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Orcas and dolphins should never been held captive on display. Society treats dogs better even though orcas and dolphins are far more intelligent creatures.
Dogs have made themselves far more useful to people than marine mammals have. Which might indicate the dogs are smarter.
I am fine with keeping wounded dolphins and orcas on display. If they are not well enough to be out in the wild, then it's a kind thing for us to take care of them. Dolphins have shown to be able to adapt to the habitats we give them as they are very sociable and have shown to accept our kindness and curiosity with them.
We don't know enough about orcas to keep them safely in a man-made habitat. Orcas have never shown aggression towards a human being out in the wild, but have shown some while in a habitat. Not many, but it has happened, particularly the one in Seaworld in Orlando. We don't completely understand the way they live together and how their pods work. The habitats are very likely too small for them as well. They are considered to be the biggest dolphins which makes a dolphin habitat too small for them to survive. It's no wonder they may get cage crazy. They also were not originally brought in as wounded animals. They were captured for our own curiosity purposes. Their dorsal fins are not naturally bent over. They only do that in captivity. They need the open waters to live out their long lives. In captivity, their lives are shortened.
Dolphins don't seem to have a big problem reproducing in captivity. Like I said, they seemed to have learned to adapt to the surroundings. That does not mean go out and capture more dolphins for us to train and keep as pets. They are still meant to be wild. However, they often do get beached due to injuries and they don't have medicine for themselves to keep off the fatal infections. We are not saviors, but we do have the means to help. Maybe those are the only dolphins we have any right to as they do get domesticated and may not be able to be released out in the wild with even a healed injury very easily (not because they'd have to relearn how to hunt. I doubt they lose that ability, but the injury may not let them function at 100%). It is a great opportunity for people to get to know these incredible creatures. They are VERY intelligent. I think that is why they too are fascinated by us as well. We share so much with the way we think and communicate and play.
It's a hard decision, but in the end, wild creatures should stay wild whenever possible. Release who can survive in the wild, but learn as much as you can when they are in our hands.
South Carolina is the only state which prohibits this.
The Aquarium in Atlanta is a major tourist draw and was financed by the owner of Home Depot as a gift to the city.
One one hand these places and others are very educational and entertaining but I'm wondering if the animals are paying too much of a price.
No; however, some species do not have a choice. There are many species alive today and not extinct due to zoos and aquariums.
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Originally Posted by Pretzelogik
In a perfect world there would be no caged animals in zoos...however this is not a perfect world.
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And in addition to public education, animals in zoos and aquaria have been extremely valuable to scientists in and of themselves and in understanding how to assist their fellow creatures that are still living in the wild.
I've been to the "swim with the dolphins" place in the Florida Keys. What seems to be glossed over here is that the place opens the gates to the sea so that if they want to leave they can.
On a larger scale, the viewing of orcas in captivity - with people able to see the intelligence of them on a personal basis - has probably done more to further the banning of whaling than Greenpeace, even though entirely different species are involved.
There is a HUGE cost in keeping these animals in captivity and economics will eventually eliminate it as surely as steam powered locomotives.
I feel strongly that they should not be on display. I wish it were outlawed along with those swim with the dolphin places.
I agree totally! To keep them in captivity so that humans can watch them in person, swim with them, touch them and get their photos taken is just a cheesy money-making tourist attraction and a crime against mammals.
Giving you a rep point!
I don't see anything wrong with animals in captivity-include the capture of wild animals for captive populations. Captive animals have to come from somewhere after all...and all pets were originally wild animals.
But I do feel that current keeping of cetaceans in captivity does not take maximal advantage of the educational opportunities this could provide. too often I feel like it is just entertainment with little information on the animals natural history and natural behavior.
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