I am against dolphins (Orcas included) being held in captivity. I cannot understand what people can learn from an animal living in a tank. How can a wild animal taken from the ocean teach people anything? How does a dolphin doing tricks for entertainment enlighten people? Is it right to take an animal living in an ocean, and place it in a tank with no hope of escape? Is it right to take an animal away from their family and place it among strangers for personal amusement? Wild dolphins are not people’s pets.
I live near the National Zoo of Washington D.C. My experiences with wild animals in captivity were formed by my zoo visits. I enjoyed the zoo very much. However, I saw animals that were seriously distressed. No matter how comfortable and homelike their areas seemed, these animals paced back and forth. In addition, zoo officials placed signs telling people not to feed, harass, or touch the animals. But, one seal died from ingesting too many coins that were tossed in his pool.
Dolphins in marine parks and zoos will be subjected to hordes of people wanting to feed and touch them. How can a social animal as a dolphin cope with the constant attention and demands on them? I have read reports of dolphins dying from ulcers and stress because of the crowds surrounding their tanks.
The care of the animals is also an important concern. The National Zoo had three years of animals dying because of the zoo officials’ incompetence. Rare pandas ate rat poison. Two seals had pneumonia that the zoo vets missed. Given their intelligence and social interactions, dolphins’ mental health is also at danger. Can people adequately care for dolphins’ physical and mental health? Dolphins are complex animals that need constant attention while in captivity.
How can the desires of people be reconciled with the needs of dolphins? One solution is to establish refuges for dolphins. Endangered manatees have one in Belize, where people are not allowed to swim with them and boat tours are regulated. Manatees can choose when to associate with people and when to be alone. People can experience the manatees in the wild, without disturbing them. I think that the same can be done for dolphins.
Purchase books on dolphins in captivity from Amazon.com
Drawing of “Dolphins” copyrighted by Mary Ann Sterling
Va. Carper
May 2, 2008