Whale food chain. They have large reserves of blubber, more so for toothed whales as they are higher up the food chain than baleen whales. Lactating mothers can pass the toxins on to their young. These pollutants can cause gastrointestinal cancers and greater vulnerability to infectious diseases. They can also be poisoned by swallowing litter, such as plastic bags. Advanced military sonar harms whales. Sonar interferes with the basic biological functions of whales—such as feeding and mating—by impacting their ability to echolocate. Whales swim in response to sonar and sometimes experience decompression sickness due to rapid changes in depth. Mass strandings
Captive killer whales twice that length or and a minimum depth of , giving a minimum volume of for two killer whales. Each additional killer whale requires a pool with an additional of volume. 9 CFR 3.104 also requires a minimum of surface area per killer whale in Table IV (the example with a cylindrical tank in diameter for two whales provides of surface area per killer whale). Swiss regulations require a larger minimum volume: × deep for two killer whales, or . The Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA) goes further, and recommends for two killer whales. The US exhibitors