<P> The first captured North Eastern Pacific killer whale ( Wanda ) was caught in November 1961 by a collecting crew from Marineland of the Pacific in Los Angeles . The 5.2 m ( 17 ft ) orca was placed in a tank at the aquarium , where she repeatedly crashed into the walls . She died the following day . The next killer whale captured , Moby Doll , had been harpooned and shot in 1964 and survived for three months when brought back for display to Vancouver , British Columbia . The third capture for display occurred in June 1965 when William Lechkobit found a 22 - foot ( 6.7 m ) male orca in his floating salmon net that had drifted close to shore near Namu , British Columbia . The killer whale was sold for $8,000 to Ted Griffin , a Seattle public aquarium owner . Named after his place of capture , Namu was the subject of a film that changed some people 's attitudes toward orcas . </P>
when was the first orca put in captivity
November 1961