Moby Doll (c. 1959–9 October 1964) was an orca captured off the coast of British Columbia, Canada in 1964 which survived in captivity for about three months, which allowed for some of the first close study of the species. Moby Doll was the first orca to survive in captivity for more than two days, and the second to be displayed in a public aquarium exhibit. From a recording of Moby Doll's calls, he was years later identified as a member of J Pod of the southern resident orcas. He died due in part to exhaustion and parasite infestation, attributed to his low appetite and the stress of captivity.

At the time of his capture, orcas were widely feared and hated, and about 25% of captured, immature orcas carried evidence of having been wounded by shootings.. In 1972, Washington State Game Department supervisor Garry Garrison declared that orcas "had until recently been the subject of fear and violence. 'They were harassed, shot at, and killed at every opportunity.'" Don White, once an orca researcher at the Vancouver Aquarium and later a critic of orca captivity, wrote in 1975, "Before the capture of Moby Doll, of Namu and of Skana killer whales as a species were regarded by fishermen as vermin. Happily, this is no longer the case."

Moby Doll was kept alive in captivity by the Vancouver Aquarium after being harpooned and not dying as had been planned, leading to an unexpected public interest in the species. Moby Doll's captivity sparked the orca capture era in British Columbia and Washington State.

The 15 foot (4.6m) long male orca was captured in 1964 near East Point, Saturna Island in British Columbia. His size indicated he was most likely about 5 years old, a juvenile who still relied on other orcas to learn hunting techniques, migration patterns and communication. Sculptor Samuel Burich had been commissioned by the Vancouver Public Aquarium to kill an orca for purposes of using as a model for an art display. Aquarium staff were convinced it would be impossible to handle a live orca safely after the difficulties experienced by Marineland of the Pacific with their capture of Wanda, and subsequent capture attempts.

The collectors mounted a harpoon gun at East Point, Saturna Island on May 20, 1964, as data compiled at the Light House from 1958 to 1963 showed killer whales were particularly common there from May to October (peaking in August with large groups). After several failed attempts, a small orca was seen swimming about 20 meters from the rocks. The large harpoon struck the orca just behind the head, narrowly missing the cervical cord and the brain. The whale appeared stunned but unexpectedly did not die. To the surprise of Burich and his assistant Josef Bauer, other orcas, rather than fleeing, were raising their injured pod-mate to the surface to breathe.

After the pod moved away, the orca tried for hours to expel the harpoon and pull away from the heavy line. Bauer had been moved by the actions of the other orcas and the juvenile orca's cries, and rowed out in a skiff to shield the animal from attempts to shoot him with rifles. No wounds from bullets were later found in Moby Doll.

The Vancouver Aquarium's founder director, Murray Newman, decided to keep the wounded orca alive and bring him to Vancouver, although the local SPCA and others protested passionately. With care, the captors managed to have the young orca trail their small fishing boat like a dog on a leash; he intelligently avoided pain by not dragging on the harpoon rope. Other orcas seemed to be following their movements. Because the aquarium did not have a suitable pool, he was given improvised accommodation at Burrard Dry Dock. When he arrived, the aquarium's assistant curator Vince Penfold and neuroscientist Pat McGeer removed the harpoon and administered medical aid.

To vacate the dock and allow it to return to its regular work, a makeshift sea pen for the orca was constructed on military property at Jericho Beach, a location with less vessel traffic. The pen was "cut into a decrepit and abandoned jetty."