la interacción social que es esencial para el bienestar de las orcas.

El colapso de su aleta dorsal es una clara señal de estrés y falta de espacio suficiente, una condición que afecta a los machos orcas en cautiverio, pero que rara vez se observa en la naturaleza. Además, su cuerpo está permanentemente curvado, probablemente por años de nadar en círculos pequeños y repetitivos en su diminuta piscina. El tanque de Kshamenk es tan pequeño que podría nadar 500 vueltas en solo una hora. En la naturaleza, viajaría hasta 160 kilómetros al día.

La evidencia muestra que Kshamenk pasa gran parte de su tiempo flotando inmóvil, un comportamiento poco característico de las orcas salvajes saludables, quienes se encuentran en constante movimiento. Los videos de Kshamenk lo muestran permaneciendo casi completamente quieto durante hasta 24 horas seguidas, una señal alarmante de que se encuentra en un estrés extremo y con posible depresión causada por su confinamiento.

Los santuarios costeros ofrecen un entorno más natural y amplio, con acceso a aguas abiertas, hábitats enriquecidos y oportunidades para mayor movimiento y autonomía. Estos santuarios brindan el espacio y el cuidado necesarios para mejorar su bienestar.

Le suplico fuertemente a que apoye la liberación de Kshamenk a un santuario costero para que pueda vivir el resto de sus días con dignidad, paz y libertad para expresar sus comportamientos naturales.

Sincerely,

Signed

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.